11-18-2013, 07:51 PM
Quote:One of the largest civil war battles ever fought between two Roman armies was between those of Constantius II and Magnentius in 353AD at Mursa. Between 150,000-300,000 troops fought in that battle and the losses were catastrophic, anything up to 90,000 in Magnetius' army and 50,000 in Constantius'.
Do you mean the battle of AD351?
Potter (Roman Empire at Bay p.456) quotes Zonarus's figures: 36,000 in the army of Magnentius, and 80,000 in the combined force of Constantius and Vetranio. That would make a total for the battle of 116,000 - still quite a big one!
Are there alternative, higher, numbers in another source?
Isn't it the comparatively high percentage of casualties, rather than the unusual number of combatants, that made this battle so particularly destructive?
Nathan Ross
