08-12-2016, 04:25 PM
Professional soldiering was not a Pre-Marian/Post-Marian reform. I've already demonstrated that Marius had nothing at all to do with long standing armies. Of the armies he commanded as consul, two were disbanded immediately after the conflict ended (Jugurthine War and Cimbri War) and the other (from the Social War) was kept under the standards only because of the impending threat of the Civil War between the Optimates and Populares; Sulla and Gn. Pomp. Strabo refused to disband their legions. Marius had nothing at all to do with long standing legions, it happened long after he died, likely one of Sulla's reforms (as one of his laws allowed for Pro-Consul governors to remain longer in their provinces, instead of being replaced yearly, it suggests that legions were also not replaced quickly). Also, during Sulla' Civil War, his army probably led the precedence for long standing service, raised during the Social War they spent over ten years under the standards before being discharged and given land in Italy and the East. Pompeius Magnus continued the tradition, his legions were never disbanded, they remained in service until he was elected Consul with Crassus, at which time he discharged them and gave them large land grants in the East and in Spain. By that point service in the legions implied longer than normal service and a likely land grant at the end, but only if the general was popular and powerful enough to force the Senate to abide an Agrarian Law, which many were not successful at.
Bad back? Have you met many farmers? I have, the old guys are exceptionally strong. They even have a name for it, farm strong, and old man strength. These guys can do physical feets of strength and endurance that simply embarrass young men, and they do it with no sweat. I know, because I've seen it a whole lot growing up. You don't lose most of your strength after 2 weeks. LOL, that's laughably wrong. You really need to google the definition of fact.
Ennius was writing about the time period of the 2nd Punic War, which is the conflict he served in.
Bad back? Have you met many farmers? I have, the old guys are exceptionally strong. They even have a name for it, farm strong, and old man strength. These guys can do physical feets of strength and endurance that simply embarrass young men, and they do it with no sweat. I know, because I've seen it a whole lot growing up. You don't lose most of your strength after 2 weeks. LOL, that's laughably wrong. You really need to google the definition of fact.
Ennius was writing about the time period of the 2nd Punic War, which is the conflict he served in.
