05-23-2001, 12:27 PM
I just wanted to see what people thought about Corbulo's Armenian campaign. Specifically, how long did it take?<br>
<br>
The standard answer is 2 years, based mainly on the fact that Tacitus breaks up the discussion of the events in the East into 2 sections. But I am strongly suspect it was actually a one year sprint, for several reasons:<br>
<br>
1) The nature of the campaign that Tacitus describes seems to be a pre-modern blitzkrieg. Corbulo are clearly moving fast, coming upon towns before the Armenians thought it was possible, shattering forts in short order, etc. Moreover, someone in one of my seminars did do the times and distances, as near as can be estimated, and it seems it was possible to do it in one long season.<br>
<br>
2) Why risk wintering on the Armenian Plateau, without a friendly base. It is a great place to lose an army, if not to nature than to locals.<br>
<br>
3) Tacitus does not describe what surely would be a very tough winter on the Armenian plateau. Note that he goes into detail on Corbulo's training the army near the Plateau.<br>
<br>
<br>
Any comments?<br>
<br>
WWB <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/uwwb99.showPublicProfile?language=EN>wwb 99</A> at: 5/23/01 2:28:08 pm<br></i>
<br>
The standard answer is 2 years, based mainly on the fact that Tacitus breaks up the discussion of the events in the East into 2 sections. But I am strongly suspect it was actually a one year sprint, for several reasons:<br>
<br>
1) The nature of the campaign that Tacitus describes seems to be a pre-modern blitzkrieg. Corbulo are clearly moving fast, coming upon towns before the Armenians thought it was possible, shattering forts in short order, etc. Moreover, someone in one of my seminars did do the times and distances, as near as can be estimated, and it seems it was possible to do it in one long season.<br>
<br>
2) Why risk wintering on the Armenian Plateau, without a friendly base. It is a great place to lose an army, if not to nature than to locals.<br>
<br>
3) Tacitus does not describe what surely would be a very tough winter on the Armenian plateau. Note that he goes into detail on Corbulo's training the army near the Plateau.<br>
<br>
<br>
Any comments?<br>
<br>
WWB <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://pub45.ezboard.com/uwwb99.showPublicProfile?language=EN>wwb 99</A> at: 5/23/01 2:28:08 pm<br></i>
