10-27-2020, 11:57 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-28-2020, 12:28 AM by Nick the Noodle.)
Obviously, don't know how to either post or edit yet.
Fortunately, Polybius gives us all the information we need to know about the numbers at Zama.
Explicitly, he states that Hannibals front line of mercenaries is 12000. Further, his army is a maximum of 40000.
Polybius is a member of the Scipio household, and certainly would not print anything that would diminish his employer, or his family. Further, he can also be considered reliable, the most reliable source of this period.
That said, if Scipio's Hastati had been outnumbered by these mercenaries, he would have said so. In fact he mentions that Roman discipline and arms eventually beat mercenary speed and skill, implying numbers were about equal. 12000 Hastati means 12000 Velites, 12000 Principes and 6000 Triari, using Polybius book 6 (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...us/6*.html)
Of Hannibal's 40000, around 4000 are usually considered cavalry, thus 3 lines of 12000 infantry are considered likely. Hannibal's mercenaries are said to have been of 4 different ethnicities, 2 of which usually provided light infantry. What this means is that Hannibal had about 30000 heavy foot, the same as Scipio.
The Hastati eventually defeat Hannibals front line, which falls back and stated to fight his second. Whether actually true or not, casualties are greatest during the rout, not in actual combat. When both the mercenaries and local levy fall back, and form on the edges of Hannibal's veterans, we are still looking at about 30000 foot each. They have time to do this, because Scipio also has to reform his line. Once again, Polybius confirms this stating the final infantry combat has about the same number of troops on both sides. The outcome is therefore determined by Scipio's returning cavalry.
My theory is based solely on Polybius, and ignores less reliable sources like Appian.
Fortunately, Polybius gives us all the information we need to know about the numbers at Zama.
Explicitly, he states that Hannibals front line of mercenaries is 12000. Further, his army is a maximum of 40000.
Polybius is a member of the Scipio household, and certainly would not print anything that would diminish his employer, or his family. Further, he can also be considered reliable, the most reliable source of this period.
That said, if Scipio's Hastati had been outnumbered by these mercenaries, he would have said so. In fact he mentions that Roman discipline and arms eventually beat mercenary speed and skill, implying numbers were about equal. 12000 Hastati means 12000 Velites, 12000 Principes and 6000 Triari, using Polybius book 6 (http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...us/6*.html)
Of Hannibal's 40000, around 4000 are usually considered cavalry, thus 3 lines of 12000 infantry are considered likely. Hannibal's mercenaries are said to have been of 4 different ethnicities, 2 of which usually provided light infantry. What this means is that Hannibal had about 30000 heavy foot, the same as Scipio.
The Hastati eventually defeat Hannibals front line, which falls back and stated to fight his second. Whether actually true or not, casualties are greatest during the rout, not in actual combat. When both the mercenaries and local levy fall back, and form on the edges of Hannibal's veterans, we are still looking at about 30000 foot each. They have time to do this, because Scipio also has to reform his line. Once again, Polybius confirms this stating the final infantry combat has about the same number of troops on both sides. The outcome is therefore determined by Scipio's returning cavalry.
My theory is based solely on Polybius, and ignores less reliable sources like Appian.
