03-10-2014, 05:40 PM
Quote:Quote:I must ask, from your original point, what you believe (in that particular microcosm) changed so much that it would influence a set of changes for the Late Roman period (4th-5thC)?
Cavalry.
Rome necessitated its changes because it fought the Sassanids, who unlike the disorganized Parthians could coordinate large armies and effective defenses, as well as invade (And at one point almost conquer) the Roman Empire.
And then came the Huns, with a completely new style of warfare and the 7-lathe bow, revolutionizing Roman cavalry by the mid-6th century.
Yes, but as it is advised to ask - so what?
The enemy is now mainly cavalry and so the spear is re-introduced/re-vitalised as it is better at holding off cavalry and also, once more, becomes longer to boot; likewise the sword becomes longer (or, similarly, everyone switches to the pre-existing spatha) - in both cases the lessening in infantry hand-to-hand combat (and thus the prime drivers for pila + gladius); but still obviously pretty effective as it has been the armament of most auxiliaries for over 300 years.
also.....
In order to be able to engage with cavalry at the range of the bow they themselves are using, there is then also then a switch to greater bow use; enabled in part by the use and incorporation of a fair number of barbarians/foederati who have been used to the bow from both as the primary hunting weapon. I also am lead to believe that the first crossbows/manuballista(?) appeared then; which would make sense since they require a great deal less long-term training - just as was re-discovered in the medieval period - and lamented on to boot!
These are not "revolutionary" - these are simple variations on a theme and using, in most cases re-using, existing technologies.
In every case - the troops still need to be organised, moved, fed, housed with nothing 'spectacular' to drive change.
You specify "Cavalry" in particular - what then is the fundamental change that has happened between a Polybian/manipular legion unit of 300 cavalry of the 3rdC BC and a Byzantine tagma of 300 cavalry nearly 1000 years later?
