08-18-2003, 07:08 PM
Just a few comments<br>
<br>
Size:<br>
<br>
A few of you has rightly pointed out that the reported<br>
largeness of the Germanic tribes should be take with an equally large grain of salt.<br>
<br>
But we have to consider that we are not comparing<br>
whole populations but rather the segments that was<br>
recruited for military service.<br>
<br>
When the Romans first encountered the Germanics in a serious way their citizen/farmer army was already a thing of the past. Instead they were recruiting from the<br>
poorer classes where you - anything equal - will expect<br>
a lower average height due to malnutrition in childhood.<br>
<br>
The Germanic warriors was OTOH recruited from the sons<br>
of the free well to do class of an fully agrarian society.<br>
<br>
Even though the germanic farmers probably had bad harvests on a regular basis am I confident that these boys would be the last to starve.<br>
<br>
All in all I would expect that the average Germanic warrior had an perhaps slight advantage in bodystrength,<br>
height and reach over the average Roman soldier in the first couple of cent. AD.<br>
<br>
Training :<br>
<br>
I think there is no match here.<br>
<br>
Germanic society was build around a warrior ideology and<br>
the boys destined to be warriors would have been training and playing combat related games from early<br>
childhood.<br>
<br>
His Roman counterpart would no doubt be tough and streetwise but he would only encounter real military training at some point in his late teens - at the earliest.<br>
And the the emphasis would be on formation fighting although some individual training would have occurred.<br>
<br>
Experience:<br>
<br>
Germanic warriors would probably more often fight other<br>
guys brought up their own tradition than Romans. Hence<br>
more single combat experience<br>
<br>
The Romans soldier would likewise be more likely to have<br>
meet an enemy fighting in his own style, probably during<br>
a civil war.<br>
<br>
Equipment<br>
<br>
The germanic Equipment would be more geared towards<br>
single combat.<br>
<br>
The Roman equipment would probably be of an overall better quality but it would likewise be geared towards formation fighting.<br>
<br>
Evidence<br>
<br>
It seems that every time the Romans had to bite the dust against an germanic foe they were forced into<br>
a situation were they either couldn't bring their formations<br>
up or the formations were broken early on.<br>
<br>
The classic example is of course Teutoburger Wald<br>
where an numeric inferior Germanic army made mincemeat out of 3 legions.<br>
<br>
There was of course the element of surprise but TW was<br>
a protracted running battle going on over several days so<br>
the Romans must at some early point have figured out what was going on.<br>
<br>
They were slaughtered in man on man fighting anyway.<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
Wagnijo<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
Size:<br>
<br>
A few of you has rightly pointed out that the reported<br>
largeness of the Germanic tribes should be take with an equally large grain of salt.<br>
<br>
But we have to consider that we are not comparing<br>
whole populations but rather the segments that was<br>
recruited for military service.<br>
<br>
When the Romans first encountered the Germanics in a serious way their citizen/farmer army was already a thing of the past. Instead they were recruiting from the<br>
poorer classes where you - anything equal - will expect<br>
a lower average height due to malnutrition in childhood.<br>
<br>
The Germanic warriors was OTOH recruited from the sons<br>
of the free well to do class of an fully agrarian society.<br>
<br>
Even though the germanic farmers probably had bad harvests on a regular basis am I confident that these boys would be the last to starve.<br>
<br>
All in all I would expect that the average Germanic warrior had an perhaps slight advantage in bodystrength,<br>
height and reach over the average Roman soldier in the first couple of cent. AD.<br>
<br>
Training :<br>
<br>
I think there is no match here.<br>
<br>
Germanic society was build around a warrior ideology and<br>
the boys destined to be warriors would have been training and playing combat related games from early<br>
childhood.<br>
<br>
His Roman counterpart would no doubt be tough and streetwise but he would only encounter real military training at some point in his late teens - at the earliest.<br>
And the the emphasis would be on formation fighting although some individual training would have occurred.<br>
<br>
Experience:<br>
<br>
Germanic warriors would probably more often fight other<br>
guys brought up their own tradition than Romans. Hence<br>
more single combat experience<br>
<br>
The Romans soldier would likewise be more likely to have<br>
meet an enemy fighting in his own style, probably during<br>
a civil war.<br>
<br>
Equipment<br>
<br>
The germanic Equipment would be more geared towards<br>
single combat.<br>
<br>
The Roman equipment would probably be of an overall better quality but it would likewise be geared towards formation fighting.<br>
<br>
Evidence<br>
<br>
It seems that every time the Romans had to bite the dust against an germanic foe they were forced into<br>
a situation were they either couldn't bring their formations<br>
up or the formations were broken early on.<br>
<br>
The classic example is of course Teutoburger Wald<br>
where an numeric inferior Germanic army made mincemeat out of 3 legions.<br>
<br>
There was of course the element of surprise but TW was<br>
a protracted running battle going on over several days so<br>
the Romans must at some early point have figured out what was going on.<br>
<br>
They were slaughtered in man on man fighting anyway.<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
Wagnijo<br>
<p></p><i></i>
