09-05-2004, 02:54 AM
If the battle took place over the span of three days and assuming that they were ambushed on the first day, wouldn't that mean that by at least the end of the first day or beginning of the second day, Varus and his legions were no longer surprised?<br>
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Were there perhaps other factors leading to varus' defeat other than an ambush on the first day? Something terribly wrong must have happened over the course of the three day battle... I would think that Romans, with their legendary staying power might have been able to wear down the Germans.<br>
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Varys had three legions, which was a rather large force in that time, wouldn't he be able to wheel or somehow salvage the situation? I think attributing such a massive defeat to an ambush action spanning three days would seem kind of far fetched. Perhaps Varus and his commanders were incompetent...<br>
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An ambush could have meant his inevitable defeat from the start but wouldn't he have at least have seen it coming and tried to retreat in good order? From my understanding, the three legions were almost completely destroyed. Then again, the Germans could have outnumbered the Romans, but from what I've read, it was the other way around. Perhaps the Roman commanders were not incompetent and thought that they could still salvage the situation, and it did take three days of fighting. Could this mean that man for man, the Germans were better fighters in the terrain and conditions that the battle took place? <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=manatrakoolmd>Manatrakoolmd</A> at: 9/5/04 5:03 am<br></i>
<br>
Were there perhaps other factors leading to varus' defeat other than an ambush on the first day? Something terribly wrong must have happened over the course of the three day battle... I would think that Romans, with their legendary staying power might have been able to wear down the Germans.<br>
<br>
Varys had three legions, which was a rather large force in that time, wouldn't he be able to wheel or somehow salvage the situation? I think attributing such a massive defeat to an ambush action spanning three days would seem kind of far fetched. Perhaps Varus and his commanders were incompetent...<br>
<br>
An ambush could have meant his inevitable defeat from the start but wouldn't he have at least have seen it coming and tried to retreat in good order? From my understanding, the three legions were almost completely destroyed. Then again, the Germans could have outnumbered the Romans, but from what I've read, it was the other way around. Perhaps the Roman commanders were not incompetent and thought that they could still salvage the situation, and it did take three days of fighting. Could this mean that man for man, the Germans were better fighters in the terrain and conditions that the battle took place? <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p200.ezboard.com/bromanarmytalk.showUserPublicProfile?gid=manatrakoolmd>Manatrakoolmd</A> at: 9/5/04 5:03 am<br></i>
