07-29-2010, 11:35 AM
I've seen this 'saw tooth' idea portrayed a couple of times in TV reconstructions of the Boudica battle. I think it must be a recent theory by some historian or other. Cassius Dio describes the battle (briefly) as a straightforward scrum; Tacitus mentions the wedge, but the Romans only use it to charge after breaking the main assault with missiles - "when the closer advance of the enemy had enabled them to exhaust their missiles with certitude of aim, they dashed forward in a wedge-like formation. The auxiliaries charged in the same style; and the cavalry, with lances extended, broke a way through any parties of resolute men whom they encountered" (Annals, XIV.37). This suggests a single wedge, with the auxiliaries forming another.
Actually, this 'saw tooth' formation would seem to be a very poor tactic, militarily speaking - it denies the enemy any possibility of retreat, forces him to fight to the death, and leaves a sizeable mound of corpses guaranteed to break up any advancing line. The normal wedge is intended, as Tacitus suggests, to 'break through' and rout an enemy formation, not competely annihilate it. Deliberately putting a heavily outnumbered force in close combat against an enemy with nowhere to run and overwhelming weight of numbers would seem to invite disaster, no matter how disciplined that force may be.
This is quite a good documentary reconstruction (aside from portraying Boudica as a rock vixen in a tight leather corset!), perhaps the one mentioned above, showing what is intended to be the 'saw' formation:
Battle of Watling Street, Part 2
- Nathan
Actually, this 'saw tooth' formation would seem to be a very poor tactic, militarily speaking - it denies the enemy any possibility of retreat, forces him to fight to the death, and leaves a sizeable mound of corpses guaranteed to break up any advancing line. The normal wedge is intended, as Tacitus suggests, to 'break through' and rout an enemy formation, not competely annihilate it. Deliberately putting a heavily outnumbered force in close combat against an enemy with nowhere to run and overwhelming weight of numbers would seem to invite disaster, no matter how disciplined that force may be.
This is quite a good documentary reconstruction (aside from portraying Boudica as a rock vixen in a tight leather corset!), perhaps the one mentioned above, showing what is intended to be the 'saw' formation:
Battle of Watling Street, Part 2
- Nathan
Nathan Ross
