07-23-2012, 12:25 AM
Quote:Rod MacArthur post=316850 Wrote:Is it likely that the Romans produced full strength organisations which were tactically illogical compared to the Ptolomies?Again, logic is in the eye of the beholder. I'm not an ancient Roman. I sometimes find it hard to understand their mind-set. (btw I wonder what Nick Sekunda's source for the Ptolemaic army is?)
Well, I think most former soldiers find they can understand much of a Roman soldier's mindset. I am just re-reading John Peddie's excellent "The Roman War Machine" and as a former soldier he is constantly drawing parallels with modern military examples which I can relate to. I always liked General "Stormin' Norman" Swarzkopf's short story of a general coming back to his tent in the field dropping his personal sidearms and helmet on his camp bed and thinking of the events of the day. It is only at the very end do you realise it is not a modern US Army General (remembering Swarzkopf commanded the coalition forces in the First Gulf War) but a story of Julius Caesar after Pharsalus. Brilliant.
Nick Secunda's pair of books can be read online. Just google them and they appear on Scribe. You can read them for free but you have to subscribe to Scribe to download them. They seem very well researched and academic books to me. He lists some 40 sources, several of which seem to be in ancient Greek, and cross references where he drew conclusions from.
Rod
