Was the Roman Army the most effective fighting force pre-gunpowder?

[Dan Howard]

Getting back to the question at hand, I personally think it's worthwhile to choose a specific Roman commander and army before proceeding. Who do you think would crush Alexander or Hannibal? Who would crush Attila, Ghengis Khan, or Charlemagne? Even if we're just trying to have this discussion for fun, saying "Rome > everyone else" is too vague. Personally, I'd vote either Caesar or Scipio Africanus as the greatest Roman commanders/armies of all time.

Which brings us back to commanders. Whether you select a Roman army or a Medieval one is irrelevant. If you place someone like Caesar in command of a medieval army then it will beat a Roman army that is commanded by a less competent person.