05-11-2006, 08:35 PM
I think it's Vegetius who says that the standard march was up to 20 Roman miles in mid-summer--during the longest days of the year. So that's about 18 modern miles for the usual maximum. Doesn't mean an army moved that far every day, though. Forced marches could be 25 Roman miles. That certainly does depend on the roads and conditions!
A well-trained man can indeed out-march a horse! Starve and beat the man, and if he respects you he'll keep going. Starve and beat the horse, and it will die! (And then the infantry will eat it!) That's why the baggage was carried and pulled by oxen and mules: slower in the short haul, but with much better endurance. Note that even the Parthians--an entirely mounted army--were freaked out by the Romans' ability to march so fast. They typically were careful to camp far enough away so that they wouldn't get overrun by a sudden march, which meant they spent the next couple days trying to catch up with the Romans!
Valete,
Matthew
A well-trained man can indeed out-march a horse! Starve and beat the man, and if he respects you he'll keep going. Starve and beat the horse, and it will die! (And then the infantry will eat it!) That's why the baggage was carried and pulled by oxen and mules: slower in the short haul, but with much better endurance. Note that even the Parthians--an entirely mounted army--were freaked out by the Romans' ability to march so fast. They typically were careful to camp far enough away so that they wouldn't get overrun by a sudden march, which meant they spent the next couple days trying to catch up with the Romans!
Valete,
Matthew
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
Legio XX, USA
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