05-14-2006, 10:46 AM
Tacitus (or was it Iosephus Flavius? - I'm far away from my books) wrote, that the "standard" distance for a legionaire was 20,000 steps/day, so maybe having a "counter" slave is not a bad idea.
The longest distance marched during a day I've read of was during Nero's reign, when a roman army was defeated in Armenia and the survivors "marched" some 60 miles whithin one day. But actually it was a long-term flight, because they were pursued by the enemy and so did the romans throw away most of their equipment (Tacitus).
Note:
In Szombathely/Savaria there is one part of the Amber road excavated and opened for the public. I tried to make a few steps on it but it was horrible. Whith the iron nails in my caliga it was something like moving on ice! I almost fell to my nose. Also Iosephus wrote that during the siege of Jerusalem the jews managed to kill a centurio because he slipped on the stony street.
So I get even more familiarized with the idea, that maybe the romans used the stone roads only for the carts and wagons of the army, while the soldiers marched on the soil next to the road which seems to me more comfortable. But of course this is just an idea.
The longest distance marched during a day I've read of was during Nero's reign, when a roman army was defeated in Armenia and the survivors "marched" some 60 miles whithin one day. But actually it was a long-term flight, because they were pursued by the enemy and so did the romans throw away most of their equipment (Tacitus).
Note:
In Szombathely/Savaria there is one part of the Amber road excavated and opened for the public. I tried to make a few steps on it but it was horrible. Whith the iron nails in my caliga it was something like moving on ice! I almost fell to my nose. Also Iosephus wrote that during the siege of Jerusalem the jews managed to kill a centurio because he slipped on the stony street.
So I get even more familiarized with the idea, that maybe the romans used the stone roads only for the carts and wagons of the army, while the soldiers marched on the soil next to the road which seems to me more comfortable. But of course this is just an idea.
Valete,
József Janák
Miles Gregarius
Legio I Adiutrix
Pannoniciani Seniores
Brigetio, Pannonia
József Janák
Miles Gregarius
Legio I Adiutrix
Pannoniciani Seniores
Brigetio, Pannonia
