Roman s fighting in close combat

[Razor]

how did the late romans fight, in ranks, or did they fight as individual warriors.

Late Romans fought in ranks just like in the 'good old days'. Fighting as individuals during battles is very unroman and almost ever means suicide. Romans like to stick to their discipline and stay in formation showing the enemy a large wall of shields. Fighting as individuals is typically barbarian/Germanic/Celtic. Although they did use formations as well but I think their individuality (showing others you're a brave warrior) weakens the cohesion of a formation (lack of discipline and being impetuous) so in the end the Romans were most of the time superior to them.

[Magnus]

Gentlemen, might I suggest providing informational links only to Mr. Woad's inquiries? Given his lack of acceptance in regards to the information presented here in text by those I would consider to be expert, Ph.D or not, I would say let him read it for himself, and draw his own conclusions.

Just a pinch of advice.

[S SEVERUS]

I suggest that Woad starts reading a lot of books about the subject! Goldsworthy, Elton,... etc!!

[Woadwarrior]

thats what i hate about this site
how do u know i dont read books
whats the problem of posting a few questions on this site isnt it what its for

[Peroni]

Woadwarrior, Nothing is wrong with asking questions, but I would suggest that before you post , use the search function on the forum?

Nearly all of the questions you raise have been asked already somewhere on here, and the answers you seek have already been posted.

Nobody is suggesting that you do not read books, but one or two books such as Goldsworthy or Connolly would answer all your questions.

Regards,

[S SEVERUS]

Peroni


That's what i also meant.
:wink:

[Magnus]

thats what i hate about this site
how do u know i dont read books
whats the problem of posting a few questions on this site isnt it what its for

What, you hate the fact that people are telling you to do your own research?

You hate that you are being provided with links and books which are full of information, but because that information isn't being handed to you because you "demand" it, you hate that?

You hate being told to perform a SEARCH on topics that have been discussed to death 5 years ago?

If you've read any of these books it seems you've taken little to nothing from them. All you do of us is ask questions. The fact is, you don't simply ask a "few" questions...your questions are like an abyssal avalanche with little end in sight. Then, once you ARE told something, you have a tendency to not listen anyway.

So why waste our time as well as yours?

[Robert Vermaat]

If this thread is not taken back to the fighting in ranks topic, I'd say move it or close it forthwith.

[Chuck Russell]

that would be the tetorberg forest massacre, in the reign of augustus
general quintuilius varus, was ambushe by arminus of the germans, and only 300 escaped

im not that dumb

you are correct sir i didnt wanna bore you with the details. i simply gave an evidence where the legions did not fight in their normal ranks. and they lost BAD.

theres also a reference of the 14th not fighting in ranks when they were ambushed. they lost bad too, and the ones that didnt die in battle killed themselves in the fort.

[Tarbicus]

Francis, go here for more info on the Teutoburger Wald massacre:

[url:e0r90sib]http://www.livius.org/te-tg/teutoburg/teutoburg01.htm[/url]

[Narukami]

Excellent link Tarbicus.

Thanks! :wink:


So much to read and study -- I could spend the rest of my life sitting under my lemon tree reading about Ancient Rome.

Hmmmm...now there's a thought.

Narukami

[Felix]

One other case of a legion being ambushed happened in Boudicca's revolt. The results of the two legions who fought major battles against her are a graphic display of what can happen when a legion is ready as opposed to being ambushed.

[stevesarak]

I just read the other day in Julius Caesar’s Civil War, that during a battle in Spain, Pompey’s men had made camp close to a town with some flat land and a small hill in between them and the camp. Caesar wanted to take the small hill to prevent Pompey’s men from being re-supplied, so Caesar had had his men form ranks and do a fast march to take the hill, Pompey’s men seeing what was happening, ran to take the hill, individually not in formation. They got to the hill first and fought individually as more and more of their men showed up and prevented Caesar’s men from capturing it.

Caesar wrote that when fighting an enemy for years, that sometimes soldiers would take on the tactics of that particular enemy. Later in the battle Caesar’s men, in formation, did fight through heavier odd and caused Pompey’s men to retreat when they were trapped near the city walls.

So to answer the question, yes sometime Rome’s soldiers fought and ran just like the barbarians, but it wasn’t the standard practice and wasn’t as effective as formation fighting.