Short men had what it takes for 2m years

[Theodosius the Great]

So, what took the clumsier (i.e. taller) Germans so long to conquer Rome ? :lol:

Short men had what it takes for 2m years :

...Short men were irresistible to women until mankind's ancestors learned how to use tools as weapons, research suggests.
Being short made modern man's predecessors more adept at fighting - with a lower centre of gravity and better balance ...

[Carlton Bach]

THanks! I'll use that text in one of my classes for translation practice. One of the students is about 5'4".

[Dan Howard]

How often do the shorter men win bouts in full contact martial arts contests?

[Virilis]

You should ask Mike Tyson :wink: ...

[Cornelius Quintus]

Ave Theodosius,

probably their preferred fighting technique was the 'shortcut' then? :wink:

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Hmmmmm, you often hear about The Short man's complex, but I have met plenty of tall people with big chips on their shoulders! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Spurius]

It seems to me that this research is not weighing in all the factors.

Sure, shorter soldiers have a lower center of balance, but taller soldiers have more reach. Taller people are also better at mountain climbing for the same reason. Sure, there is a trade-off and this is not ideal in every situation, but it seems ignorant for researchers to make such a generalized statement. I'd really like to see the details of the research.

And let's not forget the Roman Army did have some parameters defining a minimum height for recruits.

[Theodosius the Great]

Sure, shorter soldiers have a lower center of balance, but taller soldiers have more reach. Taller people are also better at mountain climbing for the same reason.

Since shorter men are more stable I think they make better cavalrymen - less prone to fall off.

Sure, there is a trade-off and this is not ideal in every situation...

Right, taller types have more range but I figure maybe shorter guys are more nimble ?

And let's not forget the Roman Army did have some parameters defining a minimum height for recruits.

Oh, I know it. I just posted this research so we can all make light of its flawed conclusions (and the researchers). There are other factors, like - what if the shorter race (e.g. Romans, Greeks) had SUPERIOR tools (e.g. the gladius) than the taller race and MORE of them to go around for their side ? Not every Celt or German could have a sword. So, there's the economic angle missing from this research as well.

~Theo