http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae
Somehting like this, maybe?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Carrhae
Somehting like this, maybe?
Last edited by Maion Maroneios; 05-16-2008 at 10:34.
~Maion
I kinda...forgot about that battle.![]()
Though I think that maybe one disadvantage the Romans had was the fact that they were dedicated swordsmen, rather than spearmen.
And horse archers just...well, counter everything.
My Greek Cavalry submod for RS 1.6a: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=368881
For Calvin and TosaInu, in a better place together, modding TW without the hassle of hardcoded limits. We miss you.
That's why, after all, Legionaries changed to spearmen after the Empire split into East and West.![]()
~Maion
There are more factors involved then the composition of the armies involved. Supply lines, command structures, communications. And of course, Location, location, location.
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Long may the barbarians continue, I pray, if not to love us, at least to hate one another,seeing that, as fate bears remorselessly on the empire, fortune can offer no greater boon now than discord amoung our enemies - Tacitus
not exactly, the spatha continued to be the main weapon for all the IV century at least, but many carried also a short anti cavalry spearOriginally Posted by Maion Maroneios
At Carrhae the horse archers were resupplied with arrows by camel trains. The Romans were just in a hollow square formation completely surrounded. I believe the biggest problem for the Romans at Carrhae was Crassus. He was no general, just a guy with tons of illgotten money trying to make a name for himself against a strong enemy. Too strong it proved. The happiest day of Caesar's life was probably when Crassus went to Parthia to meet his death. That and knocking boots with Cleopatra. The key to horse archers, as discussed in the horse archer thread is stand off distance. If you have it such as at Carrhae and can just rain arrows on the infantry, they're doomed.
Check this out, great source going into detail about horse archer and swarming tactics used by steppe armies.
http://books.google.com/books?id=RTq...hl=en#PPA20,M1
According to this source the legionary was slowly replaced over time by the heavily armored cataphract.
Last edited by Africanvs; 05-17-2008 at 03:37.
"Insipientis est dicere, Non putarvm."
"It is the part of a fool to say, I should not have thought."-Pvblivs Cornelivs Scipio Africanvs
Lives: Pvblivs Cornelivs Scipio (A Romani AAR)
Lives: Alkyoneus Argeades (A Makedonian AAR)
Ok, horse archers are real badasses, but remember that after Charrae the Roman Empire got the initiative on the Parthians in all the war they fought... and the legions never lost a field battle against cavalry-based armies again until the collapse of the political system in the III century... that means strategies and tactics against the HA+Kats combination actually existed, and that the Romans adopted them (even if some cavalry-fans think different...).
Arrian vs. the Alans, Belisarius in the battle of Sura-Callinico and others Imperial commanders resisted or won using a defensive tactic and a "fortress-like" formation: armored infantry make a shield/spear wall to protect lots of good missile troops.
The problem for a western army is exactly to find lots of good missile troops..![]()
I seem to recall a certain Mark Anthony's unsuccesfull invasion of Parthia - which was so disastrouous that it actually sorta decided the coming war between Octavian and Mark Anthony as well, since his casulties were irreparable. And it did include battles, such as two Roman legions left with the siege weapons while Anthony moved ahead, whereafter Parthians crushed the legions and siege weapons. Except for that battle however, I'll prolly have to admit that the remainder of the Roman losses mostly came from being unable to take cities (having no siege weapons) and then having to retreat.Originally Posted by Aper
What of the Sassanid-Roman wars - the Shapurs defeated tons of Roman emperors, they must have won a battle now and then ;)
Moreover, I advise that Syracusans must be added to EB (insp. by Cato the Elder)
Is looking forward to the 2090's, when EB 20.0 will be released - spanning the entire Eurasian continent and having no Eleutheroi - with a faction for every independent state instead. Look out for the Gedrosians, the Cretans and the kingdom of Kallatis!
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