Out of pure interest...

[stratigos vasilios]

Hello all,

I have a very superficial and interesting question I'd like to ask . I was watching Deadliest Warrior (yes yes I know its fabricated, but I like seeing the weapons in action) today and I thought to myself, how would a elite Roman army fare against a Chinese army from the same era. Ie. Rome in CE 001 vs an elite Han army or Rome in CE 300 vs an elite Jin army? I think other than 2 major trade missions that was the only major contact between the two empires?

I was looking online at some available literature but none really provided enough information to satisfy me with an answer, I figured the EB forum is the only place I could get a decent answer and spawn some good discussions!. If anyone can provide a link to some readings that would be wonderful. Also I am not sure if this question has been asked before; apologies in advance if it has, and apologies if this is regarded as an inappropriate comment for this forum.

Many thanks

[paleologos]

A long time ago I saw a movie titled "Stand by me". It was based on a Steven King novel.
I think everybody must have seen that one by now.
In that movie somewhere along the story one of the kids asks his friends who they thought would win in a fight between Superman and Mighty Mouse.
I don't know why I remembered that.

By the way, in a KH army, if you absolutely had to choose, would you rather have Thorakitai Hoplitai or Epilektoi Hoplitai? And are Rhodian Slingers really better than regular Hellenic Archers?

[Watchman]

Well, I'd imagine the Romans might find the crossbow something of an unpleasant novelty.

[stratigos vasilios]

Well, I'd imagine the Romans might find the crossbow something of an unpleasant novelty.

True. Hmmm I remember reading somewhere that the Chinese had either bought or captured Roman soldiers from the East and commented on the 'fish-scale' formation they used, ie the testudo.

[ARCHIPPOS]

On the other hand ancient chinese had gladius-like swords.I've seen pics of them and they looked very similar...

aha.Here's the pic i saw."bronze swords of warring states" upper left.They look quite identical, no ???

[Badass Buddha]

I'm reminded of the argument at the beginning of the Family Guy episode Let's Go To The Hop.

Guy 1: "Dude, the Bronze Age was so much cooler than the Iron Age."
Guy 2: "Dude the Iron Age could kick the Bronze Age’s butt any day of the week!"

Also, the Jin had Zhuge Nu. That could kill half the Romans before they could even get into close combat.

[Watchman]

True. Hmmm I remember reading somewhere that the Chinese had either bought or captured Roman soldiers from the East and commented on the 'fish-scale' formation they used, ie the testudo.

IIRC that was the theory that Roman POWs taken by the Sassanids may eventually have ended up fighting for them in Central Asia, where the Chinese then took note of the unusual tactics employed.
Though I can't really see how one makes "fish-scales" out of the testudo - if anything it mostly resembles nothing so much as what the Romans named it after...

Also, Archippos ? For one thing see the dates. For another, yeah well; there's only so many shapes you execute a decent double-edged cut-and-thrust sword in you know.

[ARCHIPPOS]

i'm not saying they copied it from spaniards or romans.It's probably parallel evolution.But it's interesting nevertheless...

[bobbin]

True. Hmmm I remember reading somewhere that the Chinese had either bought or captured Roman soldiers from the East and commented on the 'fish-scale' formation they used, ie the testudo.

Thats a very controversial fringe theory based around the description of a Han battle in Sogdia, it's based on some very shakey thinking and most historians don't beileve a word of it. The "fish scale" formation could also be translated as describing a normal shield wall or even just how the soldiers looked like a school of fish.

Concering the OP I agree with Watchman, the chinese crossbow would cause major problems for the roman heavy infantry.

[stratigos vasilios]

Thats a very controversial fringe theory based around the description of a Han battle in Sogdia, it's based on some very shakey thinking and most historians don't beileve a word of it. The "fish scale" formation could also be translated as describing a normal shield wall or even just how the soldiers looked like a school of fish.

Concering the OP I agree with Watchman, the chinese crossbow would cause major problems for the roman heavy infantry.

Oh I was making a very superficial comment regarding the testudo and possibly in hindsight I should have put a question mark at the end of the statement; so it didn't seem like I was arrogantly making a point but rather asking another question, for that I apologise. How do you think the Romans whould have gone against Chinese cavalry? or even the siege weaponry?