I've always thought about the stamina it takes for a front line soldier of antiquity to hold his position and fight for extended periods.
Let's just say a soldier survives the battle, fighting in the line for (for arguements sake) 5hrs, I wonder how many kills he makes, or the frequency of those kills. I'd assume he would be rotated from front line to rear so he can get his wind?
The fighting must have been ferocious , the noise incredible and the smell overpowering.
What must of the feeling been like (referring to a Roman soldier, again for arguements sake) waiting in line with his mates watching the advance of the barbarian horde screaming their war cries! Adrenalin plus!
A nasty business war, but interesting nonetheless.
Does anyone know of any sites that explain in detail the things i've mentioned above? Perhaps chain of command also. How the soldiers were rotated, messages relayed and so forth?