Do you know the way to Ariminum?

[Tarkus]

Howdy all,

I'm finishing up my read of Polybius' Histories (Great read, by the way), and I noted the following passage in Book III, Chapter 69 during his treatment of the Second Punic War:

The two armies duly made contact and Longus pitched camp close to Scipio, but after this he needed time to rest his men, who had undertaken a continuous march of forty days from Lilybaeum to Ariminum. (emphasis added)

Forty days from Lilybaeum to Ariminum?? Is this possible? I have to admit that, in my Romani campaign, I have not been building highways throughout Italy (or anywhere else, for that matter). Will I be able to make such long-distance marches after building highways?

On a more general note: Am I crazy for ignoring the construction of highways? Anybody have some advice here?

Thanks!

[Ludens]

Especially if they were in friendly territory (i.e. less supply problems), armies could move far faster in reality than they do in EB. However, army movement rates are kept low in order to prevent "teleporting", that is, going from one point to another without a blockading army being able to interfere. In reality, armies didn't take turns at moving either.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Some ancient 'yardstick': Sardis - Sousa : ~3 months' journey.

[The Persian Cataphract]

Some ancient 'yardstick': Sardis - Sousa : ~3 months' journey.

An elaboration on this; For couriers on duty per "parâsang" (Per unequal hour) this distance could be reduced to a handful of days if the Royal Road was used, and especially if caravansaries entered the picture. The Sassanians optimized this system of intelligence by increasing the figure of out-posts, to such degree that in application it became a human "telephone"-line (News were literally shouted); Under ideal circumstances news would reach the court in Ctesiphon by mere hours.

It is bedazzling indeed how infantry armies with convoluted logistics and heavy baggage covers this distance, in contrasts to an equestrian army with minimal baggage.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Correct (as usual ) I was referring to Herodotos who informs us of the time it takes to get from Sardis to Sousa on foot, if one uses the Royal Road and travels light.

[pezhetairoi]

I would suppose forty days from Lilybaeum to Ariminum was about right considering they would have had to cross the Apennines at some point. They probably were taking their time, too, comparatively.

Am I right to say that the Polybian quote comes from Tiberius Sempronius Longus' march to join Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio near Clastidium prior to the battle of the Trebia?

[konny]

Forty days from Lilybaeum to Ariminum?? Is this possible?

Not in EB. In reality,yes. On proper roads, an army could have made some 800 to 1200 kilometres in a 40 days continuous march - even though afterwards the army would have looked as if fought a serious battle with 1/2 missing and the rest half dead.

In the 18th Century armies marched in 3-days intervalls. That is two days of marching and afterwards one day of rest; first of all because it took one day to bake the bread for the next three days. The average speed was about 20 to 30 kilometres per day, that made about 50 kilometres per intervall, so a little over 100 per week. That would have been some 500 to 700 kilometres in 40 days without force marching.

[Watchman]

One chestnut I've seen quoted went something like "a single forced march causes as much casualies as a major pitched battle" or something along those lines - you know, stragglers, tired and sick soldiers forgotten by the wayside, that kind of thing.