Favonius Cornelius

I think that the Scythians did indeed hire out as mercs, but not to a great degree I don't think, and I don't remember reading about Mithridates having help from them. If I am not mistaken I believe more cavalry help came from Armenia. I think the safty of Crimea/Cheronesis(sp?) came from the fortification of the cities, the general topology and the prosperity of the land. The kingdom that once ruled this land was a strong one. My guess is Mithridates got taxes and grain supplies from this area as a part of the boon of his little empire.

In that case, you could simply say: a citizen. Demson, thanks for that explanation...I understand fully. As another analogy, one could summon the countless brigand tribes of Celts that ravaged lands across Europe.

I propose that a new thread be made for keeping record of events like this. I like the idea of bringing them up, but I would not want to clutter the general discussions of specific topics with a bunch of datelines. Primus whatcha think?

What does the Ukraine have to do with anything? The Pontic Empire included northern Asia Minor (Pontus, Bithynia, western Armenia), Asia Provincia, Galacia and the Cheronsis at its greatest extent.

Uh...ok...looks like someone doesen't like the Romans. Anyway, I still believe you can pinpoint a specific tribal unit of the Latins as being Roman, and later on you could even group all the Latin tribes together as being Roman. Of course there were cross-overs aplenty, but what ethnic group does not have them.

Roman can be a genetic designation depending on how far back you go...

Why don't you think so?

In terms of the relations of leading Roman families during the Republic, I highly recommend Munzer's classic "Roman Aristocratic Parties and Families." I finished reading it this weekend. Can be dry in some parts and worth skimming in some areas, but jam-packed with a ton of useful information.

I'm curious about something. During the last years of the Western Empire, were there major slave revolts, and did they join the now wandering tribes in their carving up of the Empire?

Cool stuff, they ususally dont care about preservation: Turkish government are racist a**holes when it comes to archaeology.

Of course there were core home units, but wasen't the Byzantine Empire one of the great users of mercenaries in history, almost like Carthrage? Their situation was similar; heavy on the money end light with avaliable manpower.

You sure you arent mistaking it for just a ballista? And the chariots wagons that transported them?

Lost. Only the gods know what was written. If they were found it would cause quite a sensation in the historical world.

August 28TH!!! http://www.hbo.com/rome/?ntrack_para1=left...category0_show0

Ya I just love that Lgio III bs. It's over, good riddens.

Ah ok...in fact I think you are right about the gladius, I remember Livy talking about Macedonians freaking about gladius wounds heh. Another thing to consider would be body armor, which would be vital to pushing forward into a forest of pike. If they just had the simple chest square of the old manipular legions, that is a far cry from the protection of chainmail or the later banded.

Still holds my absolute loyalty...but I swear if they pull an 'Empire' there will be firebombing.

Know much of these 'Sicel'?

Wouldn't Pydna and Magnesia be bad examples of a true legionary/phalanx confrontation? We are talking around 200 BC, when I am speaking of at least Marius' reforms to the Augustan legionary. During these times, many of the legions, especially the auxiliaries, were still armed with spears. True that Scipio is said to introduce the gladius to the legions and they were increasingly being used, but I think that you are still pitting the Roman pseudo-phalanx vs. a proper phalanx. In my scenarios I am speaking of a far more refined Roman warrior cohorts of later generations.

That's a facinating find! Just look at that ring and crown. During the period there were about 23 kingdoms in the area? Guess the early Thracian tribes were quite fractured.

The legions that fought the phallanx were exactly up to par either to be fair, it was decades after the Second Punic War and the organization, dicipline and skill had dropped significantly, however the phallangites were far from their best organization. First, cavalry was placed inbteween cohorts(or whatever you call them in a phallanx army) and there was almost nothing as a proper flank. Had it been Alex's army, that would have probably never happened as he wuld have a strong and formidable cavalry force in the flanks that would counter any encirclement attempt along with skirmishers who would give the legions hell. However.... This is just an assumption.... Yes...the situation and pairing I speak of is more hypothetical for over-all efficiency than any actual battles that occurred. Something along the lines of a Macedonian phalanx vs. Caesarian cohort. Another thing to consider is the fact that Greek and Macedonian phalanxes seemed to be different in terms of the size of the pike used, the Macedonian one being quite long. Despite it all, the heavily armed yet more maneuverable legionnaire can just push his way past the pike points to use his deadly gladius up close where the phalanx soldier was compromised and at a disadvantage even if he dropped his pike and went for his sword.

I think you mention the whole problem though. How often do battlefields and the generals who fight on them allow themselves to be on a plain location if faced with the phalanx? It is easy really to reposition oneself in such a way as to negate the advantages of a phalanx, and so after centuries of becoming more and more tight and organized, the military unit slaked a little with the legionary unit. Really, when you put the two head-on, the legionaries facing the phalanx might take damage but the whole flexibility of the cohort unit would allow for encirclement while the phalanx is busy being rigid. I think only under the most idealized situations the phalanx can outmatch the legion, but those situations are quite rare.

Hehe. Actually in a way sort of.

I think they are just trying to take much from Gladiator that made the movie so great. In fact they blantantly take scenes from it, like when Tyrannus put on his gladiator helmet.

Could someone please explain this to me? I know that the Spartans all had male "companions", does this imply that they all had homosexual relationships? I thought the relationship thing was the Sacred Band of Thebes.