Guest spartacus Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Intelligence networks were operating on a large scale in the late Republic, Pompey and Caeser used Spies extensively in the civil war that eventually saw the downfall of the Republic Caeser used spies to keep tabs on everything that was going on in Rome that he saw as a possible threat! Scipio used spies in enemy camps, it is said during the siege of Utica, Scipio sent emissaries to King Syphaxs camp and used Centurions disguised as slaves who took note of divisional strengths, any weaknesses in the camps defences etc Scipio determined that a night attack was more feasible, he attacked in strength and started fires to which the Carthiginians and Numidians thought there were accidental fires and came out un-armed and were promptly slaughtered! Intelligence collecting had made this a successful operation and it was a great blow to a numerically superior army! Spies were also widely used by policticians and the upper-classes in Rome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primus Pilus Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 Spying is as old as civilization and organized government. The intelligence network of Rome and other powers may have been less 'organized' and official than they are today, but they certainly were wide spread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spartacus Posted February 27, 2005 Report Share Posted February 27, 2005 I would say so PP ! I have gone into my references and the scale of it is astounding, I would say it was the norm! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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