Brutality Of The Roman Army

[premeginia]

A civilisation devoid of brutality would be incapable of conquering the known western world. The Romans used brutality to enforce their authority upon those who resisted but those who submitted peacefully were usually treated with respect and were often honoured or rewarded. Of course their were exceptions such as the Thir Punic War, but the brutality displayed here was based on fear and historical grievances opposed to reckless violence. Of course there were a few rogue provincial rulers who were notorious for cruelty such as Verres, the Sicilian governor who later came under attack from Cicero as well as many of the Spanish governors in the mid 2nd Century BC, whose extreme cruelty and treachary was the very cause of many rebellions. However, such individuals were a minority and in most cases were severly punnished for their brutality.

 

Although the romans would be considered brutal tyrants by Modern standerds, although i find this ironic coming from the era of the A-bomb and testing it on a defenceless city. was they really brutal by the standards of the time, I dont think so... Rape murder and pillage have been sanctioned by every religion over the centuries and was even considered by the christian church an act of purity! It was not the romans who were brutal I beleive its just human nature to find all kinds of ways to exterminate each other, Its just that some societies were better at it than others. Another point i would like to put is you have bear in mind at what the carthaginians or greeks and even Barbarian Hordes would have done if they had defeated the roman Legions. But two dont make a right, right?

[Jimbow]

.....Another point i would like to put is you have bear in mind at what the carthaginians or greeks and even Barbarian Hordes would have done if they had defeated the roman Legions. But two dont make a right, right?

 

Also bear in mind that the Carthaginians are the likeliest culprits to have introduced the Romans to the lovely method of execution known as crucifixion.

 

Jim

Edited December 6, 2005 by Jimbow