Agit...heheheheh. Don't use Deepeeka as a source man....they're after your money, not your scholarly advancement. Good call Scythius.<br>
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A good site on general information on the Roman Army online is Sander Van Dorst's site:<br>
[url=http://members.tripod.com/%7ES_van_Dorst/legio.html" target="top]here[/url]<br>
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For Roman equipment, go to Matt Amt's site:<br>
[url=http://www.larp.com/legioxx/index.html" target="top]here[/url]<br>
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Unfortunately, one of the better roman military tactics sites is down, and I'm not sure there is an in-depth look into Roman Combat as Garry Bruggeman's site. If it's up in the next while, I'll post the link (It's also in the link's section of Matt Amt's site).<br>
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For an english translation of an ancient writer, Tacitus, here is the link:<br>
[url=http://www.earth-history.com/Roman/roman-tacitus-main.htm" target="top]here[/url]<br>
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For a site on Roman Britain, with excellent info on the Roman army, check this one out:<br>
[url=http://www.morgue.demon.co.uk/Britannia.html" target="top]here[/url]<br>
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As for books, get A. Goldsworthy's "Roman Warfare". It's a good read, lots of pics and diagrams, and gives a good coverage of roman combat.<br>
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To answer your questions:<br>
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<em>i did spot auxileries on horse back guarding the flanks...</em><br>
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Where they auxilliaries, or were they legion cavalry? How can you tell which is which?<br>
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<em>also is there any evidence of the use of pilums as pikes?</em><br>
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No, not unless you go off the Deepeeka site. The pilum shaft itself wasn't designed to fend off charging infantry or cavalry. It had a long, 2 foot shaft of iron rod, made to bend. Not a 12 inch pike head designed to break charges.<br>
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<em>i think the main reason why they arnt thrown is that the germans are charging downhill..</em><br>
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See Hibernicus's post...<br>
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also there is evidence the Byzantines had a type of napalm, so there is every reason why Aurelius didnt have every technology available at his disposal....he would have to use every gadget he could get his hands on...</em><br>
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There is? Do you realize the Byzantine Empire, if you want to acknowledge it's start date at the fall of the west, wasn't until hundreds of years after the reign of Marcus Aurelius. What makes you think they would have this technology. Secondly, it simply wasn't used in battlefield artillery. Sieges, sure. Where did you get this information from, can you quote sources on it which states "napalm" was available to the Romans at this period?<br>
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<em>the best time to throw pila is uphill??</em><br>
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The best time to throw pila is under charge by infantry, regardless if it's uphill, in rainy weather or sunny, on grass or on sand.That was the pila's sole purpose, to be thrown. It's evident not only in the scriptures, but on it's construction, where if compared to a spear or pike, you can see why.<br>
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Agit, read those sites, you'll soon see why Gladiator was appalling. <p>Magnus/Matt<br>
Legio XXX "Ulpia Victrix"<br>
Niagara Falls, Canada</p><i></i>
