Is there a list of the Roman battlefields one can visit that are pretty much certain? I can only think of a few: Masada, Alesia, Adrianople. Everything else seems to be contested, though maybe not to any serious extent (Kalkrise and Dan Petersen, for example).
Is there a list of battlefield sites? Or are they just out there and you have to kinow?
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?
Can't do anything to prove a location or whatnot cause you'll get arrested for treasure hunting. That and I wouldn't anyways, with all the goddamn unexploded ordnance in that place...
You can visit the (probable) site of the battle at Milvian Bridge too, just north-east of the bridge itself at Tor di Quinto. I was there on the anniversary of the battle last year; not much to see though, as most of the area is covered by barracks and military training facilities, and the rest by apartment buildings!
Quote:Everything else seems to be contested, though maybe not to any serious extent (Kalkrise and Dan Petersen, for example).
Kalkriese is a battlefield for sure. If it's Varus I would not dare to say for 100%, but Dan Peterson's arguments for a 'fort' (wasn't it?) were not founded on anything. If not Varus someone else fought there.
Then there's this 3rd c. battlefield in Germany, of which we sadly don't know who were the contestants..
If Masada is a battlefield, I can throw in dozens of other sieges...
How about where they fought Boudicca? We know where that one is don't we? :evil:
Robert Vermaat MODERATOR FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
There is Cheronea. 2 or 3 for the price of one ; ) including a battle involving Sulla
I made a small detour there on my way to Delphi last November. Not much to see beside the Sacred Band mound, but it's pretty cool to look at the topography of the area. I doubt those hills and mountains changed much since then, though the watercourses probably did.
But just making your way there from Athene, you get a pretty good idea of why they fought there and not some place else.
A bit of the same thing for Marathon and Thermopylae, though it's not roman.
I think the area around Gergovia hasn't changed much and is fairly well identified. It can make for a pretty good hike in the summer.
Quote:I've more or less figured out where Chalons took place, but its not very exciting. Just a big shrubby ridge
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Not wishing to stray too far off topic but I do remember the possible site of Chalons was discussed on another thread about a year ago with a few options but French historian Philippe Richardot seems to think it was fought near La Cheppe near a Roman road in his book La Fin De L’armée Romaine (284-476). The Camp militaire de Mourmelon on the top of map near the River Suippe was set up as a military training camp for military exercises by Napoleon III and is known as Camp de Chalons . Below is a map from his book and also a satellite map of area today.
Quote:I've more or less figured out where Chalons took place, but its not very exciting. Just a big shrubby ridge
.
Not wishing to stray too far off topic but I do remember the possible site of Chalons was discussed on another thread about a year ago with a few options but French historian Philippe Richardot seems to think it was fought near La Cheppe near a Roman road in his book La Fin De L’armée Romaine (284-476). The Camp militaire de Mourmelon on the top of map near the River Suippe was set up as a military training camp for military exercises by Napoleon III and is known as Camp de Chalons . Below is a map from his book and also a satellite map of area today.
We have discussed this elsewhere, yes. The issue is that: 1. The Camp d'Attila is a Celtic Hillfort and 2. The Topography and the lack of Roman roads don't coincide with the sources.
Andagoste, Vasque Country, northern Hispania...a roman camp, probably half finished, came under attack about the year 38 b.C.
A lot of lead sling "stones"(over a hundred) and some other small metalic military pieces ere found.
There is a small visitable exhibition (I won't call it a Museum) with some panel, miniatures, and a documentary in a nearby village. the web is only in Spanish:
About the camp site itself, can be seen easily on Google Earth, as the earth cover is quite thin and the rock can be found less than a feet under the surface. That's probably why the Romans weren't able to dig a proper trench, and also explains why nobody ever tried to plough that fields. The romboidal shape, with the corners at the cardinal points can be seen as the archelogical trenches weren't covered...
A short distance to the West, if you are a good observer, you can find the corner of the camp built for the documentary...
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sheep´s bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes.
Iagoba Ferreira Benito, member of Cohors Prima Gallica
and current Medieval Martial Arts teacher of Comilitium Sacrae Ensis, fencing club.
Thanks. I put those all down. The coincidental thing about Harzhorn is that is it next to Harryhausen, which is the name of the famous special effects guy, Ray Harryhausen, who did the scent in Clash of the Titals with the skeletons attacking Jason. Seems appropriate somehow.
Richard Campbell
Legio XX - Alexandria, Virginia
RAT member #6?