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+--- Thread: Warfare in mountainous terrain (/showthread.php?tid=20547)
Warfare in mountainous terrain - eugene - 03-23-2012
Does somebody knows any modern researches about the ancient views on the campaigns and warfare in mountainous terrain?
Re: Warfare in mountainous terrain - Gaius Julius Caesar - 03-24-2012
I seem to rcall several campaign involved at least some warfare in the mountains, from
the Eatern Campaigns of Antony and others, to Caesars in the west.
Some adapted better than others, but one book covering the whole, I can't think of offhand.
Re: Warfare in mountainous terrain - Macedon - 03-24-2012
Xenophon has loads of information on warfare in mountainous terrain. You'll need some patience though reading through his works isolating the info you are interested in. (not modern though...)
Re: Warfare in mountainous terrain - eugene - 03-24-2012
I know these passages from ancient authors, but I am interested in modern researches concerning ancient attitude to this theme.
Re: Warfare in mountainous terrain - starman2012 - 07-06-2012
Quote:Does somebody knows any modern researches about the ancient views on the campaigns and warfare in mountainous terrain?
Vegetius wrote that when pitting infantry against cavalry, the rougher the terrain the better. Evidently this was known for some time; the king of Armenia told Crassus he'd only join him if Parthia were invaded by way of the mountains of Armenia where the formidable Parthian cavalry would be least effective.
The northern part of Alexander Severus's army was successful against the Persians in that area, but suffered from frostbite on its way back. It can get awful chilly in the mountains. :wink:
Re: Warfare in mountainous terrain - Quintius Clavus - 07-06-2012
Here is a link to a modern study dealing with the Judean war against Antiochus IV and includes a chapter discussing the capabilities of the Seleucid army in mountainous terrain and apparently disputing the claims that Macedonian style phalanx could not operate in said mountainous terrain. This is an abstract and citation, not the actual book or the chapter (you need a login account).
http://ebooks.cambridge.org/chapter.jsf?bid=CBO9780511518522&cid=CBO9780511518522A014
You will have to see if you can get the book via interlibrary loan if you don't have ready access to a university yourself or you can create an account
I found it through a google search.