04-01-2004, 02:59 AM
One of the problems with the existance of wedges at all is that the term "cuneus" often translated as "wedge" also means column - IIRC somewhere in one of the Penguin volumes of Livy there's a section where a Macedonian phalanx forms up in a "wedge" - but it's clearly a column (ie a deep formations).<br>
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The section above quoted by Nathan Ross implies that the veterans did NOT favour forming a wedge.<br>
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Moreover a wedge would be a poor formation to "stand on an emminence" - which is what most of the recruits did, and mostly died for it.<br>
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Another quote from Caesar about a "wedge" is from Book 7 chapter 28:<br>
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" The enemy being alarmed by the suddenness of the attack, were dislodged from the wall and towers, and drew up, in form of a wedge, in the market place and the open streets, with this intention that, if an attack should be made on any side, they should fight with their line drawn up to receive it."<br>
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Forming up in a "wedge" in such an area to receive a charge makes no sense - forming up in deep columns certainly does.<br>
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From Tacitus's "Annals" - "wedge" is used in this case as an adjective to describe a column:<br>
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"At first, the legion kept its position, clinging to the narrow defile as a defence; when they had exhausted their missiles, which they discharged with unerring aim on the closely approaching foe, they rushed out in a wedge-like column" (14.37)<br>
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Now don't get me wrong - there ARE many cases where "cuneus" is clearly used to reference a wedge and not a column, but this is rarely the case for land-based military formations.<br>
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See also pub45.ezboard.com/fromana...=137.topic<br>
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www.pvv.ntnu.no/~madsb/ho...army03.php<br>
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Note also that "Cuneus" was a term for a cavalry unit - but only those who are reading superficially actually state that it is fighting in a wedge.<br>
<br>
Rather the term is used to mean a "segment" or a part - the original "cuneus" seems to refer to the seats in a part of a semi-circular amphitheatre or similar - ie a wedge of seating, but like many terms in many languages it came to mean many more things - eg consider the term "tank" in English!!<br>
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<p></p><i></i>
<br>
The section above quoted by Nathan Ross implies that the veterans did NOT favour forming a wedge.<br>
<br>
Moreover a wedge would be a poor formation to "stand on an emminence" - which is what most of the recruits did, and mostly died for it.<br>
<br>
<br>
Another quote from Caesar about a "wedge" is from Book 7 chapter 28:<br>
<br>
" The enemy being alarmed by the suddenness of the attack, were dislodged from the wall and towers, and drew up, in form of a wedge, in the market place and the open streets, with this intention that, if an attack should be made on any side, they should fight with their line drawn up to receive it."<br>
<br>
Forming up in a "wedge" in such an area to receive a charge makes no sense - forming up in deep columns certainly does.<br>
<br>
From Tacitus's "Annals" - "wedge" is used in this case as an adjective to describe a column:<br>
<br>
"At first, the legion kept its position, clinging to the narrow defile as a defence; when they had exhausted their missiles, which they discharged with unerring aim on the closely approaching foe, they rushed out in a wedge-like column" (14.37)<br>
<br>
Now don't get me wrong - there ARE many cases where "cuneus" is clearly used to reference a wedge and not a column, but this is rarely the case for land-based military formations.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
See also pub45.ezboard.com/fromana...=137.topic<br>
<br>
www.pvv.ntnu.no/~madsb/ho...army03.php<br>
<br>
Note also that "Cuneus" was a term for a cavalry unit - but only those who are reading superficially actually state that it is fighting in a wedge.<br>
<br>
Rather the term is used to mean a "segment" or a part - the original "cuneus" seems to refer to the seats in a part of a semi-circular amphitheatre or similar - ie a wedge of seating, but like many terms in many languages it came to mean many more things - eg consider the term "tank" in English!!<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
