03-17-2008, 12:28 PM
A thought occurred to me earlier today as I browsed a copy of 'Cannae'. The question was "what happened to all the bodies?" We know that when the Romans finally got back to the Tuetoberg Forest it was littered with whitened bones and detritus of war as we know the Germanics did not hang around to bury the Roman dead.
But the classic 'Italian' battles such as Cannae; what did they do with 55,000 dead bodies? Even with today's technology, it would be a hell of a clear up job. Are there massive grave pits yet to be discovered around Europe - I cannot see how you could burn that number of bodies in the concentration they were in.
Has anyone any research into this aspect of ancient warfare?
Quintus
aka Guido Aston
But the classic 'Italian' battles such as Cannae; what did they do with 55,000 dead bodies? Even with today's technology, it would be a hell of a clear up job. Are there massive grave pits yet to be discovered around Europe - I cannot see how you could burn that number of bodies in the concentration they were in.
Has anyone any research into this aspect of ancient warfare?
Quintus
aka Guido Aston
Quintus
AKA Guido Aston
[size=100:2nyk19du]The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. [/size]
Thucydides (471 BC - 400 BC)
AKA Guido Aston
[size=100:2nyk19du]The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. [/size]
Thucydides (471 BC - 400 BC)
