05-24-2005, 08:14 PM
Quote:To: floofthegoof
Mass starvation is a predictable consequence of trying to march 300,000 men in one mass in pre-industrial conditions.
300,000 is a huge army. I can hardly recall in my readings(i have plenty of reading to go yet) of an ancient army of that size excepting these Persian examples from Herodotus.
However, Herodotus mentions that the Greeks north of Thessaly prepared for months for the arrival of Xerxes army. The only time spent in actual enemy territory were a couple of forays into Attica during the destruction of Athens. It seems to me that, though it might have been somewhat burdensome for the northern Greeks, 300,000 would not have stripped Thessaly and Macedonia down to the tree-bark.
And what about the 7 days and nights to cross the bridge? My logistical experience comes from American football stadiums. Though they are design to handle high traffic. With everyone leaving at once, with almost no guidance, 70,000 football fans can clear out of a stadium in 2 or 3 hours. One thing I have left out in this discussion, is that it was obvious that Xerxes very much wanted it known to all that the size of his army was huge. Therefore the 7 days could very well be a false rumor started intentionally to dispirit the Greeks. Same with the drinking up of the rivers. The starving though, is nothing to boast about.
Rich Marinaccio
