03-23-2008, 12:35 AM
...as your excerpt points out, Stephen, in the early days in particular, the quickest and most expedient source of siege expertise would undoubtedly be prisoners - even one skilled Roman Engineer Officer would have sufficed, once the Hums stopped to consider the value of such a prisoner.
Thereafter, their expertise would have grown quickly.
In fact, the surprising thing to me is that they never seem to have acquired 'full' knowledge at all ( cultural prejudice aginst 'technology' perhaps?), bearing in mind that beginning with a prisoner or two, they could have acquired full knowledge within a generation......
Thereafter, their expertise would have grown quickly.
In fact, the surprising thing to me is that they never seem to have acquired 'full' knowledge at all ( cultural prejudice aginst 'technology' perhaps?), bearing in mind that beginning with a prisoner or two, they could have acquired full knowledge within a generation......
"dulce et decorum est pro patria mori " - Horace
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff
(It is a sweet and proper thing to die for ones country)
"No son-of-a-bitch ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" - George C Scott as General George S. Patton
Paul McDonnell-Staff