03-26-2009, 12:18 AM
I'm going to be a bit of a heretic here and opine that equipment is only a component of battlefield performance, and before weapon and armour interactions should be considered, you must look at the morale and discipline of the combatants.
And excellent example of this comes from the American revolution. In the stand up battles units were identically armed and equipped, but in all but a handful the British won, often outnumbered. The British Grenadiers were never defeated when they were fielded in the war, even after taking casualties as high as 90% in some cases (Hubbardton for instance, where they climbed a mountain in the face of enemy fire and then routed the troops at the top).
Primary source accounts tell us exactly why. In almost every case, the less disciplined and lower morale troops broke and ran BEFORE they came into contact with British, or even fired a shot.
Now, you might ask what this has to do with ancient warfare, but I believe that swords or pikes or sharpened sticks, the morale of the men wielding them matters more than the equipment.
I believe I can argue that Herodotus' Plataea account tells us this in detail. The Persians are described as being no less brave than their Spartan opponents at the Temple of Demeter. Even though their lack of armour, skill, and discipline hurts them in their attacks on the Spartans, they attack relentlessly as long as Mardonious is able to hold their morale together, and they do a fair work of execution. But when he falls, they lose their will to stand and fight, and flee.
Here is the original quote:
"Where Mardonius was himself, riding a white horse in the battle and surrounded by a thousand picked men who were the flower of the Persians, there they pressed their adversaries hardest. So long as Mardonius was alive the Persians stood their ground and defended themselves, overthrowing many Lacedaemonians. When, however, Mardonius was killed and his guards, who were the strongest part of the army, had also fallen, then the rest too yielded and gave ground before the men of Lacedaemon." (Hdt. 9.63, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... apter%3D63 )
That, and as a reader to a writer, there's a lot more drama in contests of morale than weapon porn.
Have fun!
Cole
And excellent example of this comes from the American revolution. In the stand up battles units were identically armed and equipped, but in all but a handful the British won, often outnumbered. The British Grenadiers were never defeated when they were fielded in the war, even after taking casualties as high as 90% in some cases (Hubbardton for instance, where they climbed a mountain in the face of enemy fire and then routed the troops at the top).
Primary source accounts tell us exactly why. In almost every case, the less disciplined and lower morale troops broke and ran BEFORE they came into contact with British, or even fired a shot.
Now, you might ask what this has to do with ancient warfare, but I believe that swords or pikes or sharpened sticks, the morale of the men wielding them matters more than the equipment.
I believe I can argue that Herodotus' Plataea account tells us this in detail. The Persians are described as being no less brave than their Spartan opponents at the Temple of Demeter. Even though their lack of armour, skill, and discipline hurts them in their attacks on the Spartans, they attack relentlessly as long as Mardonious is able to hold their morale together, and they do a fair work of execution. But when he falls, they lose their will to stand and fight, and flee.
Here is the original quote:
"Where Mardonius was himself, riding a white horse in the battle and surrounded by a thousand picked men who were the flower of the Persians, there they pressed their adversaries hardest. So long as Mardonius was alive the Persians stood their ground and defended themselves, overthrowing many Lacedaemonians. When, however, Mardonius was killed and his guards, who were the strongest part of the army, had also fallen, then the rest too yielded and gave ground before the men of Lacedaemon." (Hdt. 9.63, http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... apter%3D63 )
That, and as a reader to a writer, there's a lot more drama in contests of morale than weapon porn.
Have fun!
Cole
Cole
