01-29-2016, 08:18 PM
(01-28-2016, 08:25 PM)LVCIVS SERGIVS ANTONINVS Wrote: Ancient Warfare VOL.IV Issue 4 intitled "Fleets of the empire"... maintaining commnunications and police operations as the necessity arose. Maybe the answer could be found looking at the syrian fleet marines acting against the judean rebels in this role.
Do you mean VOL.V, issue 5? I've just got that one...
Yes, that could well be right. Marines and naval personnel were used against bandits and rebels, and the suppression of the Bar Kokhba revolt was largely a sort of guerilla war, so some kind of 'police operation' role could fit well.
Actually, with all those caves used by the rebels, I wonder if the marines and sailors were used as tunnel fighters? The 'cave of the letters' near En Gedi is high in a ravine, with a Roman camp on the clifftop above it - maybe some 'nautical ropework' was involved in taking it?
Nathan Ross