11-13-2009, 12:58 PM
Hi Razvan,
Yes and no. Of course the earliest 'Gothic' armies cannot be compared to the Roman army. But on the other hand, the Roman army included recruits and mercenaries from dozens of linguistic backgrounds, all of whom managed to learn the command language.
How were early Gothic armies organized? We don’t have a clue. Indeed, different groups working together, with maybe one tribal group or a group of leaders from different tribal groups in command. Its guesswork, since we only get to ‘know’ the Goths when the invade Roman territory during the 3rd century. My point is this: with just a few leaders, you need simple commands, not 6 or 7 people shouting translations.
Later in history though, Gothic armies are always controlled by Goths, people wwhom we as certain of that they spoke a Geranic language. Even then, a Gothic army was never a ‘national’ army; it consisted of one or a few leaders with their followers and hangers-on. The picture that we know from Fritigirn, Alaric and all the way up to Totila is not very different; one war-leader, whose army grew if he was successful, but whose army could vanish if his soldiers chose to follow a different leader. Very Germanic btw, we see similar patterns with the Franks, Alamanni and Vandals.
It would seem very strange to me that in those times, commands would have been given in other language than Gothic.
Quote: The comparation betwen roman army, and goths army is, in my opinion, very unrealistic. Roman army, begining even with Scipio Africanus if you wish, and especialy with Caius Marius, had a well established organization, chain of comand, standardized training and equipment. As well, romans was always the dominant, both military and culturaly and the foreign auxiliars who joined the roman army did that to receive citizenship too, they wanted to become romans, they consider that is a step forward for them, even if in many times they come from conquered nations. That roman army was a profesional one where soldiers served for 20-25 years, and even like that i dont think all auxiliars learned very well latin, or bothered to do that, except ofcourse the military comands. Ofcourse this comands and military related terms was preserved even later, in eastern roman empire, as a recognition of the prestige of roman army, who was the best in the world.
But about the goths, the best comparation is like Rumo and Paullus said, not with the roman army. Goths was a conglomerat of peoples with diverse ethnicity, joined togheter probably by comon interests.
Yes and no. Of course the earliest 'Gothic' armies cannot be compared to the Roman army. But on the other hand, the Roman army included recruits and mercenaries from dozens of linguistic backgrounds, all of whom managed to learn the command language.
How were early Gothic armies organized? We don’t have a clue. Indeed, different groups working together, with maybe one tribal group or a group of leaders from different tribal groups in command. Its guesswork, since we only get to ‘know’ the Goths when the invade Roman territory during the 3rd century. My point is this: with just a few leaders, you need simple commands, not 6 or 7 people shouting translations.
Later in history though, Gothic armies are always controlled by Goths, people wwhom we as certain of that they spoke a Geranic language. Even then, a Gothic army was never a ‘national’ army; it consisted of one or a few leaders with their followers and hangers-on. The picture that we know from Fritigirn, Alaric and all the way up to Totila is not very different; one war-leader, whose army grew if he was successful, but whose army could vanish if his soldiers chose to follow a different leader. Very Germanic btw, we see similar patterns with the Franks, Alamanni and Vandals.
It would seem very strange to me that in those times, commands would have been given in other language than Gothic.
Robert Vermaat
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
MODERATOR
FECTIO Late Romans
THE CAUSE OF WAR MUST BE JUST
(Maurikios-Strategikon, book VIII.2: Maxim 12)
