01-10-2016, 08:28 PM
"if the rebels were not approaching the city in considerable force?"
Maybe he thought they were, maybe he thought they might, either way he didn't see it as a good place to make a stand.
(He probably wanted to be near the bulk of his troops and new garrisons up at the RV on Watling Street...... )
"But if the rebels had scattered after the sack of Colchester Paulinus could have dealt with them piecemeal,"
Or he could hold a position north on Wating Street to gather his forces and strike at Iceni territory from the North West. Following them up from the south leads to a pitched battle on the Iceni home turf in a place of their choosing and giving them maximum access to men, material and morale. Returning to safe Iceni territory is not "scattering" rather falling back to a secure base.
"the conclusive battle featured a very large horde of rebels all together in the same place."
Yes I believe Tacitus, but mustering a force of the scale he suggests, having swollen its numbers since Colchester would have taken time, it's unlikely they would have broken off a route march and gone straight into contact. A muster of either side is likely to have taken days.
"many married couples would not have wanted to leave their children back at home with the old people and in-laws!"
you have to be kidding, that sounds like paradise (spoken as a father of 7 year old twins)
78206
Maybe he thought they were, maybe he thought they might, either way he didn't see it as a good place to make a stand.
(He probably wanted to be near the bulk of his troops and new garrisons up at the RV on Watling Street...... )
"But if the rebels had scattered after the sack of Colchester Paulinus could have dealt with them piecemeal,"
Or he could hold a position north on Wating Street to gather his forces and strike at Iceni territory from the North West. Following them up from the south leads to a pitched battle on the Iceni home turf in a place of their choosing and giving them maximum access to men, material and morale. Returning to safe Iceni territory is not "scattering" rather falling back to a secure base.
"the conclusive battle featured a very large horde of rebels all together in the same place."
Yes I believe Tacitus, but mustering a force of the scale he suggests, having swollen its numbers since Colchester would have taken time, it's unlikely they would have broken off a route march and gone straight into contact. A muster of either side is likely to have taken days.
"many married couples would not have wanted to leave their children back at home with the old people and in-laws!"
you have to be kidding, that sounds like paradise (spoken as a father of 7 year old twins)
78206