08-04-2012, 07:01 PM
Quote:Guys let's not forget logistics. No matter what an ancient author says, there is no way some army could defy the simple need for food amd water. Just to give an idea, the average army had at least an equal sized supply train and camp foower trail. Which means 300 thousand would mean 600 thousand individuals. The average individual drinks 2.5-3 liters of water a day, but in southern Europe/Middle east it's likely more. Let's pick 3. So that gives us a whopping 1.8 million liters of water every day.
Surface water flowing at 3m a sec, yields a volume of 2.4m ( water sped is slower under the surface and is .8 of surface speed)@ width/depth of the river, a small stream of 2.5 m width and 1 m depth, could be typicaly around 45% of the total area as moving water, so 1.125 sq m a sec.
Total water volume capacity in an hour. 1.125@3600=4050 sq m of water. 1,233,481 litres an hour.
Water requirement was not a logictical limitation.
Food, ignoring any animal portage.
600k persons @30lbs each on average carry capacity, is 180,000,000 lbs forward lift a day.Enough to maintain themselves for 10 days min consumption. Moving at 10 miles a day, means they cover an area of 100 miles depth, by width of advance, assume that to be 10 miles, so 1000 sq miles. 1000 sq miles of region of the same population size of Punic period Italy, ie 28 per sq miles, means the food stored/grain in fields, in a 2 crop a year system, in that 1000 sq miles, is enough to feed 28000 for 6 months, which is 3@180@28000=15120000 lbs. If half is confiscated, 7,560,000 lbs is used to feed the passing army in a 10 day period.
10 days requirement 600,000@3@10=180,000,000lbs, less 7,560,000 confiscated, which is 4 days requirements repalced during pasage.
If the Army confiscates over a 20 mile frontage;100@20=2000 sq miles, @28 a sq mile, is 3@180@56,000=3,0240,000 lbs, if half confiscated, its close to meeting demand with supply from 20 miles by the 10 miles distance covered.
Which means that food requirement was not a logistical limit to the numbers given in the example you gave.
Asia Minor.
2 field system, average yearly crop, 16o tons a sq mile.
