Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Moving an army
#1
Ave Civitas,

  I am beginning research on a novel that begans with Theodosius's departure from Constantinopolis and culminates with the battle of Frigidus.
  Like my first novel, "Promotus" concerning Alaric in the Rhodopes, I want to use this novel as an avenue to both entertain and to educate the reader.
  Since most of the novel will play out during the march, I am in need of information about moving an army that large across a friendly landscape.
  There is quite a bit of discussion on RAT about the Roman Army marching camps, but those, I assume were built, used, and dismantled while traveling in hostile territory.
  The campaign against Eugenius and Arbogast was not a spur of the moment decision, so I am assuming that the Praetorian Praefect (I think that was Rufinus at this date) had been directed to stockpile fodder and rations along the planned route.  I bought the book "Logistics of the Macedonian Army" which gives good detail on how an army that large was moved, but Alexander sacrificed the carrying capacity of oxen for the speed and mobility of mules in his logistics plan.
  Do you guys think that Theodosius would have used oxen and be limited to twelve miles a day, or relied solely on mules for material transport?
  I assume Alaric and his Goths joined and traveled as part of the army somewhere along the route.  I suppose they used their own transport, wagons probably, to carry their own material, and I assume they formed their traditional carrago camps each night.
  I am posting this same question at UNRV.
  Any information or sources of information (books for instance) would be appreciated.

As always, You guys are great.
AKA Tom Chelmowski

Historiae Eruditere (if that is proper Latin)
Reply
#2
This link may be of some help

http://www.legioxxirapax.com/zasoby/The_...235AD).pdf

You can download it.
Reply
#3
(03-29-2017, 03:30 PM)Steven James Wrote: This link may be of some help

http://www.legioxxirapax.com/zasoby/The_...235AD).pdf

You can download it.

Took a look at it, then down loaded it. Put it on my kindle. This surely will help in calculating the size of the supply train. Thank you very much.
AKA Tom Chelmowski

Historiae Eruditere (if that is proper Latin)
Reply
#4
Tom, I have no idea if this offer is of any help, but I am happy to provide you with my research of Polybius’ description of a Roman republican army in march order. I have followed Polybius and show how a consular army can move from march order to battle order in one movement, as stated by Polybius and Tacitus. I also show this is done when a consular army is attacked from the front, the flanks and the rear. Also shows the procedures of the baggage train.

 
Following Arrian and Tacitus, these procedures do not change from the republic to the principate, so could apply to your period as well.
Reply
#5
(03-29-2017, 02:45 PM)Lothia Wrote: Do you guys think that Theodosius would have used oxen and be limited to twelve miles a day... I assume they formed their traditional carrago camps each night.

While Vegetius says that Roman soldiers were trained to march 20-25 Roman miles (18-22 modern miles) a day, this was probably without wheeled transport, on good roads, and was not their usual campaign pace. The placement of marching camps seem to suggest a more usual daily march distance of between 10 and 12 miles a day - about the same as most other armies before motorised transport.

The late Roman army tended to rely on billeting soldiers in towns and cities - something that was very unpopular with civilians, and is mentioned a few times in the Theodosian code and elsewhere. They might still build camps if they were moving through 'barbarian' country, but within the borders of the empire it seems more likely that an army would move from town to town, taking over homes and requisitioning supplies as they went. There's a note in Joshua Stylites that the citizens of Edessa were ordered to bake 630,00 modii of army biscuit to feed the field army troops on campaign, and many of them were then conscripted as forced labour to transport the supplies.

Roth is good on principiate logistics; there used to be a paper called 'Crossing the Hellespont' online, about the Persian invasion of Greece, with lots more good information about supplying very large armies, but it seems to have disappeared recently.

For the appearance of the late army on the march, the reconstruction drawings of the Column of Arcadius from Constantinople probably give a good impression.
Nathan Ross
Reply
#6
[quote pid='344185' dateline='1490867427']

Roth is good on principiate logistics; there used to be a paper called 'Crossing the Hellespont' online, about the Persian invasion of Greece, with lots more good information about supplying very large armies, but it seems to have disappeared recently.

[/quote]

Hi

Mentioned document attached. Hope it proves useful.


Attached Files
.pdf   DAEDALUSCROSSING THE HELLESPONT.pdf (Size: 1.66 MB / Downloads: 12)
Reply
#7
Thank you , Nathan.

That is very helpful information.  Appreciate your help.
AKA Tom Chelmowski

Historiae Eruditere (if that is proper Latin)
Reply


Forum Jump: