03-29-2010, 09:30 AM
I agree. The degree of it all...the ratios of what to what, is something that needs clarification. In Armorica the cavalry classes were very powerful. The Romans "en landed" the Alans in a way specifically designed to ensure that they could concentrate on being cavaly and not having to farm themselves. The bloodlines of beef stock there seem to support that.I think it stayed that way for at least a couple of hundred years. The Franks and co subsumed the Alans but embraced the system.
England was quite different. By 450 we see the great Roman estates finally crumbling for all sorts of reasons and various Angle and Saxon groups moving in. LIke all Germanics, they are hanseband in their thinking and infantry minded. The horsey thing would have been to do with status and bosses being mobile. Who was that English lady general..Aethekfkad or whoever..who zoomed up and down England on c ampaign doing immense journeys? Its not until the 800 that we hear of various Alan horse mercenaries moving in "on loan" to Scottish and English princelings, before marrying the bosses daughter and taking over. I imagine the Sarmat crowd at Ribchester, if they did survive as a group, did a really good trade bashing people up for money, as the only real cavalry in the game.
We dont seem to see a real equestrian class moving into Blighty until William arrives with his Bretons. However, as intimated above, they were prowling around before.
It must have been damned hard to run a war in post Roman Britain. The archaeology shows a wholesale movement back to the old iron age hill forts 450 onwards. Roman trade has collapsed..in everything from pozzolana to iron and tin. Getting plate made for armour and helmets must have been hell on earth.
INcidently. Changing the subject. Have you ever come across lasoes being used in cavalry warfare of our period.? They wre in standard use in Eastern Euroope but hears nothign about it in the west
England was quite different. By 450 we see the great Roman estates finally crumbling for all sorts of reasons and various Angle and Saxon groups moving in. LIke all Germanics, they are hanseband in their thinking and infantry minded. The horsey thing would have been to do with status and bosses being mobile. Who was that English lady general..Aethekfkad or whoever..who zoomed up and down England on c ampaign doing immense journeys? Its not until the 800 that we hear of various Alan horse mercenaries moving in "on loan" to Scottish and English princelings, before marrying the bosses daughter and taking over. I imagine the Sarmat crowd at Ribchester, if they did survive as a group, did a really good trade bashing people up for money, as the only real cavalry in the game.
We dont seem to see a real equestrian class moving into Blighty until William arrives with his Bretons. However, as intimated above, they were prowling around before.
It must have been damned hard to run a war in post Roman Britain. The archaeology shows a wholesale movement back to the old iron age hill forts 450 onwards. Roman trade has collapsed..in everything from pozzolana to iron and tin. Getting plate made for armour and helmets must have been hell on earth.
INcidently. Changing the subject. Have you ever come across lasoes being used in cavalry warfare of our period.? They wre in standard use in Eastern Euroope but hears nothign about it in the west
Roderic Wout..
Today\'s truths are often tomorrow\'s lies
Today\'s truths are often tomorrow\'s lies
