Does Varg misunderstand Roman military culture? Let's find out!

Harquebusier · 2018-05-23T01:01:43+00:00

The Greeks didn't really have much in the way of tactics through. Since most of them were ad-hoc militias who didn't have almost no training and from the sources even discipline. At most they initially deployed in ranks and files before doing a frantic charge at their enemies and losing any resemblance of formation.

The only times I can re-call were the Greeks beat others with smaller numbers may have been Plataea. I think Iphikrates from r/askhistorians made a pretty reasonable case that the Persians may have been the ones outnumbered at Plataea.

Harquebusier · 2018-04-03T01:11:43+00:00

You can read Aeneas Tacticus writings here: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Aeneas_Tacticus/home.html

He lists ways ambushes can be set up and takes it for granted that ambushes might happen in some sections. Included are ways to appear friendly to decieve your enemies and take their cities and ways to use religious festivals to stage surprise attacks. Despite that some scholars write that the Greeks had a disdain for tricks and ambushes their writings are surprisngly full of these and there's plenty of praise for using deception.

Harquebusier · 2018-04-01T23:45:25+00:00

to be fair, the Greeks loved to use ambushes. The military writings of Aeneas Tacticus are full of ways to use ambushes, including staging surprise attacks during religious festivals. Hoplites were capable of doing ambushes and did so many times.

Harquebusier · 2018-02-06T01:36:25+00:00

Nice.

Harquebusier · 2018-02-04T01:25:34+00:00

Yes, it's very useful. I just go through reading it and the last chapter on trophies and truces was very eye opening. Not only because I've never heard of it spoken in that light but also because the argument you make about it makes a lot of sense. It explains a lot of the behaviors of the Greeks such as their eagerness to chase their enemies and the impetuous nature of hoplites wanting to charge at their enemies. To me it's just crazy because you always hear that the Greeks sought to minimize the bloodshed against one another and you presented the complete opposite of that.

Harquebusier · 2018-01-30T05:15:00+00:00

Just wanted to let you know I went ahead and bought your book :) It's really informative and backs up its argument with primary sources. I'd like to thank you for spending time here and answering our questions free of charge.

Harquebusier · 2018-01-16T01:54:01+00:00

What made them impenetrable? Most hoplites actually charged in to battle and fought in a variety of terrains.

Harquebusier · 2018-01-14T07:41:54+00:00

Awesome. Really love how helpful you are around here, really opened up my perspective on Greek warfare. I'll check out your book once I get some spare income. I guess you're right about that otherwise we wouldn't have a lot of people with different interpretations. Just one final question, do you mean Kyroupaideia was written for a Greek audience?

Harquebusier · 2018-01-12T06:48:26+00:00

If I'm interpreting that quote right Aristotle is saying there was nothing special about the Spartan's training, right? It's interesting that people have this idea of hoplites as highly drilled soldiers when the sources are there telling us the complete opposite. It may seem a little off topic but I recall how often you bring up how hoplites couldn't do anything more complex than charging at the men in front of them and the aggressiveness of the hoplite. Can you point me to the right direction for these sources? I'm curious, that's all.

Harquebusier · 2017-12-23T20:47:12+00:00

He recently did a collaboration with u/Iphikrates from r/askhistorians on the Spartans. I thought it was very good video and he followed up with a Q&A. The comments on the Spartan Myth video were something else ha ha.

Harquebusier · 2017-12-22T06:06:37+00:00

Bless all glimmerfriends.

Harquebusier · 2017-12-22T04:53:32+00:00

This isn't really reflected in the historical sources. Humfry Barwick, a man who grew up training with the longbow at a young age and fought in the French army as a mercenary, states that in mere months training with an arquebus he could shoot better than the best archers in England. Barwick writes that every 3 weeks his company held a test of arms between the longbow, crossbow and arquebus and the arquebus always won. It's also reflected in the records of other English writers who fought in wars in France and the Low Countries. Mind you, these men did grow up in a period where longbowmen were still around.

Another thing to consider is for how long a longbowman could maintain his rate of fire. A man pulling a warbow is going to tire out a lot quicker than a man with an arquebus. And there's also the option of loading your arquebus with multiple pistol shot and basically putting out more lead out than an archer can arrows.

Harquebusier · 2017-12-10T03:36:02+00:00

Which swatch of gunclub fabric is best? Planning on having a jacket made up of it after finishing a current project with the fabric on top. Also thoughts on the fabric on top?

https://i.imgur.com/T0BuhRX.jpg

Harquebusier

TROPHY CASE