tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post98814183202862942..comments2024-03-25T17:26:33.773+09:00Comments on Here's no great matter: Caesar's Conquest of Gaul.Prufrockhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-90552111445662104122012-10-21T22:05:40.318+09:002012-10-21T22:05:40.318+09:00Thanks for your thoughts, Monty. Agree that comma...Thanks for your thoughts, Monty. Agree that command flexibility is a biggie. I hope you are able to put the same into practice with your newly painted Spanish!Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-11896681914787673902012-10-20T04:38:39.806+09:002012-10-20T04:38:39.806+09:00Command flexibility for the win! This spring, I r...Command flexibility for the win! This spring, I read about the Mithridatic campaigns and what struck me was Asia Minor revolts, kills every Roman in their midst and the Romans shrug it off. They scratch together a smallish force with almost no money. They land in Greece and loot the temples to fund the campaign. Then they proceed to whip everyone who opposes them. The Pontics sent scythed chariots against them twice and even though they hadn't been seen in a lifetime, the Romans defeat them with ease. The Pontics staked out high ground near a mountain and the Romans moved men to the top and rolled boulders down onto them, disorganizing their army before the battle even starts. In short, there is nothing that is a surprise to them or that they can't deal with. Montyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094254709103687259noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-55387782244409737232012-10-19T01:33:50.831+09:002012-10-19T01:33:50.831+09:00Good points, BRB. Yet for all their professionali...Good points, BRB. Yet for all their professionalism the legions still got mighty afeared at points. When encountering the Germans, and Belgae, for example, and after Gergovia. The barbarians were still scary. You are right though - Caesar himself partly attributed the victory against the Nervii to the "knowledge and experience of the legionaries" (GW: II.20) and the fact that the Gauls had to double as farmers is an excellent point. <br /><br />Cheers! Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-32854609739426340852012-10-19T01:23:21.375+09:002012-10-19T01:23:21.375+09:00I agree Luke - he certainly was opportunistic, but...I agree Luke - he certainly was opportunistic, but once his course was set I think the goals were very clear (with the exception of his expedition to Britain) and his subordinates knew exactly what was expected of them. They understood what victory looked like - on both tactical and strategic levels - and how to achieve it. Success is not so easily measured today, and it was the contrast between ancient and modern that I had in mind when I wrote that. Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-28222825876194935432012-10-19T01:14:29.834+09:002012-10-19T01:14:29.834+09:00Good stuff, Phil! There have been other successful...Good stuff, Phil! There have been other successful invasions - as you have shown - but I still think Caesar's is one of the most successful, especially when you consider how long the subjugation lasted. That said, I'm happy for you to disagree!<br /><br />Cheers!Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-18160851541980890702012-10-19T01:05:23.697+09:002012-10-19T01:05:23.697+09:00There are a few boardgames around on the topic act...There are a few boardgames around on the topic actually, but haven't played any of them yet...Prufrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17659918463589870423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-88472942755455418262012-10-18T22:38:21.133+09:002012-10-18T22:38:21.133+09:00Interesting piece.
I think I'd want to add th...Interesting piece.<br /><br />I think I'd want to add that the legionaries were professionals, permanently in arms, unlike their Gallic foes who needed to break to bring in the harvest, and who were presumably not keen to campaign outside their tribal areas. The legionaries would have therefore been better trained, more disciplined and perhaps more used to killing than their enemies.<br /><br />Cheers SimonBigRedBathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05622983082204451158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-10447543209919015362012-10-18T21:42:09.520+09:002012-10-18T21:42:09.520+09:00I wouldn't say he had clear goals. A clear goa...I wouldn't say he had clear goals. A clear goal, singular (his own aggrandizement) to be sure, but everything else was opportunistic. Even his initial decision to invade "Gaul". His province (i.e. terms of command) were Illyria and Translapine Gaul. If you look were his legions were initially stationed, it becomes pretty clear he was looking at Illyria as his target, and not Gaul. But then he heard about the Helvetii, and decided to take them on (entirely illegally) - they'd provide a much higher ratio of glory to effort (no need to besiege a tribe on the move!). This necessitated a nice cover story to justify his actions, and thus De Bello Gallico was written.Luke Ueda-Sarsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-84328229307723777102012-10-18T21:26:44.262+09:002012-10-18T21:26:44.262+09:00Great post. The only thing I would challenge that...Great post. The only thing I would challenge that this is one of the greatest and most successful invasions and subjugations in history. Germany managed the same thin in a matter of weeks and the Mongol invasion of China also puts It into perspective. But a great read and I agree with most of your points.Broedershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18218127480258279732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7386336651732048473.post-91417715474012236882012-10-18T16:23:11.946+09:002012-10-18T16:23:11.946+09:00Interesting read, thanks for the sunmary of the co...Interesting read, thanks for the sunmary of the conquest of gaul form Caesar's perspective! Sounds like a good campaign to wargame.Wargame News and Terrain Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14431850500305722929noreply@blogger.com