Legio X

Your right, i wouldn't like to be in that battle, at least not with the romans, but Thermopylae seems so different when you read in Herodotus history about how attack after attack from the persians where pushed back and how these 300 men succeded to kill at least 20.000 persians. Then when the persians outflank them they fight to death without a thought of escape ot surrender. Then it seems nice to be among the Greeks. I know this is a very romantic version of the battle, of course it was lots of blood, smell of rutten bodies etc. (Answer to Caldrail)

Hmm Strasbourg, wasn't Narses the Roman commander? Maybe im mixing it up with an other battle..

A fun thing to know is that under the Hannibal wars, the Cartaghians allies in Spain were only loyal to the family Barkas, they didn't care about the far-distant Chartage. So when Hannibal and his brothers died the spanish allied abandoned Cahrtage and joined the romans, but then they where only loyal to the Scipio family, so if they lost their influence the romans lost the spanish. This is an example for the very fragile military system of the ancient, and maybe still.

Cent means 100, there is 100 cent in an USA dollar, a centurion commanded 100 men.

Do you mean the old or new Spartacus? Because it was made one in the 60's and one now recently.

I wonder what ancient battle you would like to be in, not only roman, also greeks egyptians etc all from ancient. Also say on wich side you would be in. I would be in Thermopylae with the greeks =P

When i played last time i tested to put ballistae on epic walls, but it didn't work. Do you know any reason, is that maybe a mod? Please answer.

Ok thanks very much, i didnt knew you could put ballistae on lol

Hi! I love Rome total war and have won campaign with the Julii and recently i began playing the expansion barbarian invasion, where my favourite faction is Eastern roman empire. Now i wonder which factions you like most in both rtv and barb invasion, i would also like to get some random tips about the game etc, happy for answers!

Hannibal is a good movie, not very good fight scenes but you learn lots of history

Paulinus is right, something he didn't mention was that Pompei was declared dictator to stop the crime. A dictator is immune to law. Pompeii was one of few to be dictator, next after Sulla.

The legionares was not an elite, but after Augustus the Praetorians was an elite within the legionares, they main task was as the emperors bodyguards, but sometime they could join the legionares in battle as elites

Constantine did much good too, he made some reforms who gave the slaves more liberty and other things that stopped crime, you can read about it if you shearch at google on Constantine.

I changed my mind, 3 is Marius who made the reforms that allowed the state to pay the legionares gear, he deafeated the germans at aque sixtae and another battle wich i cant remember the name at, and the defeated the afrikan king Jughurta. Second place is Constantine the great, because of his charisma and skill. His soldiers followed him anywhere and painted a crucifix at their shield when Constantine said that he saw a crucifix and the words "In this sign you will win" in the sun before the battle of Pons Milvius, where experianced veterans won over Maxentius garrison troops. After that he marched into Rome with Maxentius head to be the last emperor to controll the entire empire. As best general i place Julius Caesar, who conquered Gaul in 3 years, then crossed Rubicon where he won the civil war against Pompeii at Pharsalus. Augustuus where the first emperor, but it was Caesar who cleared the way fot him.

Yes, but who of these would you like to be under in battle goblius?

Yes, but think if the fellow roman was a bad ruler, as Maxentius, perhaps the bad treated people gladly would have fighted against him

I have read that in ancient battles the battle itself just last like 2-3 minutes, and then the forces took a brake and drunk water, then the fighting started again, in almost all ancient battles the main losses i when one side routing and the other side pursuit them. Except in battles between forces whith very high morale like Thermypolae and other last stands.

Before the Marius reforms, ca 100BC the army was made up by normal workers as farmers, blacksmiths etc in times of war, but after the reforms Marius made up an professional army, where people joined volunteer, but if too few joined people get called in. This isnt maybe what you meant but its all i know about it.

I dont know much about their fleets, but i know the romans had a better fleet. Thats one of the reasons, the other one is that he wanted to surprice them, witch had been impossible if he took the seaway.

If you were a Centurion or any other high officer, and if you could choose to serve Scipio Africanus when he defeated Hannibal at Zama 202BC , or Julius Caesar when he won the civil war against Pompei at Pharsalus 48BC , or Constantin the great when he crushed Emperor Maxentius at Pons Milvius and marched at Rome to be the last Emperor to control all the empire in 312AD. Of these persons, who would you want to serve?

Probaly centurion or triarii, i would like to command some men, and thew trarii were elite troops and the battle was often won befoer they needed to fight.

Yes, but im almost sure the romans still used phalanx formation at this time, they abandoned it after disasters like this.

If the greek phalanx faced a legion of rome and the roman commander would be Julius Caesar and the greek Alexander the great, the army numbers was equal, the terrain grassy flatland, who do you think would win, the roman cohorts or greek phalanxes?

I have read the Caligula appointed his horse to senator and build a palace to him, therafter he was probaly mad. Because his bad reigm the preatorians killed him and appointed his uncle who was hiding behind the curtain in the same room.

I think Caesar and Marius were the greatest generals, Caesar conquerd Gaul, won the civil war versus Pompei while Pompeiis army was double as big. Marius was also great, you can read about the battles of aqua sextae(think thats the spelling) he also defeated the african king jughurta, and made the marius-reforms who upgraded roman warfare, he also outmanouvred sulla in the civilwar