Continued, read the beginning in the following materials: The story no longer exists. The mystery of biblical Jerusalem. / The story is gone. Napoleon's expedition to Egypt. / The story is gone. Persian gambit. / The story is gone. Where was gunpowder actually invented? / The story is gone. Great and invisible Wall. / The story is gone. Mysteries of the legendary Troy.
This publication, in contrast to all the previous ones in the series, is not based on A. Stepanenko's book "History is no more" - an idea and a reference to another book are taken from this book: "What else are there for the Romans?" E. Gabovsky
After all, there were people in the old days …
Reading about ancient times is interesting and extremely exciting! Here legionnaires, barefoot, shod in sandals, wrapped in a piece of light fabric, easily and naturally waddle across the snow-covered Alps, which, for some reason unknown to us, from the Middle Ages (and up to the 19th century), will suddenly become an insurmountable obstacle for future armies. But not for Roman legionnaires!
Promotional video:
But the antique geniuses of naval combat manage to plan, smoothly maneuver and in a coordinated manner embody the movement of large masses of ships during the battle. How they got used to embodying graceful tactical plans in reality without having any connection with their ships is unknown to this day. In any case, in the onset of the Middle Ages, ships fought simply and uncomplicated - why would you coordinate in the hustle and bustle of the battle if there was no connection? Not like before …
Or the famous biremes, triremes and so on incrementally. How did they manage to move the oars from the second / third floor of the house? Can you imagine the length and thickness of such an oar and how much effort you need to apply at the short end (at the rower) ?! Until now, no one can repeat it, with the current technologies … and they, here you go, raked it out somehow!
Roman legion in the Alps.
Alpine huntsmen in togas and sandals
It is not surprising that the author of the book, following Gernot Geise (a German historian, specialist in Celts, the author of several books about ancient Roman times), is rightly surprised at the extraordinary capabilities of the ancients, who literally did not notice the Alps and without problems (according to the manuscripts and chronicles) drove through mountains back and forth.
Historians sent one army after another across the Alps, and in the end, bare-footed Roman soldiers crossed the mountain passes in huge columns and conquered Europe.
Along the mountain path.
Reenactors on the march.
Warrior of the empire.
Legion! One by one into the column. Through the pass. March
One can clearly imagine a picture of a Roman military caravan: each infantryman was carrying 49 kg of dry rations, weapons and armor, and provisions for many thousands of horses (combatant and draft) were traveling in carts, which, according to the historian G. Gaise, weighed about a ton each - this is along narrow, rocky mountain paths.
If we take the standard number of one Roman legion and the width of the mountain trail no more than 1 meter (again, based on the chronicles), then the military caravan stretched for tens of kilometers !!! It is worth remembering the stops for eating and toilet, for which the mountains are extremely poorly adapted, if we are talking about tens of thousands of people and horses crawling to the pass at the same time.
But historians claim that, if necessary, Rome sent not one, but many legions to other countries! And it’s really scary to think about how these thousands of people will be accommodated at night along the abundantly filthy mountain path on the outskirts of the pass.
Camping luggage, fixed on a pole with a crossbar, modern reconstruction. It includes a leather knapsack, a bale of changeable clothes, a flask and kitchen utensils, and a trench tool.
Camping luggage, fixed on a pole with a crossbar, modern reconstruction. It includes a leather satchel, a bale of changeable clothes, a flask and kitchen utensils, and a trench tool
Or think about the breakdown of the cart - you can't go around it until they figure it out, until they bring in a replacement (from where?) - the legion is standing, everyone is waiting so as not to stretch. Once one has been eliminated, something else happens. And if the collapse? It's terrifying to think about the consequences and timing of their elimination … and the whole column is standing!
It is also strange that the numerous and aggressively disposed mountain tribes towards the Romans, who know the mountains perfectly and knew how to fight in them, never took advantage of this opportunity. The mountain ambush is a classic of military art. But no, there is not a single mention of ambushes and losses during the crossing of the Alps by the Roman legions in the manuscripts!
There is a feeling that the enemies of the Romans deliberately allowed the legionnaires to pass the most vulnerable place for them, in order to then gloriously perish from Roman swords and send their families into slavery … a little taut thesis, isn't it? But there were no ambushes (the author claims)! Or were there no Roman legions?
A column of legionnaires in a deep forest.
Through the forests, through the valleys …
Okay, the Roman legions jumped along the goat paths through the snow-capped Alps, what next? If the enemy did not take advantage of such a convenient opportunity - to throw the invaders into the abyss without any problems, then it is unlikely that he will guard the aggressor at the exit to the valley - not sportingly! Gathered, pulled ourselves together, rested. Everyone goes to the forest.
Not that they go straight away … the famous Roman roads still need to be built. Here it is not clear: either they organized round-up hunts on all Celts or Germans in the impenetrable forests, in order to catch prisoners and build these very roads with their hands; or they themselves, despite the hostile environment and not being distracted by the attacks of local tribes, quietly (for millennia - with high quality!) were engaged in construction. And only then they went to fight on these roads.
In either case, the locals are again being made fools of, because again and again they give the invaders to settle down, get food and choose convenient places for battles. Otherwise (if we are still based on sound logic) - this ill-fated legion had to disappear without a trace on narrow forest roads, where it would become an easy prey for the aborigines.
Read the continuation in the next part.