AWA: Did the Romans uses phalanx tactics?

Ancient Warfare Podcast

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Society & Culture, Greece, Warfare, Ancient, Rome, History, Military

4.4 • 631 Ratings

🗓️ 16 October 2020

⏱️ 9 minutes

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Summary

J.Soth listening via youtube asks, 'didn't the Roman's employ phalanx tactics premaniple era?'

If you have any questions email Jasper at [email protected]

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone. Welcome back to yet another ancient warfare answers. I'm Murray Dam. I'm the assistant editor of ancient warfare. And joining me is Jasper Ortage, the editor of ancient warfare. And this is episode 15. And today we're answering the question, did the Romans use phalanx tactics from J-Soph? So, Yasper, did the Romans use phalanx tactics from JASO.
0:21.6	So, YASPA, did the Romans use phalanx tactics?
0:24.6	I think having just edited ancient warfare issue 14-2, the honest answers probably maybe.
0:31.6	Right. Well, once upon a time, we could have said, yes, definitely, for a long period.
0:36.6	As this issue, as this issue explains there's been
0:40.0	a lot of debate about this um the thing is that first of all our sources say so but the sources
0:50.3	are of course not exactly contemporary with the time that this should have,
0:56.6	you know, this should have been the case in the, you know, six and fifth centuries BC,
1:00.6	into the fourth century, maybe even.
1:05.6	And we have archaeological evidence that suggests that they used phalanx tactics. I mean, we find
1:14.0	equipment that looks like the equipment you'd expect for a Greek hoplight who works in the phalanx.
1:22.4	And there's even, you know, the visual evidence suggests the same. I mean, the famous Chigi
1:26.9	phas, I think, which has been used time and again, you know, the visual evidence suggests the same. I mean, the famous Chigi Vaz, I think, which has been used time and again.
1:30.7	You've certainly seen it as evidence for the Greek Hupplite phalanx
1:36.9	is actually found in Italy.
1:40.5	So it all sounds and looks like there must have been some kind of phalanx.
1:47.0	Problem is that there are some niggling doubts.
1:52.0	You know, the main one is what are those ancient sources actually referring to?
1:58.0	Do they know what they're talking about? Are they just copying something,
2:03.6	or are they just filling in the blanks by looking at Greece, which was the big example,
2:10.6	and picking something up? What we think we know about the ancient Roman social structures is not really helpful.
2:24.0	You know, it seems to have been a very disparate, non-centralized society.
	...

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