Roman Rules for War - How to conquer an Empire

This video serves as a complete introduction and analysis into how the Romans did war. Their thought process, reasoning, and army compositions are all the focus of the video. Each statement has supporting examples of battles, ranging from the late Republic to the early Empire, though these basic rules were present in some degree in the minds of Roman generals far later, and served as a basis for upcoming generals to learn from.

[lohema]

"I never said that shit"
-Sun Tzu

[HAMMER_.]

Just imagine if we had a multiple-season long series about the roman army at war. One that was so full of all the little details behind the logistics involved in planning a campaign through. The mishaps thay occurred on the march, the banter and activities during those nightly camps, the battles themselves, and even the process after like disposing of dead enemies and caring for the wounded.
Thats something i always dream of seeing one day.

[davidhughes]

I am aware that i am repeating my self alot. But after over 60 years of studying Roman military history this video documentary among all the others you have provided is invaluable to me and am looking forward to many more.
You have my allegince!
Thank you all.

[Jewish.Hotdog]

A general was a also a supply logistics manager, imagine all that responsibility and he didnt even have a computer to help him.

[Pan_Z]

The psychological effect on moral makes a lot of sense. I certainly wouldn't want to approach a formation of thousands of well-equipped men on a hill, their weapon & armour shining under the sun. The Romans in the late Republic/Early Empire were also ordered to not perform battle chants in order to intimate enemies through uniform silence.

[rotciv]

Roman generals almost always had a long military career at their backs before they got to turn consul, pro-consul, legatus or any high ranking position depending on the time. That's the "cursus honorum". And for most of its History, a Roman politician had to be a skilled commander in order to ascend to the peak of his career. And even the heads of the greatest patrician families needed achievements in order to be taken seriously.

That system made sure Rome always had a constant supply of very skilled commanders. But, on the bad side, a lot of those commanders were so eager to get those achievements in the year or two they got to manage an army that they often rushed things up or acted with more pride than wits.

It's funny how Rome almost met total disaster because of this on 2 sepparate occasions.
One was during the Second Punic War, when Hannibal kept baiting consul after consul and surrounding or constantly ambushing Roman armies.
And the other was during the Cimbrian Wars, where Romans were initially crushed to the point of trauma.

In the former, Fabius Maximus had to come and make the commanders to chill out and just stalk Hannibal, but never give in to pitch battle.
And in the later, Gaius Marius had to come in and play with everyone's patience until the teutons and ambrions slipped and he capitalized.

[ontaka]

13:36: Emperor Nero's long flanking march at the Metaurus River.
It's "General Nero" (Gaius Claudius Nero) and not Emperor Nero (Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus).

[Taima]

I love hearing the little anecdotes/side stories of particular Roman battles/general experiences. Makes you feel a bit closer to things and understanding.

[jimparsons]

"An army travels on its stomach, believe it or not." Napoleon Bonaparte? Makes sense, considering the success he had in the field.

[XOPOIIIO]

Public education is useless. Self-teaching and learning on practice is the best.

[letsgohotcheeto]

I really like this style of videos. Its feels alot more grounded which is what brought me to this channel! Well done!

[josephspruill]

Julius studied Alexander’s battles from records.

[MythicTales]

Incredible storytelling combined with historical accuracy! This video brings the Roman conquests to life in a whole new way

[thibs]

I had never thought about wind and shields but damn you're right

[robbabcock_]

It's hard to beat Historia Militum for these deep dive videos! Thanks.😎⚔🔥

[kintaro]

That´s really interesting to me. Some tactics, like taking the high ground might seem obvious, but the stuff about the supply line is probably the most important factor. Even an army that´s entrenched on a rocky mountain can´t survive forever, if besieged and unable to get ressources. It just shows how many considerations were to be kept in mind, which makes the success of the Romans even more impressive.

[Marc]

amazing work! many thanks for sharing your knowledge in such a detailed and beautiful movie! 🎉

[thoth]

Dude, I'm dying to see the next part of the dacian War... when will it come out?

[uptown_rider]

It’s always a good day when this channel uploads a new video

[cjthebeesknees]

To be a Roman General, One must be principled, in both scholarly and soldierly fields.