Well done, RU. You've more or less said what I'd have said could I raise the energy.
AH Challenge: How could Spartacus have defeated Crassus in Sicily?
- Thread starter david3565
- Start date
I concede, RU, I have some major holes I need to research and the lack of knowledge on my part is obvious to me. I keep shifting ideas and not communicating everything correctly as well, so let us all just wipe my previous statements clean. Again, to go over my previous list of things we know:
1) Spartacus has some time, but not a lot. (Estimate) Minimum: One month. Maximum: Three months.
2) If he can win over the majority of the population, he gains control of the island, and he has all the demogrpahics and politics in his favor: A largely un-Romanized population, large slave population, and a rampantly corrupt governor.
3) Sicily holds some serious assets for his army: A developed iron industry and vast grain supplies. However, it is an island. He only has so much room over which to move.
4) Spartacus is a strategic genius and is capable of uncoventional thinking and facing trained Roman troops.
5) His slave army is also a cross-section of Rome's labor pool, including skilled labor from important trades. However, while his army is now made up of vetetans who have faced off against Romans in several decisive victories, they aren't professionally trained, and new people coming in aren't trained or blooded at all.
6) Crassus is not an average commander of troops, but competent. He has skilled officers under his command.
7) The Roman forces are outnumbered by the slaves and need to be supplied by sea, at least in the first part of the campaign. However, they are better trained and probably better armed overall.
8) There are potential allies who might supply Spartacus forces.
9) The Romans have some very major reasons to end this as quickly as possible, such the the fact Sicily's grain supply goes to feeding Rome and the potential for further slave revolts.
10) The Romans have a cultural prejudice toward foreigners and, even more so, slaves. However, they also have reason to be cautious when dealing with Spartacus.
11) OTL, Spartacus slave army stood toe to toe against the Romans and won decisively, even in a desparate situation.
RU, is there anything you would like to add to this list? And thank you for getting it through my thick skull. I do honestly see the error of my ways and I apologize. Oh, and I have an ample supply of overviews, but no detailed sources. Do you have any links that could help?
1) Spartacus has some time, but not a lot. (Estimate) Minimum: One month. Maximum: Three months.
2) If he can win over the majority of the population, he gains control of the island, and he has all the demogrpahics and politics in his favor: A largely un-Romanized population, large slave population, and a rampantly corrupt governor.
3) Sicily holds some serious assets for his army: A developed iron industry and vast grain supplies. However, it is an island. He only has so much room over which to move.
4) Spartacus is a strategic genius and is capable of uncoventional thinking and facing trained Roman troops.
5) His slave army is also a cross-section of Rome's labor pool, including skilled labor from important trades. However, while his army is now made up of vetetans who have faced off against Romans in several decisive victories, they aren't professionally trained, and new people coming in aren't trained or blooded at all.
6) Crassus is not an average commander of troops, but competent. He has skilled officers under his command.
7) The Roman forces are outnumbered by the slaves and need to be supplied by sea, at least in the first part of the campaign. However, they are better trained and probably better armed overall.
8) There are potential allies who might supply Spartacus forces.
9) The Romans have some very major reasons to end this as quickly as possible, such the the fact Sicily's grain supply goes to feeding Rome and the potential for further slave revolts.
10) The Romans have a cultural prejudice toward foreigners and, even more so, slaves. However, they also have reason to be cautious when dealing with Spartacus.
11) OTL, Spartacus slave army stood toe to toe against the Romans and won decisively, even in a desparate situation.
RU, is there anything you would like to add to this list? And thank you for getting it through my thick skull. I do honestly see the error of my ways and I apologize. Oh, and I have an ample supply of overviews, but no detailed sources. Do you have any links that could help?
Random Unicorn
Banned
david3565 said:
Sounds like a good idea
david3565 said:
I persoanly think Number 2 is a Gimmee. Does any one know of any reason 60-120K Spatucun Warriors would find Scicily more then a speed bump? And I don’t mean the Monster suspension Busting @$%#$ found in Baja, Mexico. I mean the little American ones.
david3565 said:
Sounds about right from my limited knowledge. He might have a some trouble keeping his forces up though. On at least one occasion his troops provided with a way to escape over the alps instead refused to go and insisted upon returning. Weather they out right disobeyed or they gently cajoled him is unclear, Either way he conceded. This could mean that his troops as much as wanting to remain free MAY also want to RPB (Rape Pillage and Burn, Emphasis on the Pillaging.
)“Plutarch wrote:
Despite his success, Spartacus was wise enough to know that he could not match the power of the whole Roman Empire. He therefore marched his army north, intending to escape from Italy by crossing the Alps. His plan, after crossing the mountains, was to disband his army and send his men to their homes in Thrace and Gaul. But the gladiators, puffed up with their own success, would not obey Spartacus. Instead of escaping to freedom, they roamed up and down the Italian peninsula, looting and plundering.â€
Considering this he may either
1) Have to find a method to pay them
2) Suffer some losses (Estimate 5-30%) over the next Year due to desertion, and a lowering of moral.
3) Be forced into taking actions that are risky and may or may not help their cause. (Raiding trips back to Italy)
Additionally now that I think about it he may have a difficult time controlling his army as they come from distinct regions and some of them probably have no real love for their brothers
(I could be severely understating this! I don’t know). If the Romans don’t invade quickly they MAY turn on themselves. To account for these two problems I would suggest that he keeps his troops somewhat separated to various parts of the island. And that we have the Romans invade relatively Quickly, After all Crassus and company are receiving HEAVY pressure from above to do something. I estimate an Attack from Rome within 1-6 months. Any reason anybody knows why it might be shorter or longer?
david3565 said:
This could be the MOST critical element to success or failure. Does Anyone have ANY info on the allies and enemies of this time period 71BC-69BC.
david3565 said:
Sounds to me like its correct. Does anyone have any differing info or additional facts to add.
david3565 said:
Sorry for blowing up in my last post. It was 4 in the morning and a friend gave me some Greek coffee in the evening. I hardly ever do caffeine. I am still on edge right now from a very broken sleep, and apparently I am Rambling.
As for Some sources 1 from Appian and 2 from Plutarch. A search can probably find the complete text as these sites only give excerpts.
http://www.livius.org/so-st/spartacus/spartacus_t02.html
http://www.oldnewspublishing.com/spartacus.htm
http://ancienthistory.about.com/library/bl/bl_text_plutarch_crassus_spartacus.htm
This last source is a modern Wargamer. His information is detailed to a level that he SEEMS to be reliable in his knowledge.
http://www.strategikonmag.com/volliss4.html
I am off to try a second date with Morpheus.
Random (The Sleepy, Jittery) Unicorn
The Parthians were Rome's big competitor in the East; I don't know how much direct aid they could give Spartacus, but they COULD take advantage of the situation by attacking Rome's newly-acquired possessions in the Middle East such as the Holy Land.
If they manage to (temporarily) grab the coast, they could send a fleet to help Spart out.
Or perhaps the Parthians could covertly hire large bands of mercenaries and pirates and send them to help Spartacus out?
However, I don't know whether the Parthians would be inclined to act against Rome at this point. Crassus's little adventure hasn't occurred yet (and in TTL, might not ever occur--he might get all the Rome-cred and $$ he wants from success in Sicily).
Also, if Rome has to strip newly-acquired areas of troops, they might face lots of rebellions in the outlying regions. Plus, has Rome begun to have to subsidize the urban mobs ("bread and circuses") at this point? If Rome starts to have shortfalls in $$ or grain (they're cut off from Sicily and possibly North Africa), they might have riots in Rome itself.
Those two factors could produce "allies" for Spartacus, even though they're probably not going to work together (no communication).
If they manage to (temporarily) grab the coast, they could send a fleet to help Spart out.
Or perhaps the Parthians could covertly hire large bands of mercenaries and pirates and send them to help Spartacus out?
However, I don't know whether the Parthians would be inclined to act against Rome at this point. Crassus's little adventure hasn't occurred yet (and in TTL, might not ever occur--he might get all the Rome-cred and $$ he wants from success in Sicily).
Also, if Rome has to strip newly-acquired areas of troops, they might face lots of rebellions in the outlying regions. Plus, has Rome begun to have to subsidize the urban mobs ("bread and circuses") at this point? If Rome starts to have shortfalls in $$ or grain (they're cut off from Sicily and possibly North Africa), they might have riots in Rome itself.
Those two factors could produce "allies" for Spartacus, even though they're probably not going to work together (no communication).
The Parthians were clashing with Rome before Crassus' battle, I think. The one question I have is this: do they have a fleet? Certainly they were skilled soliders, but I haven't been able to find any sort of information on them having an actual fleet.
I have a feeling they'll send calvary and horse achers as mercenaries via hired ships. Parthia has just stabilized only a few years before under Sanatruces, so the Parthians don't have a distinct political advanage. They do, however, have the potential to make a handsome profit. Unrestricted trade with an independent Sicily could prove a tempting carrot, as well as ample booty paid out by Spartacus.
Spartacus has to do his best to keep the Romans from landing. Coming to Sicily, has probably has about 90,000 men, give or take. We'll say 60,000 of those are able bodied enough to fight. I would split those forces into siege teams and infantry columns; 30 1000-man infantry units and 30 1000-man siege units. You then postion them around the island so that each one is no more than a 1-3 hour march from the coast.
The siege teams are made up of hundreds of ballista and catapaults. Now, beofre anyone makes a comment, ballista were common and cities would typically produce ballista for defense. It is not something so extoic that the slaves wouldn't know how to produce them. Heck, a few of the slaves might have constructed a few in their former line of work. And if they can produce ballista, they can produce catapaults. With a labor force in the tens of thousands (30,000 non-fighting, plus the newly freed Sicilian slaves) you have a vbery large dedicated labor pool. They are primarily split between three tasks: building weapons and armor, building siege weapons, and harvesting crops.
Depending on when Spartacus arrived, he has a calvary force with him. I figure the POD is that there was a delay in Pompey's arrival, which means that when Spartacus breaks through Crassus lines and makes it to the port city, he isn't pinned between Pompey's unloading troops and Crassus. He drafts every non-Roman ship in port, paying them for their trouble and perishable cargo, and sails his men to Sicily.
Anyway, those sixty 1000-man teams are being drilled and cross-trained contiously for three or four months. The infantry columns are split between 500 shield/gladius wielding troops, making up the perimeter of the formation, and pike/shield wielding troops, whose pikes are wood heavy iron-tipped poles, so long they are held by mulitple men. The idea is to give them enough mass and hitting power to break the Roman lines. They then interlock their shields in a Roman-style protective cover. The gladius wielding troops can then cut down Roman troops once they have penetrated the shield cover.
If Spartacus can raise more calvary, he might combine them with the infantry formations to increase their effectiveness. Either way, they'll be supported by seige teams can attain a high rate of fire through their massed weapons. And after arriving so fast, they can take advantage of the large hole in the incompleted fortifications.
Now, and alternate strategy, and one that might be more effective, is to break those teams down into smaller raiding parties. Drop the catapaults and only use ballista in some type of chariot or hand cart configuration, so it hand be transported easily. By attacking in riaidng parties, striking and withdrawing, it splits the Romans and prevents them from massing enough force to overwhelm Spartacus forces. Striking against incomplete fortifications only heightens this advantage. It also reduces the need for drilling in Roman-style regimentation. Looking at how effective this "defenseless defense" was in Chechnya in 1995 (?) the Romans could be all but gone in a few days time. And OTL, Crassus surrounding of Spartacus was made slow and troublesome by the similar types of raids. Raiding/guerilla warfare is also what prevented the Romans from ever completely dominating the Parthians. So, we have historical precedent. Seeing what Spartacus was capable of doing, its reseaonable to speculate that he might take the strategy further in Sicily.
Pushing the Romans back into the sea and mauling them so badly (perhaps killing and capturing an entire landing force) delays the Romans for months, maybe a year. They are going to them blockade and perhaps start stripping troops from other parts of the Med., as has been suggested. That allows for plenty of time to cement an alliance with the Parthians and get some mercenaries over. It also means that Spartacus' forces we'll have valuable time to train, fortify, and coordinate a ample defense.
I have a feeling they'll send calvary and horse achers as mercenaries via hired ships. Parthia has just stabilized only a few years before under Sanatruces, so the Parthians don't have a distinct political advanage. They do, however, have the potential to make a handsome profit. Unrestricted trade with an independent Sicily could prove a tempting carrot, as well as ample booty paid out by Spartacus.
Spartacus has to do his best to keep the Romans from landing. Coming to Sicily, has probably has about 90,000 men, give or take. We'll say 60,000 of those are able bodied enough to fight. I would split those forces into siege teams and infantry columns; 30 1000-man infantry units and 30 1000-man siege units. You then postion them around the island so that each one is no more than a 1-3 hour march from the coast.
The siege teams are made up of hundreds of ballista and catapaults. Now, beofre anyone makes a comment, ballista were common and cities would typically produce ballista for defense. It is not something so extoic that the slaves wouldn't know how to produce them. Heck, a few of the slaves might have constructed a few in their former line of work. And if they can produce ballista, they can produce catapaults. With a labor force in the tens of thousands (30,000 non-fighting, plus the newly freed Sicilian slaves) you have a vbery large dedicated labor pool. They are primarily split between three tasks: building weapons and armor, building siege weapons, and harvesting crops.
Depending on when Spartacus arrived, he has a calvary force with him. I figure the POD is that there was a delay in Pompey's arrival, which means that when Spartacus breaks through Crassus lines and makes it to the port city, he isn't pinned between Pompey's unloading troops and Crassus. He drafts every non-Roman ship in port, paying them for their trouble and perishable cargo, and sails his men to Sicily.
Anyway, those sixty 1000-man teams are being drilled and cross-trained contiously for three or four months. The infantry columns are split between 500 shield/gladius wielding troops, making up the perimeter of the formation, and pike/shield wielding troops, whose pikes are wood heavy iron-tipped poles, so long they are held by mulitple men. The idea is to give them enough mass and hitting power to break the Roman lines. They then interlock their shields in a Roman-style protective cover. The gladius wielding troops can then cut down Roman troops once they have penetrated the shield cover.
If Spartacus can raise more calvary, he might combine them with the infantry formations to increase their effectiveness. Either way, they'll be supported by seige teams can attain a high rate of fire through their massed weapons. And after arriving so fast, they can take advantage of the large hole in the incompleted fortifications.
Now, and alternate strategy, and one that might be more effective, is to break those teams down into smaller raiding parties. Drop the catapaults and only use ballista in some type of chariot or hand cart configuration, so it hand be transported easily. By attacking in riaidng parties, striking and withdrawing, it splits the Romans and prevents them from massing enough force to overwhelm Spartacus forces. Striking against incomplete fortifications only heightens this advantage. It also reduces the need for drilling in Roman-style regimentation. Looking at how effective this "defenseless defense" was in Chechnya in 1995 (?) the Romans could be all but gone in a few days time. And OTL, Crassus surrounding of Spartacus was made slow and troublesome by the similar types of raids. Raiding/guerilla warfare is also what prevented the Romans from ever completely dominating the Parthians. So, we have historical precedent. Seeing what Spartacus was capable of doing, its reseaonable to speculate that he might take the strategy further in Sicily.
Pushing the Romans back into the sea and mauling them so badly (perhaps killing and capturing an entire landing force) delays the Romans for months, maybe a year. They are going to them blockade and perhaps start stripping troops from other parts of the Med., as has been suggested. That allows for plenty of time to cement an alliance with the Parthians and get some mercenaries over. It also means that Spartacus' forces we'll have valuable time to train, fortify, and coordinate a ample defense.
Random Unicorn
Banned
A possible landing.
In the early morning hours a Roman fleet of 200 ships some full battle Galleys, many simply merchant ships hired for carrying troops and supplies slips towards the shoreline 20 miles south of Catiana. Two of the five scouts stationed near this point by Spartacus light a signal fire and proceeds to ride on to the two nearest encampment 5 and 7 miles away to give more detailed reports. The other scouts maintain their cover knowing that the information they gather could mean the difference between freedom and death.
The Roman troops begin disgorging from the ships and immediately set up defensive lines 1500 yards in. The scouts are amazed at the number of ballista’s that are brought forth from the ships and the speed and efficiency that the Romans work at. Like ants at work everyone seems to know their job. Several hundred Calvary men are quickly put ashore and start scouting the area. One of the scouts panics and is captured luckily he knows little about Spartucus’s defenses or plans, only that there is a garrison 7 miles away.
Within a few hours the Roman cavalry encounters the advancing Spartan column two miles from the roman line, but wisely chooses not to engage and ride back with the information. Another Roman scout group is not so lucky and stumbles upon the second Spartucun Cohort. They loose over 40 men as they quickly flee the encounter.
Upon receiving this information the Crasus orders 5000 men to be ready for battle at all times and the remaining 20,000 to continue making ready the defenses. Already they consist of a 3 foot tall earthen wall in front of which are sharpened wooden spears embedded in the ground. Some of the ships having emptied there cargo now make ready to sale back for more troops.
By noon the 2 Spartacun forces of a total of 4,000 men have managed to make their way to within a mile of the beach head but upon being informed by the two remaining scouts the size of the force and the defense’s all ready made they wisely decide to hold position until more troops arrive.
By 4 that afternoon Spartucus has arrived with 5000 more men managing to swell his force to 9000 but in this same period of time the Earthen works are now 4 feet tall, in front of a 5 foot deep ditch with even more wooden spears bristling. And within this defenses stand 25,000 armed Romans as well as 100’s of Ballista’s, Scorpions and other siege engines. Spartacus was confident that his men could defeat their own weight in Roman soldiers on the open battlefield. But at almost 3 to 1 behind a defensive barricade?!? Only the Gaul’s would be Brave or foolish enough to try that.
Spartacus new that by the next morning he would be lucky if he had 20,000 weary men at this site, while the Romans would have over 50,000 most of whom would have had decent rest and meals. No he thought Gorilla warfare and mobility are my tools. Not throwing my men away on hardened Roman defenses.
From my research I doubt that a Roman beachhead can be stopped.
The Romans can land their forces along a possible 600 mile stretch of coastline. (Admittedly some points are not suitable.)
Area of Control is very small compared to modern warfare. Unlike modern day fighting where if you start a landing within 50 miles of defending troops they may well move up and engage within the hour, The same distance is only a few miles in this time period.
If the Romans land 40-80K men on a shore then a few thousand Spartucuns a few hours away will be unable to stop them. It will take the better part of the day just to force march 10,000 troops to this point to meet a force of 80,000. I don’t see any significant battle engaged in for at least 1-3 days.
Bare in mind the artillery will be on the sides of the Romans as well. They can sail it on up and start using it from the ships immediately let alone the few hundred yards they must move it in land to make good defensive use of it.
The Spartacuns by comparison must lug it across land 10-50 miles possibly with NO roads to make use of it. How many days will this take for the larger peices.
The beach head would be at most a days journey from the Roman Empire and perhaps as little as 1 hour. This means supplies are easy to transport in, and even a strategic withdrawal (RUNAWAY) is fully possible in this initial invasion.
Random Unicorn
In the early morning hours a Roman fleet of 200 ships some full battle Galleys, many simply merchant ships hired for carrying troops and supplies slips towards the shoreline 20 miles south of Catiana. Two of the five scouts stationed near this point by Spartacus light a signal fire and proceeds to ride on to the two nearest encampment 5 and 7 miles away to give more detailed reports. The other scouts maintain their cover knowing that the information they gather could mean the difference between freedom and death.
The Roman troops begin disgorging from the ships and immediately set up defensive lines 1500 yards in. The scouts are amazed at the number of ballista’s that are brought forth from the ships and the speed and efficiency that the Romans work at. Like ants at work everyone seems to know their job. Several hundred Calvary men are quickly put ashore and start scouting the area. One of the scouts panics and is captured luckily he knows little about Spartucus’s defenses or plans, only that there is a garrison 7 miles away.
Within a few hours the Roman cavalry encounters the advancing Spartan column two miles from the roman line, but wisely chooses not to engage and ride back with the information. Another Roman scout group is not so lucky and stumbles upon the second Spartucun Cohort. They loose over 40 men as they quickly flee the encounter.
Upon receiving this information the Crasus orders 5000 men to be ready for battle at all times and the remaining 20,000 to continue making ready the defenses. Already they consist of a 3 foot tall earthen wall in front of which are sharpened wooden spears embedded in the ground. Some of the ships having emptied there cargo now make ready to sale back for more troops.
By noon the 2 Spartacun forces of a total of 4,000 men have managed to make their way to within a mile of the beach head but upon being informed by the two remaining scouts the size of the force and the defense’s all ready made they wisely decide to hold position until more troops arrive.
By 4 that afternoon Spartucus has arrived with 5000 more men managing to swell his force to 9000 but in this same period of time the Earthen works are now 4 feet tall, in front of a 5 foot deep ditch with even more wooden spears bristling. And within this defenses stand 25,000 armed Romans as well as 100’s of Ballista’s, Scorpions and other siege engines. Spartacus was confident that his men could defeat their own weight in Roman soldiers on the open battlefield. But at almost 3 to 1 behind a defensive barricade?!? Only the Gaul’s would be Brave or foolish enough to try that.
Spartacus new that by the next morning he would be lucky if he had 20,000 weary men at this site, while the Romans would have over 50,000 most of whom would have had decent rest and meals. No he thought Gorilla warfare and mobility are my tools. Not throwing my men away on hardened Roman defenses.
From my research I doubt that a Roman beachhead can be stopped.
The Romans can land their forces along a possible 600 mile stretch of coastline. (Admittedly some points are not suitable.)
Area of Control is very small compared to modern warfare. Unlike modern day fighting where if you start a landing within 50 miles of defending troops they may well move up and engage within the hour, The same distance is only a few miles in this time period.
If the Romans land 40-80K men on a shore then a few thousand Spartucuns a few hours away will be unable to stop them. It will take the better part of the day just to force march 10,000 troops to this point to meet a force of 80,000. I don’t see any significant battle engaged in for at least 1-3 days.
Bare in mind the artillery will be on the sides of the Romans as well. They can sail it on up and start using it from the ships immediately let alone the few hundred yards they must move it in land to make good defensive use of it.
The Spartacuns by comparison must lug it across land 10-50 miles possibly with NO roads to make use of it. How many days will this take for the larger peices.
The beach head would be at most a days journey from the Roman Empire and perhaps as little as 1 hour. This means supplies are easy to transport in, and even a strategic withdrawal (RUNAWAY) is fully possible in this initial invasion.
Random Unicorn
Last edited:
Random Unicorn
Banned
Tanks for information and oppinion.
Prunesquallor thanks for the info on Crassus and his life. It gave me a better insight into the situation
Wkwillis Your points are also very helpful in giving insight into this situation, Especially your comment “Most of the Roman territory has been captured in a single person's lifetime. There are old men who can tell about when it wasn't certain that Rome would win and conquer.â€
I think as WKWillis, Matt Quin and David have all suggested Allies are going to be a big factor. Matt Do you know how many troops the Parthinians might be able to send and what is your personal estimate from your current knowledge on the chance of them acting?
David’s Question about their fleet is also extremely important to determine if they can adequtly break a Roman blockade..
I think Spartucus’s best bet would be to wage hit and run, Gorilla tactics, keeping the ever present threat of slave revolt uprising in the background as well as attempting to cut a deal with Rome’s enemies.
Random Unicorn
Prunesquallor thanks for the info on Crassus and his life. It gave me a better insight into the situation
Wkwillis Your points are also very helpful in giving insight into this situation, Especially your comment “Most of the Roman territory has been captured in a single person's lifetime. There are old men who can tell about when it wasn't certain that Rome would win and conquer.â€
I think as WKWillis, Matt Quin and David have all suggested Allies are going to be a big factor. Matt Do you know how many troops the Parthinians might be able to send and what is your personal estimate from your current knowledge on the chance of them acting?
David’s Question about their fleet is also extremely important to determine if they can adequtly break a Roman blockade..
I think Spartucus’s best bet would be to wage hit and run, Gorilla tactics, keeping the ever present threat of slave revolt uprising in the background as well as attempting to cut a deal with Rome’s enemies.
Random Unicorn
So, RU, how would you leverage their moblity? I would still use portable ballista, personally, as their mobility means they can be massed and withdrawn, making them deadlier than the Roman siege engines on that account. Another tool to conisder is fire; using pots of lamp oil like a ancient molotov cocktail would be hell on the Romans. I guess the obvious move is to figure out how to draw them out of their fortifications and whittle them down. If it can adaquately coordinate, he can crush the Roman force, or, at minimum, route them, all without directly engaging them. Hitting and then melting away means that the strongest asset of the Romans, a massed interlocking force, is rendered useless when they can't respond quick enough to mass their forces. The normally blinding pace of the Romans is slowed to a glacial speed. It means that they may only be cordoned off in one part of the island and still have to resort to a blockade.
Last edited:
Random Unicorn
Banned
david3565 said:
The Romans have the same weapons, but bigger, better made and manned by men with FAR more experience. If these weapons are going to help win the day the odds are that it will be the Romans who benefit.
david3565 said:
I assume you mean on the fortifications. These will surly do some damage, However a large portion of the fortifications are Earth not wood. Additionally any machines able to throw such flame are within range of Roman artillery. Spartucus’s artillery has to come within range of a Roman ground attack to be effective. So either Spartacus commits troops to going in with these siege weapons, Who now become vulnerable to Roman siege weapons, Or he sends the artillery in without support, thus making them vulnerable to a cavalry or infantry attack. He may of course if the terrain allows be able to use this as bait to lure out a few hundred to a few thousand Romans. Anything more then this I think is unlikely. That is until the Romans are ready to fight.
Keep in mind that if Spartacus is smart he has at most 20-40K troops here. This is due to the fact that at this point in time less then ½ of the Roman army is on land at this beachhead. He doesn’t know if a second and third wave may land elsewhere if he leaves it open.
david3565 said:
The Romans must sooner or later come out of their fortifications. Most attacks would play towards the Roman’s defense advantage. Classic siege warfare is unlikely to work as the Romans have a supply line so can’t be starved out and they are only slightly outnumbered.
I think his best strategy initially will be to wait until the Romans are on the move and then attack. Does anyone know what the terrain was like on Sicily at this time. I’ve read that most of the forests had been chopped down to make room for wheat. IF this is true that will be an unfortunate loss for Spartacus (And possibly the Sicilian Spotted Owl)
Random Unicorn