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Ned
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of Aptos, CA
Oct 1999
time: 21:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Trajanus
Yes the Romans employed decimation but often the unit (often the remains of a legion that has suffered a humiliating defeat) was simply dishonoured and banned to corsica or other unimportant locations
Also decimation didn't include the whole unit, if I recall correctly it was either half the unit, or one tenth that was killed, I'm not exactly sure anymore which...
Also, when the Aquilifer and Signifer (standard bearers) lost their standards, they were executed 
And, during a night watch, when a soldier fell asleep he was executed as well!!
Harsh measures, but they served well as the Roman army was about the most disciplined and best organized force 
Btw from what I've heard it's the regular Republican Guard that has death squadrons for deserters, the normal army doesn't have them as you would need a whole lot of death squadrons for such a big army!! Naturally the special republican guard doesn't need these squadrons as they are very loyal. That's what a deserted republican guard reported anyway. Another thing is that Iraqi troops often desert... With a death squadron they wouldn't do that so easily I would say |
I believe these practices largely ended in the late Empire when the army not only became a volunteer force, but also a mercenary force. Gibbon and others report that the army became ill disciplined. Certainly, they could no longer easily prevail against the Germans whom they had dominated in earlier times.
In Iraq, the volunteer elements of the Iraqi forces appear to be imposing discipline on the conscript elements - very similar to the practices of the Romans. It seems to be very effective.
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29-03-2003 23:38
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