I came, I saw, I conquered. | |
— Julius Caesar | |
The full text of a message sent to the Roman senate reporting his victory over Pharnaces II of Pontus at the battle of Zela. | |
[This “famous” and brief report emphasized the totality of Caesar’s victory and, by defeating numerically superior forces, reminded the senate of his military skills. What I find interesting is that it is “generally” accepted that to ensure victory, an attacking force should have a 6 to 1 ratio over an enemy in a fixed defensive position. In this battle, Pharnaces II left a fixed position of his own, to attack a force which was between one half and one quarter his own strength, and he chose to do it attacking up hill into a fortified (albeit not completed) defensive position. While there was surprise in the initial assault, it ultimately ended in a route and decisive Roman victory. — KMAB] | |
. | |
On This Day In: | |
2013 | Heroes |
Education, n. | |
2012 | Who I Want To Be |
2011 | Mythic Forgetfulness |
Vini, Vidi, Vici
June 10, 2014 by kmabarrett
Leave a Reply