The Genius Supply System of Rome’s Army | Logistics
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- Опубліковано 24 кві 2024
- This video covers the entire logistical system that the early Roman Empire used to feed and supply its grand armies. As a result of it, the Romans were able to raise armies of immense quantities of men. Even after their collapse, Medieval armies would not be able to field such quantities of men. This video covers what made Roman armies unique from those that came after!
I would greatly appreciate any support you would like to give the channel, as it will help me create more quality and well-researched content for you in the future. It will also get your name in future videos! Patreon: / historiamilitum
Primary Sources:
-Liv. XLIII. 3.
-Veg. Mil. III. 3.
-Veg. Mil. III. 4.
-Veg. Mil. III. 5.
Secondary Sources:
-Feig Vishnia, R. “The Shadow Army: The Lixae and the Roman Legions”, Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 139, 2002, 265-272.
-Roth, J. The Logistics of the Roman Army at War: 264 B.C. - 235 A.D.). Brill: Boston, 1999.
Intro (0:00)
Provincial Logistics (0:44)
Transport and Communication (6:29)
Logistics within the army (9:05)
In enemy territory (12:05) - Розваги
Check out our latest video about the CRAZY training and diet of Gladiators; the most intense Roman athletes: ua-cam.com/video/Wmat8xK9raM/v-deo.html
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Hey, how come you've changed your channel name from Filaxim Historia to Historia Militum?
@@Crowbars2 It’s a small rebranding that fits the channel a little more, as we mainly cover military history, and is easier to remember for new viewers!
“Infantry wins battles, logistics wins wars.” - John J. Pershing
Pershing -- our only 6-star general didn't do well with a 500,000 man Army when he invaded the USSR immediatly after WW1.
The USSR was at an immense disadvantage, yet won. Intelligence wins wars. Men, logistics, intelligence, or morale can lose them.
Precisely!
True quote, after Rome fell, Europe wouldn't field armies of this size again until the 17th century.
@Bergamo he said Europe. Mongols are not in Europe.
@Bergamo Bro... todays Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are FAAAR from calling it "Europe"
@Bergamo The Mongols had massive armies but were more decentralized.
And it wouldn't have cities with clean water supply until the mid 19th century
Only Napoleon managed to come up with a breakthrough in logistical warfare through his corps system. Until then, everything the Europeans did was rediscovering Roman logistics
Let s go to 15 century, check out the armies amassed by Ottoman Empire.
The enormous sizes quoted of these Roman armies in the ancient past makes total sense when accounting for the pre-industrial logistical train. Love the new video in all its technical and comprehensive breakdown!
Thanks for the kind words. Glad you enjoyed!
Wdym, why would pre-industrial = easier to supply?
@@Daniel_leading_the_13_Plateans if you include personnel that supplies the army as being part of the army then it'll be an enormous number while the actual fighting force is much smaller.
I dont understand how Romans calculate before Indian passed as Arabic numbers , this with 0, the zero was from Satan untill 1100- 1300 , not untill 1700th Europe well the ZERO, nol, might have sense.🤔
@Schmogel92 Yes, there are even differences in how opposing factions/groups would count troops. Some would count followers and retainers and other wouldn't. Most historians agree it's a combination of self embellishment and camp numbers rather than battle numbers.
I’m a logistics officer and it’s been truly fun deploying armies around the world and supplying them. It is the absolute difference maker.
I love this kind of stuff :) Logistics is suprisingly fun, I always found it weird not being in game like Total war in a good and active tool for the player.
100%, which is why I never play Rome 2 without Divide et Impera
@@RexGalilae So True! Cant even imagen going back to the bland taste of vanila :) tho I realy wish the system was more interactive. Like seeing your supply lines, being able to change/twick it to your needs. So you could change the lines rout If you saw an enemy faction army geting ready to raid and block it.
Even If it would add 1-2 days to the travel time of each shipmeant. Hehe something like that.
I watched a goog Doc about Americans in Pacific 1941-44, Japanese had 2 kilos/man vs. US 2 tons of ammo and food/men/ month. Surrender immediatly. Do no weight for A-boms!
Total war is still about the military strategies as whole, when logistics is just part of military, but many can find it booring, when their more intrested in the military strategies itself.
I totaly agree to a point :)
Tho Total war vanilla is not known for smart AI or the need to massivly focus on "strategies" When Hammer & anvill is realy the only battle tactic you need haha. Tho my hope has always been since Rome 2 (my first one) is that they add new features like this. Rather then remove them as they had done. Tho we have seen few pop back in W3 etc.
This was so fascinating. The amount of organization required at all levels is incredible.
Logistics is the unsung hero of war. During desert storm the pipeline road stayed busy 24/7. When the war was over the 1st corp support for XVIII airborne corp for a lot of decorations. The field grades and the senior non coms. The workers? Not even a pat on the back. They were the ones that kept the supplies moving. After the war I put in for retirement. There will always be war.
Great video, I love the logistics of the Roman army just how much is required for such a complex system to work goes to show just how efficient the Roman’s were at times
At times? All the time XD
Roman's = code word for white people
It's really sad that as the years went by and the senate and people had less to do with the system it slowly went downhill. From full professional armies always supplied from hundreds of miles of away to a mixed army of peasants and Tagmata units that couldn't move too far out of range and were often undersupplied. The pressure of the people to keep soldiers alive and well and the power of the senate to make it happen really did create a magnificent combination when working correctly.
Makes me wonder about Hannibal and crossing the alps. What a logistical feat that was
He lost 22% of his troops. He sent troops home into Iberia hoping they'd maintain garrison and be available as reinforcement, entering the Alps with 50k foot and 9k horse. He lost 13,000 men in 60 days, plus most of the elephants. I'd call that a logistical foul up, only rivaled by crossing a marsh where his celtic troops in the rear had to cross water where all the dry ground had been flattened, so alot of them drowned, and ofcourse, he also lost his eye. After Lake trasimine, he issued Roman loricas, helmets, and shields to his men as these men being mercenaries hired by coffers filed by trade, had no access to centrally fabricated high end equipment unless it was looted from Romans they ambushed. This looted gear being partially what allowed his line to hold at Cannae, and it contributed to the enveloping action being successful, as the Romans didn't realize the troops massing on their flanks were not Roman. The Carthaginians were not logistical masterminds, they threw money, subject peoples, and mercenaries at any problem the fleet couldn't handle, with the fleet being mainly a means of securing trade routes. Even the fleet was the only thing they centrally leveraged industry for, and like pretty much all navies, it was staffed with the poor. Carthage was like Sparta in it's later years, unwilling to spend citizen lives in decisive battle unless unavoidable, and unlike Athens early in the Peloponnesian War or Rome, it lacked a mind for logistical reality.
I love that tv series Anthony Hopkins such a good actor
@@beaudavid Which TV series mate?
@@theamericancristero7390 Yet he still crossed and completely surprised the Romans. No one else had the Gaul to even attempt what he dared. The Romans wouldn't have dared. I believe it was a logistical marvel.
@@cj-mk4jq the Romans did many things thought “impossible” for example conquering Britain and sending the largest invasion force fleet ever; bridge across the Rhine in 10 days, marches through the Alps in winter to surprise the enemy, the list is almost endless, just be curious and seek the information. Also Hannibal wasn’t as smart as the Romans, he copied Alexander in a different situation to which he had no answer to and he failed. When Scipio used Hannibal’s tactics against him he also had no answer.
In Total War games It seems so easy that you can muster and move thousands of troops at once. Nice video!
You can change that with Divide ey Impera mod.
@@armorking7258 Yes, there is no way to play another Total War for me xD
Try divide et impera
Can you investigate how they supplied the road builders please? Different stones and gravels were used and they would have to be quarried and transported in the right order at the right time to keep the roads advancing. This background information is priceless, well done.
Slavery
They were so advanced for their time. Damn dark ages..
Warfare is always a situation of logistics, morale is what wins wars as much as sheer numbers.
Without good logistics there is no morale.
@@pz3j exactly
Which is why men have always led in war not women. Men use logic women don't.
Combat soldiers often make fun of "POGS," but soldiers win battles. It's logistics that win wars.
Russians are currently learning this the hard way…again.
This video is not only an outstanding examination of the subject, but also an absolute joy to watch! The narration is superb! The visuals as well. I can only say: "Well done!"
Vegetius also said:
"You say I'm arrogant, I say damn right. That's pride. Pride in the Saiyan I am."
I totally believe you
A true Saiyan Princeps.
Amazing video. Always love the topics you cover!
Glad you enjoy it!
Very important and underexposed topic!
Great video!
Also I find it amusing If you read about roman civil wars both armies were so equally matched in logistics that the final battles seemed like a forgone end note to a much longer and huge brained battle of how gets more supplies and who cuts off the other from their own supply.
see; Ilerda, Pharsalus, Amphipoli etc
Pharsales was won by the army with better morale.
@@pz3j The final battle was yes however Pompey's initial strategy was winning, to deny Caesar of supplies. If Pompey had continued his strategy instead of giving into open battle per the senators demands he would have won imo
Also during Civil war, the oRoman Army if encircled, can surrender and join the main and winning Roman army. During the battle of Octavian Ceasar and Mark Anthony, all the Romans have to do is sink the ship and rescue the defeated roman army from the sea into their boats the army who chose to be loyal to mark Anthony can drown and refuse help
Supplies, maintenance, medical support have always been backbone of defending or advancing armies. Even to this day.
Imagine soldiers trying to move forward or to front lines if APCs, Humvees, tanks and combat infantry and artillery were not maintained let alone stocked with ammunition, food, water and medical supplies.
Isn't this literally what's happening to Russia?
@@inventor121 Russia's never had a problem with sending men in with just a single clip of ammo and told to pick up a gun on the way
My son was in the US Army. They sent him to another country as part of a set up crew. Their food supplies arrived 2 weeks later. He said the local military gave them bread so they didn’t starve. My son said they were not allowed to leave to go shopping so they were stuck with just old bread.
@@inventor121different reasons russia thought the war would have been no more than a few weeks and did not prepare for a long sustained war. Had they actually did logistics it probably wouldve ended already.
@@inventor121 No, this is what’s happening to Ukraine
Been looking for this. One of the most important aspect of war hardly ever covered in detail. Be interesting to see aspect pf this video covered in more detail with subsequent videos. Thank you for this.
Amazing. This was way more complex than my first thoughts on the subject. Thank you so much. Your channel is truly a pleasure to watch. Keep going! 🥰
This is my favorite video! Hope you will make another one going even more in depth into this topic!
This a very important subject. In almost every video about war, people mention the supply lines, so I needed to know about it!
Right to my favourite videos
Great video.
I added this video to my playlist "Ancient and Medieval military logistics".
Ah, witness the military power of logistical infrastructure! Tremble before the weight of our baggage train.
Good generals think tactics, Great generals Think logistics
Excellent video. Thank you! Regards from Canada 🇨🇦
Really cool to see the thought that goes into logistics it'd be cool to see how things improved over time
Great video! The Praetorian soundtrack is a nice touch.
I play Post Scriptum and amount of push logistics team can do in single game is realy felt by the side that has them also i like building stuff for the forces gives me more sense of purpose than running around and shooting in a game
That grammar..😅
I lay awake at nights thinking about this.
This is the kind of documentary i like. Very organized and shining light on practical matters.
That was a well informed video on such content well done Filaxim Historia 👌
Excellent work here. Rarely you see any other site mentions this really important information. Great work.
Excellent work and research for the video. Well done!
Right as i heated my food up hehe
Perfect! Have a great Friday evening ;)
Dude, beautiful video. Nothing else to say. Well done.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Absolutely amazing.
Unbelievable, that back in the days they could be so precise with delivering everything needed! Making everything work with so many moving parts
If you read their books, see the remnants of multi-story apartment buildings (insulae) that filled the larger cities, learn about their banking system, you truly understand how delayed were we by the religious zealotry and Middle Age. Instead of advancing the technology, the next thousand years people spent arguing how much human was Jesus and what day to eat meat on...
An ancient Military-Industrial Complex…I like it
Why?
@@smokeyhoodoo
Because it worked
@@cameroncunningham204 That's disturbing
@smokeyhoodoo well we need the military industrial complex. For whatever corruption stems from it we do need innovation within our forces.
THanks for the upload, bro.
This is a great video and I love the topic.
Missing from this, the Roman's when going to conquer someone would build a fort a half days march from each other, this greatly allowed for refreshment and rest and a place for the supplies to go to in safety and then move along.....
Long time no see
Indeed! Last month was very busy in my personal life, but we are back on schedule and will release the next video pretty soon!
@@HistoriaMilitum cool dude 😎😎😎
Industrialized warfare before the industrial age.
I've seen arguments that Rome had the potential to industrialise.
It was not industrialization it was a market economy. Which evolved around the supply and demand of the market.
@@bighands69 😂
Great video and keep up the great work
Thanks, will do!
Fascinating, informed, literate, educational. Brilliant.
Love it! Love everything about it!
*subscribed!*
I hiked the 2200 mile Appalachian Trail in 2021. When I was on trail I thought back to my History degree and the distances that ancient armies are supposed to have travelled. I would say that I am in very very good shape and am an expert hiker with light weight gear and modern shoes. In this video it says that the Roman army travelled at 150 miles per week. I do not believe this is possible for an army to do this for more than one week. That means they are moving about 21 miles per day. At a fast pace on a trail I can do about 3 miles per hour. So that's 7 hours a day of walking to do 21 miles per day. It took weeks to build up to 20 mile days and even by the end of the trail I wasn't doing consecutive 20+ mile days for more than about 3 days. Try to do 21 miles per day for three days in a row and the fourth day you are going to be hurting bad. That basically means waking up at dawn and walking at a fast pace all day, if you stop for meals. I mean that's a very fast pace. I don't buy it. Most hikers, very dedicated hikers, cannot maintain that pace. Now when you look at armies not everyone is fit.
150 km a week, not 150 miles. 1:20
tactics and strategies win battles
logistics and economics win wars
Thank you for your hard work. I love videos like this that teach me cool history
I love this channel. Your analysis of history is as brilliant as Roman logistics.
Caesar used his grain merchants in 2 novel ways (De bello Gallico). They'd buy up regional stocks (denying surplus to the enemy) and pass with relative impunity as valued 'trading partners' discussing who had what 'stock' and deducing the dependant population (proportionate to the number of fighting men).
So, if your country was being invaded by an overwhelming Roman force, the best strategy would not be to engage them directly and lose your army but to send it to disrupt their supply lines.
Thats exactly what did Arminium during Teutoburg battle.
With a good help offered by the hostile environment of the site of the battle.
Indeed, when legions was deployed in normal circumstances against the same Arminius, he was defeated and almost captured.
That and hit and run tactics
This is basically always the best strategy. It weakens morale and you cant fight very well without proper supplies
How about "If you can't beat them, join them."?
Given that the Romans had to do all their logistical planning in Roman Numerals, it should come as no surprise that they made a real point of starting to prepare the logistics well in advance of actually starting moving troops around.
It's absolutely incredible when it's broken down like that
Music From Praetorians.
Great Game!
Hey Vegetius, what does the scouter say about their provision level?
Thank you for the tutorial information.
Never really thought of this before, interesting idea
It's mind-blowing to think of all the things the Roman Legions were capable of accomplishing! Building roads, building bridges, building forts, building walls, building fleets, building mountains (Masada)...
If only other nations and civilisations cared as much about building, as they did about conquest and plunder, the world might be a much better place today...
Excellent video.
Great video! ⚔
Ah, the music you can hear at 6:20 is taken from the videogame Praetorians... it reminds me of my childhood! anyway, great content, very informative. Thanks!
This is amazing I was wanting to know this exact knowledge nice
GREAT video! As always. Yo my man I think there´s gonna be some universities inviting you to do a lecture
BTW: Why are subtitles many times completely different than voice over? xD
Thanks for the kind words! An invitation like that would be a big honour, I would go in a heartbeat!
For the subtitles, I just uploaded the original script I had. It differs from the audio because I tend to deviate from the stick sometimes when I record it.
Amazing content!
Appreciate it!
Wonderful video - with lively presentation of research-based interesting info on well-organized logistics, designed by the Romans to win the war! This results-based strategy will, certainly, be a learning tool for the present conflicts as well as ongoing humanitarian and development contexts. Thanks for sharing such educational and interesting video!
Ah the Epic history tv Napoleon intro song. Great choice.
The distance covered by Alexander the great and Napolean, (as only two examples of pre-industrial conquerors), is so much farther than seems possible.
I don’t even understand.
From Greece/Macedonia to India? That’s not just >3,000 miles, it’s over 7-10 mountain ranges, some topping 20,000 feet. Look at the topography. It’s unbelievably mountainous, and is that way for almost the entire way. It’s essentially the Rocky Mountains the whole 3,000 miles. If it’s true that his army covered that distance, On horseback and on foot, it’s essentially unbelievable in any conceivable way.
Top tier history channel
@6:22 If I may offer a minor correction, it's "besiege", not "siege". "Siege" is the noun, "besiege" is the verb, taking a direct object. "The Romans besieged the city." We also say, "to lay siege to" a town or city.
Good stuff!!! Thank you
So fascinating!
Excellent video
So fascinating!❤
Wow! Always wondered about that!
Nicely explained
Now this is what Big Government looks like.
Believe it or not Rome was not based on big government. It was a market economy that was based on local governance hence why each region had a governors in each province that were in turn integrated into local society.
Got nice food and ready to watch my favorite channel
I don't cear what artists make seeing romans march even if its not completely accurate is one of the most beautiful things on eartg
Great vid.
The Romans were able to project power to remote areas. Nobody was able to do this again until the mid 1800/s. the US Civil War was notable for large field armys,well equipped.The Crimean war was a mess. I have to laugh at the ARmy of William the Conqueror,8000? Harold had to dismiss his army waiting for William because they were unable to supply them. Also,they were not professional soldiers. Caesar invaded Britain with 40k? In WW2 the US supplied a two front War,the USSR, and the Brits to some extent. The Free French forces used US weapons. The USSr got 465000 vehicles. Food and aviation gas.
Four of every five barrels of oil used by the allies
@@chipschannel9494 Sounds possible.
The Mongol Empire of the 13th and 14th centuries was the largest contiguous land empire in history.
At their peak, the Mongols controlled between 11 and 12 million contiguous square miles, an area about the size of Africa.
Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Europe, extending northward into parts of the Arctic; eastward and southward into parts of the Indian subcontinent, attempted invasions of Southeast Asia, and conquered the Iranian Plateau; and westward as far as the Levant and the Carpathian Mountains.
At its greatest extent it included all of modern-day Mongolia, China, parts of Burma, Romania, Pakistan, Siberia, Ukraine, Belarus, Cilicia, Anatolia, Georgia, Armenia, Persia, Iraq, Central Asia, and much or all of Russia.
In Asia:
Mongolia
China
Korea
Turkistan
Iran
Uzbekistan
Afghanistan
Armenia
In Europe:
Russia
Georgia
Belarus
Ukraine
Thank you
very well done..
I really like when I am presented with a concept I have never been presented before.
The goat uploaded. Les goo
Second video I see on the matter which is not a shabby documentary saying everything and in the end just nothing cohesive. One the very few out the on the matter. Thank you for your efforts. Great info not inclided anywhere else but the extant ancient texts.
"Amateurs study tactics. Professionals study logistics."
Nice video.
Both Napoleon and then Hitler underestimated the huge logistical requirement needed for victory.
Romans are so ahead of their time.Imagine these innovative people having a hold to our current technology we could be invading the space lol.
Very nice video
Excellent
12:18
Not seldom the armies were stuck for a long to a very long time at the same place, not least when they besieged forts and cities. They were not constantly on the move.
They could also be forced to face an enemy army for longer than preferred before given battle. In these occasions it would have been a both necessary task and important occupation of the troops. I believe to recall having read several places in Livy of soldiers occupied with foraging and harvesting (in Samnium?).
The Genius, like in italian il Genio, is a specific specialization of the army, actually any modern armies.
Combat engineers mostly, but not only that.
I was in the US army in Iraq, our logistics are super impressive. Our soldiers can go anywhere and expect supplies of everything to already be waiting for us when we get there
"If you can't truck it.....
No disrespect to our fighters, but the supremacy of the U.S. military is due to our logistics and material/weapons. Comms and transp. Everyone we see in the field are a distant, distant second place.
People think that China is a near peer. Have lived in China, and don't buy the hype. Our land and sea forces would crush them because of everything above. The only advantage they have is waves and waves of human targets. (worked ok in Korea)
Roman Empire as a super power lasted for a thousand years. US as a super power is just a little shy of 200 years, and both of them have the supreme military and economy. I live in the Philippines and this is what I have observed. China will lose a war with US in a year or two.
@@danmichaelabad1338 Well technically, we've been one for 80 years, not 200. Early years of USA was when Britain and France were still at their peaks.
Can't kick ass, without tanker gas.
This is very insightful and informative. Thanks for the education.
_"The main and principal point in war is to secure plenty of provisions for oneself and to destroy the enemy by famine"_
Or as we say 1600 year later,
_"HIMARS o'clock"_
The Huns were so effective, because they traveled with a herd of horses providing food and transportation. They did not need logistics from outside and were therefore very flexible and independent and fast.
Living off the land worked out for them but its pretty bad for long term warfare.