'Battle' of Will

            Rain! Today was quite cold and rainy, but Roman History was worth the wait. I had the ability to wait for the class in the rain, and now I have some knowledge about the ability of the Roman Military, especially Julius Caesar. I’m ecstatic! The Romans used military tactics such as the Tortoise Formation and many other forms of military formations. Julius Caesar and his soldiers, for one, used a neat trick against his enemy during the Battle of Alesia.

            The Romans had great pride and family honor. All men believed that fighting would bring their family honor and a higher social status. Roman soldiers were well-trained because they were trained when they were small boys by their fathers who were ounce in their son’s shoes. However, while fighting for Rome, these soldiers formed an attachment to their Generals. Instead of being loyal to Rome, they became loyal to their Generals.  One way Romans won the battles were by using a Formation like the Tortoise Formation/ Testudo Formation, which is the ancient forerunner of the modern “Tank”. While the soldiers and their General win their battle, the generals pass out compensation to his soldiers which are usually just the small left-over’s that are collected from their enemy. Their honor was what led them on their odyssey.

            Julius Caesar was one of the greatest Roman warriors (second greatest in Mr. Dondov’s opinion). He was known for his well thought-out plan with his battles with Gaul. During battle against Vercingetorix (Battle of Alesia), Cesar built two fortification, one to keep one force trapped and one to keep the other force from destroying his own army. This plan was brilliant in my opinion, because now Caesar just gets to relax. However, this Battle was delayed longer than Caesar thought. He believed that this battle would only last about four months. Instead, this battle lasted for one year and a half. This battle, however, was not a battle of force but a battle of will.  

            Roman Military is interesting to me because it's amazing how they were able to hold onto their fort. The way Julius Caesar fought really shows that the Romans had not just physical power to win their battles, but they also had brain power! They had strategies and plans to help spread the Roman Empire. It's amazing how the Romans fought their battles while comparing it to the way battles are fought in the modern era. We have all these fire power and technology that helps us calculate the best strategy to win our battles, while people like the Romans didn't have any type of fire power or technology to help them and yet, they still conquered their battles. I like to watch how battles are fought out because it gives me a better understanding of situations during war time. I like the gore because it just shoes human nature. To me, that means to fight for what we believe in, no matter if it's not actually going out killing people. This is because word is strong by itself; you just have to let others hear your voice.

 -Susan Vang