Article reproduced here by kind permission of the author.
The title palindrome is rather like the standard reconstruction of Hannibal’s intentions for the battle of Zama. It looks neat but something is missing.”
The primary source throughout is Polybius (mainly Book XV, reverting on occasion to Book I) – Livy’s version of the battle is too confused and irrational to be of value for this exercise.
“Getting into the Laager” – by Robin Lamplough
The concept of the wagon circle has a history which stretches back much further than the late 19th century .
By Robin Lamplough
Anyone who has done even a little reading about the British Army’s tank corps during the Second World War will be aware that, while awaiting action or further direction armoured vehicles were often drawn up in a defensive circle called a laager.
By 486 the Western Roman Empire had been reduced to four provinces in northern Gaul: Lugdunensis II, Lugdunenis III, Lugdunensis IV Senona and Belgica II. These were governed by Afranius Syagrius, senator, whose father Aegidius had been supreme commander of the imperial army in Gaul.
To the north in Belgium the young chief of the Salian Franks of Tournai, Clovis, had formed a confederation of all the Frankish tribes on the west of the Rhine with the purpose of defeating Syagrius and conquering Roman Gaul. The two armies met near Soissons to decide the fate of western Europe. Let the thumpery begin!
