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[-] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 52 points 1 month ago

The reason Roman legions were as successful as they were was because of Rome's bureaucracy and logisitical efficiency. Their road network existed to allow legion and their food trains to go anywhere in the empire unrestricted.

Same reason that the US military has been as successful as it has in WWII and at least some part of the 20th century- it's never about tactics, it's about mastering industrial logistics to move any gear, any where, with a day's notice.

Yes. The Romans would have fucking KILLED for Excel.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

Their road network existed to allow legion and their food trains to go anywhere in the empire unrestricted.

oh don't get me started. The success of the entire roman empire was the roads and infrastructure (also aqueduct but less so). You can trace the success and growth of civilization to transportation technology. Direct correlation, close enough and rational enough (i haven't run the numbers but I'm confident making an ass out of myself) I'm willing to say it's causative. The biggest change we've seen has been computers, and integrating that fully into transportation (which we still haven't done. because it's nigh fucking impossible to get computers and humans to drive together safely. it's almost like we need a new transportation revolution) will overhaul society. however we do it.

[-] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 21 points 1 month ago

Putting computers on wheels was always a terrible idea. Computers go on rails. We're failing to overhaul society because we're using wheels where we should be using rails.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

? my 1980s car had a computer in it and she was great. computer didn't try to drive. it was just a little box the same size as the radio, just under the passenger seat. nowadays i don't even know where all the computer shit is it's how much of the driving experience is taken over by the computer. i got a lot more safety shit now, which i appreciate (i've been saved from a couple massive pileups in the fog because the adaptive cruise control sensors told me there was a car before i could see it with my eyes, even though i was already driving slower) but like, we agree with You that letting the computer take over 100% is bad.

the help computers give? i'm not going to turn it down. i'm a shitty driver.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

That seems like it implies humans are better on wheels, even though you've taken an anti-wheel stance in general.

[-] Grail@multiverse.soulism.net 1 points 1 month ago

Humans go on bicycles.

[-] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

because it's nigh fucking impossible to get computers and humans to drive together safely. it's almost like we need a new transportation revolution) will overhaul society.

Or we could just build a rail network and avoid the problem

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

and yet that doesn't happen. it's about time y'all start figuring out what will

[-] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago

Guillotining all the car lobbyists would work, but that's frowned upon

[-] leftzero@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

And yet that doesn't happen in the USA.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 1 month ago

Okay, RoughRomanMemes is fully leaking at this point.

I guess it depends how you define civilisation. Usually "they left momuments for us to find" is close to what gets used, which of course is going to correlate strongly with transportation.

(also aqueduct but less so)

It bugs me that after all the effort they put into aqueducts and sewers, they still ended up with a typical ancient parasite load, probably from unclean public baths and garum.

[-] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

don't forget their shit still stank and we blame them for it

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago

Hell, Napoleon put out a massive bounty on the invention of canning. The idea had been shown theoretically possible and he understood what a massive logistical edge he would get from the ability to ship food other than hard tack with his armies. Before canned goods war didn't just kill soldiers, soldiers pillaged the countryside (regardless of whose side they were on) for food.

People really underestimate how difficult it has been historically to actually feed armies. Even today the US is doing wild crap like establishing fast food chain restaurants in military bases and making sure that continental US food is available in South Korea and Guam to ensure morale is maintained.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 month ago

and making sure that continental US food is available in South Korea and Guam to ensure morale is maintained.

I get that not everybody is adventurous, but damn, the idea that you're deployed in the military, and your big problem is that you have to eat ribs as galbi instead of with a rub from home.

[-] qarbone@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

I don't think the guys getting PTSD fighting Picts on the Isles cared much about logistics beyond ensuring they had something to eat and equipment to use. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that Romans were a lot of different people but I just take umbrage with the wording (more from the OP image). The idea of labeling all Romans by the heights of their exemplars.

Like, the US has a lot of well-regarded universities but we wouldn't call Americans a learned people; a country of skilled doctors and exacting engineers.

[-] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

War is a high stakes logistics competition with tactics thrown in to give purpose to the logistics. Rome was a logistics empire in the same way that England and the US were. Kublai Kahn was not remembered as a great warrior like say, Oda Nobunaga, he was good at war because his troops always got food and reinforcements. Hell, this basic principle is a large part of Sun Tzu.

Excel makes logistics easier. Every empire wants that shit.

[-] greedytacothief@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 month ago

Roman soldiers mostly just walked and built fortifications, I heard they were so good at this they even built fortifications during battle.

So I guess if you're built for Roman war join a construction/landscaping company

[-] PuddleOfKittens@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

If you're built for a Roman war, join the Mafia - they have tons of construction companies. Plus, what's more Roman than organised crime?

[-] phuntis@sopuli.xyz 6 points 1 month ago

ultramarines and bobby g

[-] Bopolny@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 month ago

I am glad to be here

this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2026
329 points (100.0% liked)

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