Out Flanking the Phalanx
Out Flanking The Phalanx
Roman Soldiers like to drink
So I sent them out to battle Hannibal
A simple mission not for sober men
First to the Cannae Battle, 216 BC with lots of sun and debauchery
Then on to Tribia
It came to pass with sun on every side
More so for Hannibal and his forces who survived the battle
With tactics honored to this day on how to slay your foe
I told my men don’t move too slow
Perhaps I should have said don’t go
If you want to build a proper wedge the echelon wedge is perfect
Add the double envelopment and pincer movements to seal the deal
No postage needed
With those three tactics Hannibal left my men for dead or bleeding
In any event, defeated
When at Tribia, I ordered my men to clean at Lake Trasemine (remembering that they stink) and to wait for war
A consummate debacle by the Roman war machine unfolded
Legions flanked, lined up to die
Utilizing only brute force they marched in phalanx manner
Over 80 thousand strong, with breath and body odor to over power.
(They had no showers)
Annihilation got in the way of their success
Blinded by the sun and intellect designs of Hannibal
The light of day came by the compliments of nature
Utilized by Hannibal at no extra fee to blind his enemy
But charged them to the lake to trap the Roman forces there
In a Carthaginian standpoint
What started as a laundry day and cleaning of the roman forces
Soon became a blood bath on the shore
My legions defeated by a masterpiece of battle tactics
No Romans….. No more….
The locals commented at the sight
Dying is no way to make a living, they’d say
They were happy to see the fighting end
And get back to fishing once again
I would have promised all my men a trip to Disney world
If they had won and if it existed
But they died so didn't miss it
Too bad they ever enlisted
6/18/14 Roman Legion contest
Copyright © Earl Schumacker | Year Posted 2014
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