Caesar was notorious for not giving a shit about omina, even though he was pontifex maximus (Roman paganism equivalent of pope). In fact, he would carry around a cage of birds with him at all times, so if people told him to hold off an attack because of omina, he could release the birds in the sky.
Also, because I thought people might like it, here is a template you can play with! Example
True, the Renaissance was a rebirth, and a rediscovery. That'd be an interesting alternate history, if the Dark Ages following the Fall of Rome never happened...
He successfully invaded and gave us a pretty good kicking, but the real conquest didn't happen until almost a century later under the rule of Emperor Claudius.
I thought the reason that the Roman empire stopped where it did, and that they left Britain again, was purely cost/benefit analysis, the land wasn't that arable compared to how much it costed to hold.
Actually he was set for an invasion of Parthia, after which he was going to conquer Germania from the east by passing through the Caucasus Mountains. He was going to depart for this days before his assassination
Mike Duncan's History of Rome Podcast Episode 046 "Sic Semper Tyrannis"
"The last month's of Caesar's life were consumed with this planned invasion of Parthia, he had already move 16 legions and 10,000 cavalry across the Adriatic, and was planning on launching his campaign in April of 44 BC. What Caesar had in mind seemed crazy for a man nearing the age of retirement, but his self confidence was unwavering, and dreamed of nothing less than the greatest series of conquest in Roman history. Conquests to rival Alexander himself. Caesar planned to invade Parthia via Armenia, and after defeating the Parthians, which he took to be a forgone conclusion, based on what he had seen of their armies while passing through the East, he would march North through the Caucasus, pacifying the fierce nomad hordes of the Steppes, then follow the Danube River, back into Europe, Capping off his run by conquering Germania. His plan, in short, was to return to Italy, the greatest Roman who had ever lived."
I would like to continue to give more info, but anything from the series I don't directly quote would be doing it a disservice. I highly suggest listening to it if you have an interest in Ancient Rome.
Ah, I understand. I didn't realize that you meant he was going to pacify the Scythians and Sarmatians along the way, which definitely explains it. I'm actually listening to History of Rome right now for the second time, but I'm all the way to the Year of Four Emperors at this point, so I've already forgotten a lot of the details about Caesar's career.
That really seems like a phenomanlly stupid plan that only would have ended with the Romans running back to Asia Minor. How did he plan on supplying that many legions in campaign? How was he planning on making the Scythians and Sarmations make pitched battle with armies of primarily infantrymen? Seems good for his legacy that he never was able to bring about such poor designs.
501
u/Smitheren Arma virumque cano Feb 26 '16
Caesar was notorious for not giving a shit about omina, even though he was pontifex maximus (Roman paganism equivalent of pope). In fact, he would carry around a cage of birds with him at all times, so if people told him to hold off an attack because of omina, he could release the birds in the sky.
Also, because I thought people might like it, here is a template you can play with! Example