What if: US marines vs Roman legions

[kentonio]

I think the temptation of being superhuman by virtue of their firearms would be too much for the marines to remain a coherent fighting force, not to mention the whole 'OMFG I'M IN ANOTHER TIME!' thing sending people crazy.

[Al B. Sure!]

I think the temptation of being superhuman by virtue of their firearms would be too much for the marines to remain a coherent fighting force, not to mention the whole 'OMFG I'M IN ANOTHER TIME!' thing sending people crazy.

Cortez and Pizarro had no problem keeping their 'superhuman' soldiers, deemed as gods by the locals, equipped with firearms, together on a whole another continent which was filled with things that the Spaniards had never conceived of. The psychological effects of time travel are indeterminable, true, but the Marines would have fortitude greater than that possessed by the average person, regardless.

I see no reason why this wouldn't go down like the conquests of the Aztecs and Incas.

Honestly, a single Chinook, with some Cobras provided overwatch, could probably drop a single PLATOON of Marines on the Capitoline, take the forum, hold Augustus and the Senators hostage, while digging in on the hills. What are the Romans really going to do?


Much is made about the difficulties of maintaining control, with reference to the experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, but when the best the people have are swords and spears, not AK's, RPG's, and IED's, I don't think that would be anymore relevant than the difficulties the Spanish had following their conquests of the Aztecs and Incas. The Romans will try but get obliterated.

[Ecthy]

Siding with Augustus is the most likely outcome, I agree. Marines would be sensible enough to attach themselves to a stabilizing influence, one that could keep them fed for more than a month. Considering the positive perception we have of Rome and Augustus, I think it's especially likely. A thousand marines would be a tremendous benefit for the emperor, who could use them to be the elite of his army.

The emperor would probably use the marines to finally conquer Persia.

[Al B. Sure!]

The emperor would probably use the marines to finally conquer Persia.

So Marines invade Iran, after all...


The mobility provided by humvees would make any battle in open land a joke. Marines could pick the Romans off from 500m out, hop in the humvee, drive 1/2 mile out, hop back out, and repeat and the Romans could do nothing.

[Al B. Sure!]

I think this from the original source sums it up:

Roman Casualties: 330,000
Marine Casualties: 23 (22 friendly fire, 1 death from bad tenderloins)

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Shame we had to sacrifice 22 of our boys as there were no Canadians in the nearby vicinity.

[The Mad Monk]

If they are there for the duration, they would not attempt to take Rome -- at least at first. Too much hassle to rule, and not good for long term survivability. Ancient cities were almost as filthy and disease ridden as medieval cities.

They would first take Sicily, or Corsica, or someplace similar for a permanent base they could easily defend while controlling the Mediterranean and its trade.

[Ecthy]

That'S the thing, the death of those 22 marines gave the Romans the idea they could kill them. So they never stopped sending in wave after wave. And perished.

[Al B. Sure!]

That'S the thing, the death of those 22 marines gave the Romans the idea they could kill them. So they never stopped sending in wave after wave. And perished.

The Aztecs and Incas figured out pretty quickly that the Spaniards were mortal but did it matter one bit?

[Ecthy]

If it can bleed, it can die.

[Felch]

If they are there for the duration, they would not attempt to take Rome -- at least at first. Too much hassle to rule, and not good for long term survivability. Ancient cities were almost as filthy and disease ridden as medieval cities.

While they weren't up to our standards, Roman medicine was pretty advanced. They had much better hygiene than the medieval Europeans.

[Al B. Sure!]

If it can bleed, it can die.

Again... did it do anything for the Incas or Aztecs or any other primitive people on the planet when faced against primitive (by today's standards) military forces?

[Ecthy]

While they weren't up to our standards, Roman medicine was pretty advanced. They had much better hygiene than the medieval Europeans.

Don't forget Rome was a huge city, and not all dwellers benefited from the santiation technology that existed.

[Ecthy]

Again... did it do anything for the Incas or Aztecs or any other primitive people on the planet when faced against primitive (by today's standards) military forces?

What's your point? Earlier we were wondering why the Romans would send in wave after wave once they realise how tought these guys are. I've merely come up with an idea why they'd continue to send in soldiers. Obviously they still all perished.

[Barnabas]

The native americans were similar to australian aborigines and polinesians in the fact that they had been separated from the people of the old world (Asia, Europe, Africa) thousands of years ago and had no defences against most of those old world deseases, the Spaniards managed to conquer them, because people died by the thousands from europeans diseases which were previously unknown in America.
The spanish invaded the incas in the 1530's and the diseases had reached the inca empire years before.

Would our modern viruses kill many romans? I imagine our flus are meaner, they have been selected to resist modern medicine.