RE: How Mil Specs Live Forever

[Robert J Welenc <rjwelenc@erols.com>]

Poster: Robert J Welenc <rjwelenc@erols.com>

>> If two warhorse-butts could fit within a 4' 8 1/2 " space, those were pretty 
>> slim-hipped warhorses.
>
>There is no particular reason why the hips of the chariot horses, which 
>were much smaller then our period warhorses, needed to fit within the 
>width of the chariot axle.  They were not located between the wheels, the 
>car and it's riders, usually a driver and one or two fighters, were.
>
>The only problem with this whole speculation is that I don't believe the 
>Romans ever really used warchariots.  Racing chariots, yes, but I think 
>they relied on Cavalry, having developed horses large enough to support a 
>man on it's back.
>
They had cavalry, yes, especially among the Auxiliaries.  But the main Roman
Army was infantry.

>Still, I suppose Roman wagons might have had a standard gauge.

There may be references to such among the great body of Roman legal
paperwork. But even without written references, archaeological information
would seem to indicate this.  At intersections in Pompeii and Herculaneum
deep grooves are worn in the paving stones of the street where wagons had to
pass over stepping-stone 'crosswalks' and hence the wheels were restricted
to one particular portion of the road.  This clearly indicates that the
width of the axle was more or less standardized.  (And I suspect axle
clearance was standard too.)  Whether standardization was mandated by law or
a matter of custom I do not know.  (Considering the Romans' love of
orderliness and  engineering, standardization and military specs do seem
likely.)

Alanna Volchevo Lesa

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