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One of the main reasons the Roman civilization managed to occupy such a vast territory and then lasted for so long was its military fighting prowess. However, while the Romans did win amazing victories, they also figured in some of the worst military disasters ever, proving to us that no fighting force in history can ever be truly invincible.

罗马文明拥有广阔的疆域并持续如此之久的原因之一正在于其军事力量。虽然罗马人曾经赢得过许多辉煌胜利,但他们遭受了最可怕的军事灾难,这一事实告诉我们历史上没有任何军事力量是完全不可战胜的。

10、Battle Of Abrittus
A.D. 251

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Photo credit: Vladimir Petkov This battle marked the first time that a Roman emperor died at the hands ofa foreign enemy.

发生在公元251年的阿伯里图斯战役标志着罗马皇帝首次死于外敌之手。

Set in the modern-day city of Razgrad, Bulgaria, the battle pitted the Romans—led by the co-emperors Decius and his son Herennius—against the Goths. Though previous clashes between the two sides had been back-and-forth-affairs, the decisive battle happened when the Goths’ wily leader, a chieftain named Cniva, managed to bait the main Roman army into entering a swamp. With the Romans bogged down and immobilized, Cniva’s army successfully surrounded them and began a wholesale slaughter.

在今天保加利亚的拉兹格勒,共治皇帝德乌西斯及其儿子赫伦尼乌斯领导的抗击哥特人的战役让罗马人陷入困境。虽然双方之前的冲突经历了反复的拉锯战,但在决定性战役中哥特人狡猾的首领瓦尼把罗马主力军诱骗进了沼泽。当罗马人陷入困境无法动弹时,瓦尼的军队成功地包围了他们并实施了大屠杀。

Although no exact numbers record what happened, it is speculated that Cniva’s forces virtually annihilated the Romans, taking away wagons full of prisoners and war booty after the carnage had finished. Subsequently, this victory allowed the Goths free rein to plunder nearby cities and also force Rome to pay a humiliating annual tribute.

虽然这行战争没有精确的数据记载,但是瓦尼的军队实际上消灭了罗马军队,带走的俘虏装满了马车,大肆屠杀后带着战利品返回了。接下来,对罗马人的战争胜利让他们能够自由地劫掠周围城市并强迫罗马屈辱地年年纳贡。

9、Battle Of The Allia
390 B.C.

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This battle, which culminated in the First Sack of Rome, saw 70,000 men from the Gallic tribe of Senones defeat a smaller Roman force of 24,000–40,000 soldiers.

发生于公元前390年的阿里亚河之战以对罗马的首次洗劫告终。来自塞农地区高卢部落的七万军队击败了较小的一只罗马军队——大约两万四千人到四万人.



8、Battle Of The Caudine Forks

考狄乌姆岔口之战

320 B.C.

03

Set during the Roman Republic’s second war with another Italic tribe called the Samnites, this incident did not involve bloodshed—yet it dealt a grievous blow to Roman pride anyway.

罗马共和国与另一支叫做萨谟奈的意大利部落发生的第二次战争虽然没有流血事件,但是沉重打击了罗马的骄傲。

Upon learning the Romans had amassed a large army to invade his homeland, the Samnite leader Gaius Pontius devised a clever scheme to defeat the enemy. He dressed some of his men as shepherds and had them deceive the passing Roman army into taking a narrow road called the Caudine Forks. When the Romans reached the end, they discovered that it had been barricaded with a wall of stones and trees. Doubling back, they found that the entrance had also been closed off.

得知罗马人集结大军要入侵他的家乡,萨谟奈人首领盖尤斯·庞提乌斯想出了打败敌军的绝妙计谋。他让一些部下化装成牧羊人并诱骗路过的罗马军队进入一个叫做考狄乌姆岔口的狭长小路。当他们走到尽头的时候就发现这条路已经被石墙和密林遮蔽了,想折返回去却发现出口被堵住了。

Surrounded by the Samnites on all sides and with no chance of escape, the Roman army had no choice but to capitulate. Gaius Pontius imposed on the Romans a humiliating peace treaty, which included the indignity of letting all the captured Romans pass under a yoke made up of spears. Ashamed by this defeat, the Roman army disbanded and slunk home.

被萨谟奈人四面包围,无路可逃,罗马人除了投降别无选择。 盖尤斯·庞提乌斯强迫罗马人接受了屈辱的和平条约,其中包括羞辱性的惩罚,如让被俘罗马士兵在长矛制成的轭下经过。因为这次战败颜面无光的罗马军队只好解散了并偷偷溜回了家乡。

7、Battle Of Cap Bon
A.D. 468

卡本半岛之战
公元468年

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Photo credit: Fourat/Panoramio
Just like the army, the Roman navy has had its fair share of military disasters. In this one, a joint naval expedition (reputedly one the biggest in ancient times) by the Empire and the independent province of Illiricum against the Vandal Kingdom ended in a huge lopsided defeat.

就像其陆军一样,罗马海军也遭受了惨白。在这次的战役中,罗马和独立省份Illiricum派出了一支联合海军远征部队(可以说是古代历史上规模最大的一支)以对付汪达尔王国,但最终惨败。

Led by the Eastern Emperor Leo I’s brother-in-law Basiliscus, the massive fleet totaled more than 1,000 ships containing 100,000 men. Upon arriving in the peninsula of Cap Bon near Carthage, Basiliscus came under negotiations with the Vandal King Genseric, who requested more time to consider a peace treaty. During that time, Genseric secretly prepared fire ships to destroy the docked Roman fleet.

这支海军部队由东方帝皇利奥一世的妹夫Basiliscus带领,总共1000艘战船,10万名军人。在抵达迦太基附近的卡本半岛时,Basiliscus与汪达尔王进行了谈判,汪达尔王要求获得更多时间来考虑是否签订和平协议。在这期间,汪达尔王秘密组织火船摧毁了靠岸的罗马舰队。

Attacking at night, these ships managed to successfully wreak havoc on the Romans, forcing Basiliscus to flee in confusion and leaving the fleet at the mercy of the Vandals. In the aftermath, Leo I had to sue for peace as the Romans lost 70 percent of their original forces.

由于是在晚上发起攻击,所以打得罗马部队落花流水,主帅 Basiliscus 仓皇逃脱,让自己的舰队落入汪达尔人之手。随后,利皇一世不得不寻求和平,因为罗马失去了70%的原始部队.

6、Battle Of Arausio
105 B.C.

阿劳西奥战役
公元105年

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Photo credit: Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps

图片来源 亚历山大·加百利·德康



5、Battle Of The Trebia
218 B.C.

5、特利比亚河之战

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Before he finally met his match in the excellent Roman tactician Scipio Africanus, it seemed no one could best Carthaginian general Hannibal. Even after having his army dilapidated after crossing the treacherous Alps, Hannibal wasted no time showing the Romans his military genius.

在最终遇上罗马一代名将西庇阿之前,似乎这世界上没有人能打败汉尼拔这位伟大的迦太基统帅。即使他的部队在翻越那危险重重的阿尔卑斯山脉后已经疲惫不堪,但汉尼拔还是迅速向罗马帝国展示了他卓越的军事才华。

In one of their first major engagements, Hannibal’s clever use of tactics enabled his forces to defeat a far larger Roman army. Taking camp on opposite sides of a river on a winter day, Hannibal had his cavalrymen attack the Roman camp in the early morning to bait them into crossing the water. He also carefully hid his younger brother Mago along with some soldiers to ambush the unsuspecting Romans in their flank and rear the moment the two sides clashed.

在这场战役中,汉尼拔天才般的运用一系列计谋率领他的部队击败了规模远胜于他的罗马军队。当时正是寒冬,汉尼拔在特利比亚河的一侧扎营,第二天一早,汉尼拔首先派出他的骑兵袭击了罗马军队并成功的诱使罗马军队过河追击。他早就安排好了他的弟弟马戈带领一支部队小心的埋伏在一边,就在毫无戒心的罗马军队与汉尼拔的部队正面交锋的时候,马戈突袭了罗马人的侧后。

The tactic resulted in a devastating Roman defeat. Survivors who tried to flee across the river either drowned or froze to death; the rest were chased and struck down by the Carthaginians. At the end of the battle, only one-fourthof the 40,000 Romans successfully escaped Hannibal’s army. Unfortunately for the Romans, this battle would foreshadow their next, more complete defeat.

这计谋给予了罗马军队毁灭性的打击。那些想要渡过河流逃跑的罗马溃兵要么被淹死,要么被冻死,剩下的也被迦太基军队杀死或俘虏。最终,40000罗马大军只有四分之一成功的逃脱战场。更悲哀的是,对罗马来说,这场战役预兆着他们下一场更大更彻底的战败。

4、Battle Of Lake Trasimene
217 B.C.

4、特拉西梅诺湖战役
公元前217年

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While thousands of Romans had been able to save themselves in the previous battle, this time there would be no escape for them. In what could be described as one of the most perfect ambushes in history, Hannibal’s 55,000-strong army totally routed a force of 30,000 Roman soldiers.

上次战役中还有几千名罗马士兵逃走,然而这次老天没有给罗马人丝毫机会。此次战役被认为是历史上最成功的伏击战之一,汉尼拔率领的55,000大军把30,000罗马军队虐出了翔。

The Romans, led by Gaius Flaminius, had been chasing Hannibal’s army when they came upon a narrow road situated between Lake Trasimene and some heavily wooded hills. Unaware that the Carthaginians had concealed themselves in the forests, the Romans marched single-file along the road. Covered in the mist of the early morning, the Carthaginians charged and massacred the hapless Romans, who had no means of escape.

当罗马军队在弗拉米尼乌斯的指挥下来到这条位于特拉西梅诺湖和茂密山林间的小路上的时候还在追击汉尼拔的军队。罗马军队在小路上单列行军,却丝毫不知道迦太基人就躲在旁边茂密的森林里。在拂晓浓雾的掩护下,迦太基人冲击并屠杀了这些绝望的罗马人,后者根本无处可逃。

In three hours, the Carthaginians killed 15,000 Roman soldiers (including Flaminius) and took another 15,000 prisoner while suffering only 1,500 killed. Subsequently, the Carthaginians also ambushed and slaughtered a 4,000-strong cavalry sent to reinforce the devastated army, further adding to the Roman defeat.

三小时内,迦太基人杀死了15,000 名罗马士兵(包括弗拉米尼乌斯)并俘虏了15,000人,而迦太基仅有1,500人战死。随后,迦太基人又伏击并消灭了前来支援的4,000精锐罗马骑兵,加剧了罗马人的损失。

3、Battle Of Edessa
A.D. 260

埃德萨战役
公元260年

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Photo credit: Fabien Dany
In another ignominious first, the Battle of Edessa would be best remembered in history as the first time a Roman emperor had ever been captured in battle.
The Romans had hoped to stop the frequent Sassanid incursions led by King Shapur I on their territories in Asia Minor and so sent a 70,000-strong forceunder the aging Emperor Valerian to confront them. The expedition proved to be a disaster; although Valerian won an initial battle, a plague struck his forces, who also soon found themselves completely surrounded by King Shapur I’s army.
Seeing no other option, Valerian and a few of his officials tried to negotiate with the Sassanids but ended up as prisoners instead, causing the rest of the Romans—60,000 of them—to surrender. Valerian spent the rest of his life in captivity in Persia, where some accounts say he became Shapur’s personal footstool and had his body stuffed and displayed after his death.

另一场可耻的战败,埃德萨战役,被历史所铭记因为在这场战役中第一次有一位罗马皇帝被俘虏。
由沙普尔一世统治的波斯萨珊王朝经常骚扰罗马帝国在小亚细亚的边界,为了阻止这些入侵,一只70,000人组成的强大军队在年迈的罗马皇帝瓦勒良的率领下出发了。这次远征的结果是灾难性的。虽然一开始瓦勒良取得了一些胜利,但一场瘟疫突然在全军蔓延,同时,罗马军队很快发现自己被沙普尔一世的大军完全包围了。
瓦勒良没有别的选择,只好带着一些大臣去和沙普尔一世谈判,结果反而被俘虏了,这又导致剩余的罗马军队--60,000人--投降了。瓦勒良被监禁在了波斯并在那里度过了余生,有人说他成为了沙普尔一世的人型脚凳,并且他在死后尸体还被填充和展览。

2、Battle Of The Upper Baetis
211 B.C.

比提斯河上游战役
公元前211年

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Photo credit: Shakko /Wikimedia

照片提供:Shakko /维基媒体

Hannibal wasn’t the only Barca who could mess with the Romans; his more cautious brother Hasdrubal proved that he, too, could school the Romans in the art of warfare.

汉尼拔不是巴卡家族唯一敢挑战罗马人的人;他的兄弟哈斯德鲁伯更谨慎细致,证明在战争艺术上他也能做罗马人的老师。

In two separate engagements in Spain, three Carthaginian forces separately defeated Roman armies led by the Scipio brothers—Publius Cornelius (the father of Scipio Africanus) and Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus. In the first battle at Castulo, the Carthaginians slaughtered the Romans. Afterward, the victorious duo of leaders Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco met up with Hasdrubal’s forces to engage the Roman army under Gnaeus.

在西班牙的两场独立战斗中,西庇阿兄弟——普布利乌斯�9�9科尔内利乌斯(Publius Cornelius)(大西庇阿的父亲)和盖尤斯·科尼利厄斯·西庇阿·考文斯(Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus)——率领的三支迦太基军队分别打败了罗马敌军。在卡斯图洛(Castulo)的首场战斗中,迦太基人屠杀了罗马人。随后,获胜的兄弟俩曼戈(Mago)和哈斯德鲁伯·吉斯科(Hasdrubal Gisco)与哈斯德鲁伯的军队汇合,再与阿格里科拉率领的罗马军队交战。

Greatly outnumbered (Hasdrubal also bribed the mercenaries in the Roman army to defect), the Romans were decisively beaten by the Carthaginians in the battle at Ilorca. In the two battles’ aftermath, a total of 22,000 Romans—the Scipio brothers included—out of the original 50,000 had either been slain or captured.

罗马军队数量远不及对手(汉尼拔还贿赂罗马军队中的雇佣军,让他们叛变),在伊洛尔卡(Ilorca)进行的战斗中遭到迦太基人沉重打击。经过这两场战斗,原来50000人中共计22000名的罗马战士——包括西庇阿兄弟在内——被杀或者被俘。

1、Battle Of Adrianople
A.D. 378

1、阿德里安堡战役
公元378年

10

Historians have called this the battle the starting point of the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.
Valens, the emperor of the eastern part of the empire, had called upon his nephew, the Western emperor Gratian, for assistance in quelling a Gothic uprising in Thrace. However, jealous of his nephew’s success in defeating the Goths’ Germanic allies en route to their rendezvous, Valens decided to seize glory for himself by attacking the Goths head-on outside the city of Adrianople.
With 40,000–50,000 Roman soldiers, Valens attacked what he wrongly thought to be a numerically inferior Gothic force. In reality, the latter numbered twice as many as the Romans and was composed mainly of heavy cavalry. Led by their chieftain Fritigern, the Goths enveloped and massacred the Romans in a manner similar to what happened in Cannae. By the time the battle ended, two-thirds of the Roman army, including the emperor, lay dead on the battlefield.

历史学家认为这场战役是西罗马帝国由盛转衰的转折点。
东罗马帝国皇帝瓦林斯号召西罗马帝国的皇帝格拉提安,也就是他的外甥,协助他压制在色雷斯崛起的哥特人。但是,由于嫉妒他外甥击败哥特日耳曼盟友的功绩,瓦林斯在带领军队前往与西罗马军队汇合点的途中为了独吞战果决定独自在阿德里安堡城外攻击哥特人。
瓦林斯率领40,000-50,000人的罗马军队攻击了他错误的认为人数处劣势的哥特人。但事实上,哥特军队人数是罗马军队的两倍并主要是重骑兵!哥特军队在他们的酋长菲列德根的指挥下,包围并屠杀了罗马军队,昔年坎尼会战的悲剧再一次上演!到战争结束时,三分之二的罗马士兵,包括他们的皇帝,永远的倒在了这片战场上。