Fulcum formation

**Diocle** · March 05, 2012, 09:28 PM

Yes, it is a good interpretation, but as you said, IMHO it is very interesting because it is an Attack Column, it is very useful approachig the enemy lines, with the impetus of the German 'boarhead', the Roman ordered steady pass, and the defense offered by the first two or three ranks using their shields like in the 'testudo', and we must remember that the rear ranks could also fire at the enemies! So better than the phalanx, more aggressive than the Testudo and more ordered than the Boarhead.
In my opinion they used frequently the Fulcum against enemies like the Persians, with all those horse archers!

**Gäiten** · March 06, 2012, 04:28 AM

Originally Posted by Diocle

In my opinion they used frequently the Fulcum against enemies like the Persians, with all those horse archers!

Two examples (all 6th century AD):

Battle of Callinicum, the Roman infantry defended against repeated charges by Sassanian cavalry. Their fulcum formation could not be broken.
Battle in Lazica, even the Roman cavalry dismounted and successfully defeated Sassanian cavalry after the Sassanian commander was slain.

**Diocle** · March 06, 2012, 11:46 AM

Master Gaiten your knowledge is immense, your suggestions are always interesting and informative (expecially when they confirm my point of view!!

), your presence in any thread gives prestige to the discussion!!!!!

I want the Fulcum!!!! Magister Miliiiituuummmm!!!! Where are you? Some good news? Can I hope to see my III c. legions approach the enemies of the Empire in Fulcum formation? One day can I hope to hear on the battlemap the ancient order:

"Milites! Ad Fulcm!"?

**Diocle** · June 12, 2012, 11:32 AM

I'm not necro this thread, simply because this thread is like a Zombie, it cannot die! Until We will have the Fulcum in game!.......

Interesting definition of the Fulcum by the site of the Reenactors of the image:

"With the foulkon manoeuvre, the shields of an entire unit were used to create a shield wall behind which the frontline crouched; the second and third lines lifted up their shields to create a 'roof' that was proof against hostile missile fire."

So two images, one I added to the Wonderful AAR 'Nowhere Legion' of SBH, it is a small detail of a much larger image so no problem of copyrights! The second is from a nice site of Reenactors:

**Petrucci** · May 09, 2013, 04:21 AM

Is there any mod here with something like fulcum formation?

**Diocle** · May 09, 2013, 10:29 AM

Originally Posted by Petrucci

Is there any mod here with something like fulcum formation?

SADLY NO CUNEUS!

I think we would need to change the animation of the 'Testudo' in RTW.....Magister Militum Flavius Aetius was trying something in this way but....it's not easy find guys able to change the animations....

I thought that the work might be quite small:

The 'Testudo animation starts, then at the second line of legionaries covering their heads with the shields you stop the animation.....nothing else!

Only stopping the animation before the testudo is complete...I don't think this is really so hard..but until now...

NO CUNEUS...It's still a dream!

**Gäiten** · May 09, 2013, 11:15 AM

It is possible to do a certain form of fulcum, as I have done in IBRR. Just wait a Little longer

**Diocle** · June 10, 2013, 04:33 PM

For those interested in the Fulcum Formation:

I've found on Ars Dimicandi Forums, an interesting work by Philip Rance:

'The Fulcum, the Late Roman and Byzantine Testudo: the Germanization of Roman Infantry Tactics?'

here the link of the downloadable PDF:https://web.duke.edu/classics/grbs/FTexts/44/Rance2.pdf

**Knonfoda** · June 10, 2013, 05:08 PM

What I love about academia - an entire sixty page article about the Fulcum, and not a single picture, sketch or illustration about what it may/should have looked like.

**SeniorBatavianHorse** · June 10, 2013, 05:09 PM

Have you read post #9?

**Knonfoda** · June 10, 2013, 05:25 PM

That article also doesn't have any pictures!

It's been a year since that lol... surely you can forgive senor Diocle for the oversight?

**SeniorBatavianHorse** · June 11, 2013, 12:25 AM

Of course! It is a good article and deserves being referenced again!

**Diocle** · June 11, 2013, 04:14 AM

Ops! Sorry SBH! But....
...I've forgotten!...I've forgtten....I've forgotten..I've forgotten....I've forgotten...

Anyway:

REPETITA IUVANT!

**SeniorBatavianHorse** · June 11, 2013, 05:31 AM

You are forgiven, my child! But I fear I must post you to a forgotten outpost at the edge of empire and make a solitary watch over that long cold night. Ave!

**Diocle** · June 11, 2013, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by SeniorBatavianHorse

You are forgiven, my child! But I fear I must post you to a forgotten outpost at the edge of empire and make a solitary watch over that long cold night. Ave!

This is the plot of the Novel 'The Tartar Steppe' (Il Deserto dei Tartari) written in 1940 by the Italian author Dino Buzzati.....The novel tells the story of a young officer, Giovanni Drogo, and his life spent guarding the Bastiani Fortress, an old, unmaintained border fortress.

.... Giovanni, the main character after a long wait .... exactly when the Tatars come .... but it's a sad story, it's about the fate, the wait.....the meaningless meaning of life ..... it's a sad story ....

**SeniorBatavianHorse** · June 11, 2013, 01:17 PM

I love the sound of that!

**Diocle** · February 11, 2014, 08:49 AM

First of all (as says MMFA), I don't want to revive a dead thread, for two reasons:

1- This thread cannot be considered dead until someone will provide me with the essential, needful and indispensable Late Roman Formation called Fulcum!

2- What happened playing IBFD2 is absolutely unique, probably unrepeatable and absolutely awesome!

I was playing a gigantic battle in Africa Vandalorum II, against the Visigoths (brave soldiers!), in a place near Narbo in the year 441 ... and my Auxilia Palatina, deployed in shield-wall formation needed to get on a hill, defended by the Goths, so moving uphill in shield-wall this is what happened:

Yes, you can see clearly the formation at work on the battlefield: three ranks with shields raised overhead, covering the whole formation behind, and moving uphill!!!!

A self-born 'Fulcum'!!!!! A self-generated astonishing perfect Fulcum!!!! Actually the AI, or better, the game-engine, did what the modders are unable to do from years and years!

A wonderful Late Roman Fulcum in all its splendour! The ancient protected Attack Column created not by the modders but casually by the AI!!! Generated by the Artificial Intellect with the help of this perverted machine I'm using, a wonderful electronic creation showing to the world that the AI in TW games had its own creative and artistic inspiration! For me it has been a great gift! I took the screen casually and I noticed the fact, watching it after few hours, ... it's incredible, I'm in awe in front of this miracle!

**SeniorBatavianHorse** · February 11, 2014, 10:55 AM

Wonderful pic, Diocle! Very atmospheric and gives you a real sense of the terror and power of the fulcum.

As an aside, I am glad you have raised this post again, as you have reminded me to purchase Dino Buzzati's novel above from Amazon for £2.50p. I look forward to reading it and seeing how it may 'infect' my writing!

**SeniorBatavianHorse** · May 19, 2014, 11:25 AM

The novel was wonderfully sad and cries out for a Late Roman hommage - thank you for pointing it out to me and enriching my repertoire of European writers, Diocle! As a thank you, allow me to post a pic for you:

**Magister Militum Flavius Aetius** · May 19, 2014, 11:36 AM

You mean that picture of the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields I found online and posted on facebook (by accident) when trying to update the cover photo for my late roman reenactment group?

Yeah it's a pretty awesome painting, although I can criticize it pretty thoroughly.