> The affair of 214 suggests that even in a period where Roman armies were regularly being destroyed completely, the draft-dodger rate was something just below 1%.
One of the things that made Rome successful was that they would absorb horrendous losses and still keep going. Their ability to mobilize contributed to their power.
To give an example, at the Battle of Cannae, in a single afternoon, Rome lost an estimated 65,000 men killed. To put this in context, the US lost 58,000 soldiers killed in the entire Vietnam War.
One of the things that made Rome successful was that they would absorb horrendous losses and still keep going. Their ability to mobilize contributed to their power.
To give an example, at the Battle of Cannae, in a single afternoon, Rome lost an estimated 65,000 men killed. To put this in context, the US lost 58,000 soldiers killed in the entire Vietnam War.