Q&A · 2:17:57-2:18:05

Did the winning army also take the enemy camp?

Victory usually brought the right to loot the enemy camp, adding a direct financial motive to competition for battlefield credit.

Question

Was the victorious army usually the one that looted the enemy camp?

Short answer

Yes. The winning force normally gained the captured supplies and spoils, creating a direct financial incentive.

Notes

The victorious army normally looted the enemy camp. Captured stores could replenish supplies immediately. Valuable property and other spoils also rewarded the soldiers and officers who reached the camp first. The material payoff reinforced the political honor attached to an independent victory. Caepio's subordinates had financial as well as reputational reasons to prefer success under their own command.