SPECIAL ROMAN MILITARY LOGISTICS IN SPAIN
It was a huge challenge to feed armies that numbered tens of thousands of soldiers and servants off the land, especially since war itself had such an impact on agriculture and food supply. Roman commanders preferred the reliability of organized external supply. Consequently, the Romans created governmental structures that diverted resources from subject communities and allies to their armies. External procurement reduced dependence on resources offered by the war zone, but it had its own limitations. Because it was virtually impossible to transport the large quantities of food consumed by armies over larger distances on land, external supply required access to waterways, in addition to ports and welldefended places to store supplies.
All armies ‘lived off the land' to some degree, as they needed water and grazing for horses and pack animals. Food was generally foraged only in hostile territory. On the other hand, grazing, and often also the gathering of fodder and wood, were almost daily activities, regardless of the friendly or hostile nature of the territory. Cereals and other major crops were either harvested when ripe, collected from the field where they were processed, or taken from stores and granaries. In the same way, cattle were gathered in the countryside. The needs of a large army would soon exhaust the immediate surroundings. This meant either longer foraging routes, and therefore an increased threat of
