Rome v. USMC

[Martin Hash]

Bio is a dead end, the Romans dealt with just about every horrible disease you could think of, the worst of the worst, and none of it ever wiped them out.

Smallpox is about the deadliest pathogen you can get, and they managed to shake that off.

Dude, the Antonine plague (Small Pox) wiped out the Roman Army & killed the emperor (Antonine). And weaponized Small Pox would be twice as deadly.

[Smitty-48]

It didn't wipe out the Roman army, attrition notwithstanding, Marcus Aurelius defeated the German tribes on the Danube in 170 AD, at the height of the Antonine Plague.

Moreover, for the purposes of the OP, you get one USMC MEU complete as is, and neither they nor any US forces possess nor employ weaponized smallpox, so you fail on the grounds of lack of comprehension as to the parameters of the test.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Well, I recall being told that I could take a modern city with 50 men, so figure they start by taking a city or three, conquer/ally a few barbarian lords, and "reinvent" steel weaponry a thousand years early, then walk over it.

However, if they have choppers, a spec ops style assassination of Caesar should do it. I don't think OP specified which Roman era this happens in.

[Martin Hash]

It didn't wipe out the Roman army, attrition notwithstanding, Marcus Aurelius defeated the German tribes on the Danube in 170 AD, at the height of the Antonine Plague.

Hmmm... Well, Cortez's 508 horseback soldiers & Smallpox decimated the Aztecs; you'd think the USMC could at least equal that?

[SilverEagle]

It didn't wipe out the Roman army, attrition notwithstanding, Marcus Aurelius defeated the German tribes on the Danube in 170 AD, at the height of the Antonine Plague.

Hmmm... Well, Cortez's 508 horseback soldiers & Smallpox decimated the Aztecs; you'd think the USMC could at least equal that?

Rome was a little more formidable. The best thing for USMC would be to Shock and Awe the Romans into surrender by attacking the city. And even then I don't think it would work.

[doc_loliday]

Maybe their best best would be to use their limited supply of weapons and ammo in some kind of ruse. They could conceivably convince the superstitious Romans they're wizards or something. After a few well choreographed demonstrations to a few generals and they might find their way inside the walls of Rome, then they kill a few of the leading senators, that sort of thing.

[Ex-California]

Rome was the height of human civilization. Its been downhill since

[Speaker to Animals]

The disease advantage would go to the Romans.

[Martin Hash]

The disease advantage would go to the Romans.

One-on-one, an MMA fighter could take any Roman, gladiator or not. WTF, they hadn't even heard of steroids. And if it was to-the-death, any Special Forces guy. (Not to mention fucking guns.)
Ten-on-ten, USMC soldiers could defeat any Romans.
Empire-to-empire, the U.S. would annihilate all the Roman legions in days if not hours.
This how-many-angels-fit-on-the-head-of-a-pin shit was funny for a while but it gets old quick.
As for "the disease advantage," Jesus Christ, just send me back-in-time with the vials. Everybody in the future will be my descendants.

[Speaker to Animals]

The disease advantage would go to the Romans.

One-on-one, an MMA fighter could take any Roman, gladiator or not. WTF, they hadn't even heard of steroids. And if it was to-the-death, any Special Forces guy. (Not to mention fucking guns.)
Ten-on-ten, USMC soldiers could defeat any Romans.
Empire-to-empire, the U.S. would annihilate all the Roman legions in days if not hours.
This how-many-angels-fit-on-the-head-of-a-pin shit was funny for a while but it gets old quick.
As for "the disease advantage," Jesus Christ, just send me back-in-time with the vials. Everybody in the future will be my descendants.

MMA is a sport, and whether or not they could defeat a gladiator is moot, since the gladiators when organized into an army could only defeat provincial troops, and were crushed by professional legions.

I don't think you realize how much fighting was a part of the Roman culture. Smitty wasn't wrong when he said even the women would be formidable in a knife fight. Roman society was organized around fighting.

Also, if you talk to people in the martial arts, they will tell you there is no such thing as a perfect martial art. It depends on the context and who you are fighting. What works now in a highly regulated cage match probably won't stand a chance in a no-rules fight with knives and swords on the Roman streets. Bet that.

Hell, it's only a matter of time before the age of grappling comes to an end in professional fighting, when somebody invents an effective counter to it.