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Ancient Warfare Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by The History Network
Discussions from Ancient Warfare Magazine. Why did early civilisations fight? Who were their Generals? What was life like for the earliest soldiers? Ancient Warfare Magazine will try and answer these questions. Warfare minus two thousand years.
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- 5 days ago11 min
AWA434 - When did 'hero' warfare end?
When did the age of heroic warfare come to an end? Hegel gets in touch after listening to episode AW417, 'The Evolution of Tactics', with a question about the changing nature of warfare in the ancient world. Was there a period when individual warriors and one-on-one combat were considered the ideal of warfare, and when did organised tactics begin to replace this heroic model? The Iliad provides one of the best-known examples of heroic warfare, but how did later Classical Greeks view this tradition? Was tactical warfare regarded as less heroic, or even dishonourable? And what can the contrasting reputations of figures such as Odysseus, famed for his cunning and stratagems, and Ajax, celebrated for his strength and martial prowess, tell us about changing ideas of what made a great warrior?
- 1 weeks ago12 min
AWA433 - What is the difference between a skirmish and a battle?
What exactly was the difference between skirmishing and a pitched battle in the armies of classical and Hellenistic antiquity? Long-time listener Uygar gets in touch with a question about the often overlooked role of skirmishing in ancient warfare. Were skirmishes simply small-scale battles between lightly armed troops, or did they serve a much more important purpose within a campaign? Why did skirmishing generally produce fewer casualties than pitched battles? Did heavy infantry take part, and if not, was this one reason skirmishes were less decisive? And why could what might seem like a relatively minor skirmish have such a significant effect on morale? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
- 2 weeks ago12 min
AWA432 - Were there any British Legions?
@martcorn asks, "I'd like to know whether there were any 'British' legions." I'm thinking of the famous Spanish legions like the tenth. Was there any equivalent?" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
- 3 weeks ago9 min
AWA431 - Why do Roman swords have no crossguard?
Why does the Roman gladius have so little protection for the hand compared with many later swords? In this episode, Murray answers a listener question about one of the most distinctive features of the Roman sword. Medieval swords often feature substantial guards designed to protect the hand, yet the gladius has only a relatively small guard. Why? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
- Oct 9, 202646 min
AW429 - Stratagems
Stratagems is the theme of the next issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine. The panel share their favourite stratagems from ancient warfare. Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
- Oct 2, 202613 min
AWA429 - The Dacian presence in Britain
What happened to the Dacians after Trajan's conquest of Dacia, and did some of them really end up serving in Roman Britain? In this episode, Murray answers a listener question about the Dacian presence in Britain. Following Trajan's conquest of Dacia in AD 106, Dacian soldiers were recruited into the Roman auxiliary forces, and some Dacian units were subsequently stationed on the fringes of the Empire, including in Britain. But what can the evidence tell us about these soldiers? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
- Sep 25, 202610 min
AWA428 - Where were Roman arms factories?
Roman legionaries of the late Republic and early Principate are often depicted wearing chain mail, but just how was enough armour produced to equip the vast armies of Rome? In this episode, Murray tackles a listener question about the manufacture and supply of Roman armour. Chain mail was extremely labour intensive to produce, so where were the workshops that made it, and who were the craftsmen responsible for supplying the legions? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
- Sep 18, 202615 min
AWA427 - Questions about ancient military signal jamming
Jon asks "Hi Murray! Regarding command and control of units during battle through trumpets, drums and similar methods of audible communication, a question I've often wondered is if there are any instances in the historical record of: 1. Employing a form of COMINT by 'intercepting' (hearing) the enemy communications, and using that information to alter your forces actions? Were there any attempts to keep the signals secret, or change them to avoid this? 2. Employing a form of military deception by issuing false or confusing signals mimicking the enemy signals (sounding the enemy's retreat or halt signals for example) 3. If "Jamming" was possible by attempting to drown out the horns/drums by making even more noise; And lastly 4: If there was any targeting of enemy C2 by deliberately seeking to use ranged weapons surgically against signallers? Thanks so much for answering the last question too, hopefully I'll get around to that post card one day! Cheers, J" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
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About Ancient Warfare Podcast
Discussions from Ancient Warfare Magazine. Why did early civilisations fight? Who were their Generals? What was life like for the earliest soldiers? Ancient Warfare Magazine will try and answer these questions. Warfare minus two thousand years.
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