Ancient Warfare Podcast

Long-time listener Uygar sent this in. "why did ancient armies, especially Greek phalanx-heavy ones, have relatively few ranged units like archers and slingers compared to line infantry? How did an ancient army determine the right number of ranged units for their army? And did the ranged units fight in a scattered manner in between the formations of the heavier line infantry rather than in rigid f...

'I was curious as to how exactly the scouting process worked in ancient armies, although I'm sure it varied widely throughout different cultures and time periods. Additionally, was there every a commonly accepted type of soldier selected for scouting, or did ancient commanders simply send whoever was available? Thanks to Demetri for this question.   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodc...

In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast , Marc De Santis talks to historian and author Lindsay Powell about his latest book, Tiberius: From Masterly Commander to Masterful Emperor of Rome , published by Pen and Sword. Often overshadowed by his predecessor Augustus and his notorious successor Caligula, Tiberius is one of Rome's most enigmatic emperors. Lindsay delves into the life and reign...

What would be your ideal ancient military? Would it be a semi-nomadic people with skilled cavalry and infantry, and how would you structure this military? Murray gives us his ideas and explains what his historical inspirations for this thought experiment are.   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Dylan Thomas, watching on YouTube, asked, 'I'm curious about the early life of Marcus Furius Camillus. He seems to pop up during the siege of Veii in Livy's work, with few mentions beforehand, and is then an important figure going forward. Are there any primary sources that recount his early life and career? The man's a legend, easily one of the top ten Romans of all time, but there seem to be sca...

"The Peloponnesian War had ripped up the existing alliances in Greece — over the next decades, the main city-states looked for ways to regain money, power, and win battles." The team discuss the latest issue of the magazine City-States in an Arms Race: Greek innovation in the fourth century BC , issue 101.   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

In the last episode, Murray expanded upon an article in the magazine in response to Chris's question. After recording that episode, Murray realised he had not answered the whole question.   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Don Antonius sent this question: 'Was there an inspiring role of Elite Units in ancient armies? Do we have accounts of battles where elite units (not necessarily "veterans") like the Roman cataphracts, Carthage's sacred band etc. supposedly lifted the spirits to fight on or evidently change the odds?'   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Chris sent this question for Murray, asking him to expand on one of his articles in the magazine. 'I recently read your article on the siege of Masada in Ancient Warfare magazine. I had a couple of questions regarding the assumptions made about the shortened timeline of the siege. Specifically, you mentioned two assumptions supporting the idea of a shorter siege. Could you provide more information...

Christopher asks, 'why didn't adversaries to Rome (especially on the Italian peninsula) see the methods by which Rome consistently recovered from defeat and tried to emulate them?'   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

In the latest episode of the Ancient Warfare Magazine podcast, Marc De Santis speaks with Murray Dahm about his new book, Roman Soldier vs Dacian Warrior: Dacian Wars AD 85–106 . The wars between Rome and Dacia were some of the most intense and strategically important conflicts of the early 2nd century AD. Fought during the reign of Emperor Domitian and later under Trajan, these battles saw the di...

This question came via a comment on an earlier podcast. 'Which type of armour did the legions under Caesar and Augustus use? I understand the lorica segmentata was adopted later, but was it used during Octavian's era?  Additionally, I've found references to three types of scuta (shields): the curved oval used by late Republican soldiers, a slightly curved rectangular version, and the iconic rectan...

Shabbi poses this intriguing question,'how vulnerable were armies during the Bronze and Iron Ages to lightning strikes, whether on the battlefield or while marching, given their use of metal weapons, armour, and formations in open areas?  Could such vulnerability have influenced ancient religions, particularly the widespread belief in storm and lightning gods in various unconnected cultures (like...

These questions came via postcard from Michael in Boston. 'What really happened at the battle of Lugdunum (197 CE)? I've read that this battle might have been the largest in Roman history - do you agree? I've also read that this battle lasted multiple days. How does that work? Did both sides retire at night and resume fighting in the morning, or was skirmishing constant throughout?'   Join us on P...

Two great questions here for Murray on the topic of usurpers. 'It seems Legio VII Gemina raised by Galba in AD 68 in Hispania is quite unique. In terms of being a creation by a usurper. Are there any other similar units raised usurpers and retained by victors? Also, what province Ancient Warfare crew consider the best in terms of starting usurpation/rise of the new Emperor?'   Join us on Patron pa...

'For those trying to win wars in the ancient world, large armies were a necessity. However, the personal prestige earned from a victory in single combat was still unmatched.' In this episode, the AW team discuss issue XVII.6 Duels to the Death: Single Combat in Antiquity . Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

For the first episode of 2025, we have this from @mrookeward, who asks Murray to explore some of the tropes (or not tropes) for 'uniforms'. E.g. the Spartan lambda shield, or ancient Egyptian headwear.   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Murray answers four questions in just one episode sent in by David: 1. Were the legions largely (or even completely) replaced by the foederati by the seventh century CE? 2. What do we know about the ethnic makeup of the armies that fought for pagan Rome in the wars of the first centuries BCE and CE (largely legionaries from southern Europe?) compared to the armies that fought for Byzantine Rome in...

'We've all heard of ancient armies catapulting corpses and manure over walls in sieges, but is the modern intuition that this was to promote illness in those cities correct? Are there any primary sources that describe flinging corpses in order to make the defenders sick, or was it more likely just out of convivence for the attackers?' Thanks Thomas for sending that in. Join us on Patron patreon.co...

With the release of Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, the Ancient Warfare team have headed off to their local cinemas (well, almost all of the team) for a screening. Will this be as influential on future historians as the original Gladiator movie?   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Murray gives his thoughts on this question sent in by Paul, 'were the reasons for war in ancient times any different to the modern era?'   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Jason sent this in for Murry to muse over, 'a lot of old action war movies set in ancient times have two champions or the two kings from both sides meeting in combat as their armies watch on before the battle starts. Has there ever been any historical battles where two men have fought like this, or is it purely fiction? If it is fiction, are there any good stories of two champions or kings meeting...

Thanks to Valentine for sending this in. 'I have finished rereading your excellent article, "Men you can Trust," in Volume 16, Issue 6 of Ancient Warfare . A question arose in my mind that you may be able to answer. With the bulk of Alexander's army in Asia, and especially India, why did no foreign invader seek to take advantage of the situation by invading parts of Macedonia?'   Join us on Patron...

JackSarge poses this question for Murray. What effect did the Hunnic invasions into Western Europe have on Britain? Did Attila send emissaries to Britain or make any demands of it? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast  

Founded in the war against Sextus Pompeius, the 'Legion of the Strait' spent most of its long history in the provinces of the Roman East with Parthians, Sasanians, and zealots. For this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, the team discuss issue XVII.5 of the magazine, The Legion of the Strait: A History of Legio Fretensis .   Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast