Ancient Warfare Podcast

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.

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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 the seventh-century wars (largely "barbarians"?), including Heraclius's reconquest of Jerusalem in 628 CE from the Persian Sassanid empire? 3. Do you have a view (either way) on the argument—made most compellingly by Tom Holland in his 2014 book, In the Shadow of the Sword—that the Byzantine Roman army of the early seventh century was made up largely of fighters from the southern Levant and northern Arabia (where the Ghassanids came from)? 4. Could Arab forces that formerly made up the Foederati have "declared independence" from Rome in the third decade of the seventh century and ultimately have conquered the Levant from the Romans in the 630s (before engaging in civil war among themselves and the descendants of the Lakhmids, who had fought on behalf of the Sassanid empire three decades later)? In other words, might Muhammad and his original followers all have been former Foederati, who turned against their former Eastern Roman clients, much like the Gothic barbarians did against their former Western Roman clients a couple centuries earlier?

'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.

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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?

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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?'

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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 in battle?'

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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?'

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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?

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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.

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Another question from Miles, what defines heavy infantry in the ancient world? Were Phalangites considered heavy infantry at the time?

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