Ancient Warfare Podcast

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.

  1. What evidence is there for striped Egyptian headwear?

    hace 1 d

    What evidence is there for striped Egyptian headwear?

    A comment exchange on FB led to today's question. Commenting on a cover of an issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine, Michael asked, "I still don't know what evidence there is for the striped headwear. Is it a trope?" Jeffrey replied, "Now I am curious too. Maybe a topic for Ancient Warfare Answers Podcast to answer:" Ask, and you shall receive. Murray explores.

    9 min
  2. Why did the Romans completely abandon the spear in favour of the pilum?

    26 jun

    Why did the Romans completely abandon the spear in favour of the pilum?

    Seth tracked Murray down via Facebook Messenger and asked: "Hi Murray, really appreciate your AWA podcast, great short bursts of knowledge. One question that bugs me about legionaries. Why did the Romans completely abandon the spear in favour of the pilum? Does it function effectively as a thrusting weapon as well as a thrown weapon? If you have a space for a two-for, do you have time to talk about the comparative effectiveness of slings vs bows in the classical world? When did slings drop out of use in organised warfare? That's probably three, but you've made the mistake of being highly accessible and willing to take a crack at all sorts of topics." Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    10 min
  3. Did legionaries need to be 1.80 metres tall?

    19 jun

    Did legionaries need to be 1.80 metres tall?

    Carlos writes: "Hi Murray, Even though I've been an AWM subscriber for long, I only recently started listening to the podcast. I love the AWA episodes, and the regular group podcasts too.   I have a two-part question for AWA. First, I have read in various places that there were certain requirements to be admitted as a legionary in the Army of the Principate. For example, I've read in a popular magazine (not AWM!) that legionaries needed to be at least 1.80 m tall. This sounds difficult to believe. I have also often read that all legionaries needed to be able to read and write. This sounds more believable as a declaration of intentions, but it seems unlikely that it could actually be enforced. What were the actual requirements, other than being a Roman citizen, in the Principate?"   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    14 min
  4. Early Campaigns in Germania

    12 jun

    Early Campaigns in Germania

    'When Germanic warbands crossed the Rhine in 17 BC, they set in motion a turbulent series of Roman campaigns into Germania that spanned three decades.' In this episode of the podcast, the team discusses AW107, Rome Crosses the Rhine: Early Campaigns in Germania.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    46 min
  5. Were Cretan archers better than other archers?

    5 jun

    Were Cretan archers better than other archers?

    Following on from Murray discussion of Athenian Archers in AWA 397, Tim asks "It would be interesting to hear of the effectiveness of the archers. In wargaming, Cretan archers are usually considered as better than other archers, similar to Belearic slingers. Was this actually true or just a wargaming tradition?" Murray investigates   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    12 min
  6. How did the Huns dress for war?

    29 may

    How did the Huns dress for war?

    Jack asks: "Hi Murray Do we have enough information to actually describe how the Huns were dressed for war? Did they look much the same as the Goths or other migration era peoples? Is it a misconception to think they looked anything like the later Mongols? Did they go in for bright or rich fabrics in their panoply, like other Warrior cultures? I've heard that they were keen to get their hands on silk fabric, did they then wear this into battle?   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    14 min
  7. What role and status did trumpeters have in warfare?

    22 may

    What role and status did trumpeters have in warfare?

    Here is an AWA from Brie: "Besides communicating orders and psychological warfare, what role and status did trumpeters have in warfare? Did they have sidearms like musicians of early modern warfare? The Gallic carnyx is of particular interest to me in this regard." This is probably in regard to the exciting carnyx found in Thetford, Norfolk in early 2026, only the third found in Britain. With it were a boar standard and several shield bosses. Murray discusses them all.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    11 min
  8. What did the Constitutio Antoniniana mean for the Roman auxilia?

    15 may

    What did the Constitutio Antoniniana mean for the Roman auxilia?

    Carlos, an economics professor (!), asks: Hi Murray,   I am a long-time AWM subscriber, born in Hispania, working in Britannia, and mostly living in Raetia. Love the podcast.   My question is this. With the Constitutio Antoniniana, all young men within the Imperium became citizens and could enlist in the legions instead of the auxilia. Hence, the auxilia presumably attracted less recruits. With Diocletian's reforms, whatever remained of the auxilia was absorbed into a fully new structure with limitanei, comitatenses, and auxilia palatina, the latter being elite. This suggests that the distinction between legions and auxilia might had become fuzzy at that point, else one could just have assigned the auxilia to the borders.   What do we know about the evolution of the auxilia from the Constitutio Antoniniana to Diocletian's reforms? Were they still around, with named units slowly vanishing for lack of recruits, or did they become something else by enlisting non-citizens? Did they become part of a wild mixture of units with all-barbarian numeri in the chaos of the third century and its many revolts? Surely, at the very least, Tacitus' old statement that auxiliaries and legionaries were roughly equal in number is no longer valid for the third century? Murray Investigates.   Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

    11 min
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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.

Ficha técnica

  • Creado por
    The History Network
  • Años en activo
    2008 - 2026
  • Episodios
    416
  • Clasificación
    Apto
  • Derechos de autor
    ©TheHistoryNetwork.org
  • Sitio web del podcast
    Ancient Warfare Podcast

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