Ancient Warfare Magazine

Editor-in-chief: Jasper Oorthuys Assistant editor: Murray Dahm News editor: Lindsay Powell Proofreader: Naomi Munts Image research: Lauren van Zoonen Design & Media: Christianne C. Beall Design © 2016-2021 Karwansaray Publishers Contributors: Jo Ball

Putting together a magazine theme is an odd balancing act. On the one hand, there are a few dozen pages to play with — enough to give your readers an introduction with some selective depth. On the other, the articles have to be able to stand on their

The Arcadian general Philopoemen (c.252-182 BC) deserves to be better known. Admired by Polybius (who wrote a biography of him) and many other ancient generals, a biography of him by Plutarch survives. He was termed the ‘last great Greek' by Victor E

The greatest disaster to befall Augustus' legions was the destruction of three in September AD 9. The commander, Publius Quinctilius Varus, led the three legions plus auxiliaries and cavalry into an ambush beyond the Rhine led by the erstwhile Roman

Credit for permanently fixing the names and numerals of the legions belongs mainly to Augustus. Following the civil wars of 49–31 BC, Augustus reorganized and reformed the legions as a standing army. Henceforth, legions would get a permanent number a

Compared to his epic battle narratives in the Histories, or the detailed descriptions of Idistaviso in the Annals and Mons Graupius in the Agricola, Tacitus's account of the so-called battle of Watling Street – a mere 120 words of terse Latin and onl

The cuneus is usually thought of as a close formation for breaking through enemy lines (Livy 7.24; Caesar, Gallic War 6.40). The literal translation of cuneus is ‘wedge' and so a sharp triangular formation might be envisaged, but it was also the term

Ti. Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (10 BC – AD 54) came from a family of illustrious overachievers in war. He was the youngest son of Nero Claudius Drusus who had led successful campaigns in the Alps (15 BC) and into Germania as far as the river

Paradoxically we have more information on the Spartan breakdown of units in their phalanx than for the Athenian. I say paradoxically because Athenian writers (Thucydides and Xenophon especially) wrote these breakdowns, perhaps because the Athenian sy

In 230 BC, upsetting the political equilibrium of the Central States, Qin conquered Han. Three years later, Qin conquered Wei. One by one, the other states fell to Qin, until in 221 BC, Qi, Qin's last remaining rival, surrendered. For the first time

The mobilization of armies of tens of thousands of troops was supported by the spread of iron production, which meant that more infantry weapons could be produced more cheaply. The dagger-axe (ge) had long been a weapon of choice for infantry, but it

By Ian Worthington ISBN: 978-0197520055 Oxford University Press, 2023 - £22.99 www.global.oup.com The end of the kingdom of Macedonia is usually told from the perspective of Rome's expansion, which relies upon the testimony of Polybius. The Macedonia

By Andrei Pogacias ISBN: 978-1472854537 Osprey Men-at Arms (2023) - £12.99 www.ospreypublishing.com It is good to see that the latest Menat-Arms title from Osprey (number 549) explores an ancient military topic. Firstly, let me say, my reaction to th

By Nigel Pollard and Joanne Berry Thames & Hudson, 2012 ISBN: 978-0500251836 Parker's volume was once the go-to for an accessible history of the Roman legions. It's still a decent start, but very old. Pollard and Berry provide an up-to-date, well-ill

Tantalizing evidence has been found for the first time of the use of horse-drawn chariots in Siberia 3000 years ago. What is being called the ‘charioteer burial' was found among other graves near the village of Kamyshta in the Askizsky region of Khak