Ancient Wars

The Athenian-led Delian League was set up to oppose Persia and destroy Persian influence in its province of Asia Minor. It was natural that Persia should take an obvious opportunity to destroy this League by providing the money to the Spartan alliance to raise a fleet which could match the Athenian fleet, and to provide the money which allowed them to double the pay of rowers to attract the best ones.

Mayans, Babylonians, Romans, Greeks, Chinese

The word is trierarch. It meant the commander of a trireme - a warship with three banks of oars. In Athens and some other city-states, it also implied that the person had to equip and sustain the warship as a liturgy (public service) - very expensive, but a way for the very wealthy to both gain social prestige, and to give something important to their community - the beginnings of social responsibility much lacking in our present world.

After the battle, the Athenians realised that the Persians were about to capture Athens which was undefended in their absence at the battlefield. The Athenian army ran back the 26 miles to the city to defend it, and this run by 18,000 Athenians was the model for today's marathon run at sporting events. Of course today's runners don't do it in sandals carrying weapons and armour.

Carthage observed its treaties with Rome, and the conditions which Rome imposed on it after defeating Carthage in the first two wars. Rome was determined to stop Carthage's retaining economic power which inhibited Rome's expansion. Rome arranged for its allies to attack Carthage, and when Carthage defended itself, Rome declared it had broken its treaty, invaded and captured Carthage, destroying the city and selling its population into slavery to finally get rid of a resilient rival.

Several conditions promoted the growth of trade, the relative political stability of the realm, the use of standarize coins, and the availability of good trade routes, newly constructed highways such as the Persian Royal Road and sea routes through the Red Sea, The Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.

That was a Thracian named Spartacus.

The Romans thought of it is as one Gallic War which had several campaigns - including the Helvetii, Suebi, Belgae, then the Veneti, Britons, Catuvellauni, Eburones, Arverni.

Yes.

The biggest resource was land. Mostly small farmers on subsistence blocks of land too small to divide amongst several sons, extra land was necessary. The taking of land from others either gained more land or caused casualties which reduced the population or both.

The initial Greek takeover of mainland Greece from the previous inhabitants provided land, which various city states took for themselves. When all the land was taken, inter-city fights redrew boundaries. When this game was played out, the cities turned to external sources, sending out colonies to the Aegean islands, Italy, Sicily, Gaul, north Africa, Asia Minor and southern Russia. The Greek world spread around the Mediterranean and Black Seas.

The colonies incidentally allowed cities also to get rid of not only surplus restive underclasses but also troublesome persons or groups within their society.

The Peloponnesian War was one the greatest events in Greek history. It helped weaken Athens specifically ending its wealth and power. Most of the city-states of Greece were so significantly weakened militarily and economically that it enabled Philip II of Macedonia and later Alexander the Great to walk in and take over with little resistance.

In the 4th Century BCE, after an initial period of Spartan dominance, Thebes defeated Sparta and took over the dominant role, Athens tried to reestablish its empire, and in mid-century in the background Macedonia under Philip began its rise to power. Macedonia dominated in the second half of the 4th Century BCE until Alexander's death, then the Hellenistic Kingdoms under Alexander's generals-turned-kings contended for power in the eastern Mediterranean. Rome's intervention at the beginning of the 2nd Century BCE progressively saw the Hellenistic Kingdoms swallowed up over the succeeding two centuries.

It was the Athenian leader Pericles (461-429B.C.) who was responsible for the Athens growth in power. It would be an error to not mention Thermistocles.

The Romans had been slowly losing there power gradually after colonising Britain. The Germanic tribes had been pushing through Gaul and into Northern Italy. The Romans slowly lost their holdings until only Italy was left, then they were crushed.

The battle was between a Persian expeditionary force and the city-state of Athens. The Medes (Persian allies) were part of the Persian force, so Median garb refers to the clothes worn by the Mede soldiers.

In close combat weapon of Roman soldiers would the gladius, a short double-edged sword. The advantages of a short sword was that it was light, and easy to handle. Its use was quick and did not require too much energy. Above all, it was very effective for stabbing during thrusting both in individual combat and when pushing forward in close ranks.

The effectiveness of the gladius for close combat can be seen when compared with the long Celtic sword. The latter was longer and heavier and was used for slashing. It had to be swung to hit the enemy. This meant that it had to be used at a longer distance and it was slower to hit the target than the gladius, whereas the gladius was effective at the closest range and quicker to use. Its type of use and its weight also caused the Celtic soldiers to get tired more quickly than the Romans . This difference is one of the things which gave the Romans an edge in their battles against the Celts.

It was between Athens and its empire and the Peloponnesian League headed by Sparta.

Romans had no new ideas - their treatment was good and bad, kind and abusive, benevolent and cruel. Like all human beings, a mix in various proportions.

They did however have the idea if establishing good government and peace when it suited them, bringing on the Pax Romanus in which the empire attempted to promote peace and prosperity as best it could in the turbulent world.

The Peloponesian Wars were a series of three wars between the Delian League led by Athens and the Peloponesian League, led by Sparta. In the end, Sparta triumphed.

Although many cities fought in the war, Athens and Sparta led the two sides.

Hundreds of the Greek city-states were embroiled, whether they liked it or not, in the 27-year war. The war was between Sparta and its allies and Athens and its empire.

1. The Athenian Themistocles sent a false message to the commander of the Persian fleet that the Greeks were going to escape through the western passage of the strait, so the Persian sent one third of his fleet (the Egyptian component) to seal off the exit. This reduced the odds down to nearly equal.

2. The Persians attacked in two columns on each side of the island of Psyttalia, dividing their strength yet again.

3. To get through these passages, they had to do so on a narrow front, and their flanks were open to attack by the Greek fleet formed up just inside the bay.

4. The Greek ships were smaller and more manoeuverable, and their ramming tactics broke up the Persian columns.

Germans don't appear in the historical literature in the 5th Century BCE so we don't know. They featured a people on the move who threatened Rome in the late 2nd Century BCE.

As the bible was written six hundred years later on an entirely different subject, not at all.

Basically, Tacitus tells us she did, but only to get her son Tiberius on the throne instead of Augustus' Grandson Agrippa (because she had become paranoid that Augustus' had begun to favour Agrippa and had secret meetings with him). There is no other source that tells us this and modern historians find it very doubtfull.

It is the modern term for the war between Sparta and its allies and Athens and its empire, 431-404 BCE. Athens, after some notable successes, overstreched itself, and was finally defeated when Persia gave Sparta the funds to build up a navy capable of rivalling the Athenian navy.