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Ancient Wars
The Ancient period is generally accepted as being 600 BCE to 500 CE, before which was the Archaic period, and after which began the Medieval period. However as there is not an Archaic Wars category, it is acceptable to post pre-500 BCE military questions in this area.
1,657 Questions
What civilization did the pugio come from?
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
"Pugio" is the Latin word for a knife or a dagger. It came from the Roman civilization as it was carried by all Roman soldiers.
Is greek victory over Persians associated with the Hellenistic period?
No.
The Hellenistic period was over a century later when Alexander the Great's empire was split up after his death by his generals into separate kingdoms, which have been given the modern name of Hellenistic Kingdoms - Egypt, Macedonia and Syria, and hence it was the Hellenistic period until they were absorbed into the Roman Empire in the First Century BCE.
Did the Minoans or mycenaeans go to war with troy to save their princess?
That is an embellishment provided by the poets who sang the story of the war. A better guess is that the capture of Troy was the richest prize in a ten-year looting expedition by the Achaeans (Greeks) along the coast of Asia Minor.
What was the value of the horse in military campaigns of the Persian Empire?
The Persian cavalry gave the army an advantage of mobility over the Greek city-state armise which were basically heavy armoured infantry. The cavalry was able to attack the flanks and rear of the infantry formations, which had to keep to broken ground to nullify the cavalry.
Who was was defeated by the Greeks at the Bay of Marathon?
The Athenians and their Platian allies defeated the Persians punitive expedition sent against them in a land battle on the Plain of Marathon.
Where can you read the legend of Hua Mulan online?
Try this site:
http://www.chinaculture.org/gb/en_artists/2004-02/11/content_45971.htm
Antigonus [382 BCE* - 301 BCE. was called 'Monophthalmus', which means 'One-Eyed'. He was a nobleman who gained the additional titles of general and satrap. He did so in service to King Philip II [382 BCE - 336 BCE] of Macedon, and to the king's son and successor, Alexander the Great [356 BCE - 323 BCE]. In 306 BCE. Antigonus proclaimed himself King of what came to be called the Antigonid dynasty. His official title was Basileus of Macedon. But he didn't hold that title long before getting himself assassinated. * BCE = Before the Common Era
The lack of allies contribute to the defet of what in the peloponnesian war?
The Athenian expedition against Syracuse in Sicily.
Did the Greeks have a choice in fighting in war?
The citizens of military age (18-45) of the Greek city-states were eligible for call-up for specific military activities and were required to assemble periodically for training. Those who had a panoply of arms (shield, helmet, greaves, cuirass, spear and sword) formed the infantry formation, those who owned a horse (rare for such a poor country) formed the cavalry, and those who had no arms/property were coopted as light infantry with bows, javelins and rocks. When their city was directly threatened, the boys and old men were also expected to turn out. Resident aliens were also required to help defence of the city (and expected to fight well), but were not required for exeditionary forces. The city would usually send only about three quarters of its main forces to fight outside its territory, the remainder being required to garrison the city in their absence. In Sparta, expeditionary forces took seven serfs to each hoplite (armoured warrior) to reduce the chance of a serf uprising in their absence - these serfs were used in the field as servants and light infantry.
What were five things that caused the Persian Empire to fall?
Alexander's strategy of capturing the Persian Mediterranean ports left them without a navy to threaten Greece and so left him free to concentrate all his Macedonian and Greek forces against the Persian army.
Persian infantry could not stand up to Greek armoured infantry. Alexander's execution of the Greek mercenaries in the service of Persia after the battle of Granicus deterred the flow of Greek armoured infantry to fill this void in the Persian army.
Alexander's capture of the Persian treasury after the battle of Issus gave him the funds to pay and feed his cash-strapped army, and keep it intact and augmented for the deciding battle at Gaugamela.
Alexander's integration of armoured infantry-light infantry-cavalry provided an effective counter-balance to the dominant Persian cavalry.
Alexander organised his campaigns in line with the seasons, making his moves at harvest times to overcme the impossible logistics problems of providing food and forage across long land distances in a pre-motorised age.
Chandragupta vikramaditya belonged to which dynasty?
Chandragupta II (A.D. 380-413/15), also referred as Vikramaditya (Valour/Power of Sun) or Chandragupta Vikramaditya, was one of the most influential emperors of the Gupta dynasty as well as one of the most familiar and celebrated names in Indian history. He was the son of Samudra Gupta & Maharani (the chief queen) "Datta Devi" and grandson of Chandra Gupta I. During his reign, art, architecture, and sculpture flourished, and the cultural development of ancient India reached its peak. The period of prominence of the Gupta dynasty is very often referred to as the "Golden Age" of India.
Biography
Samudra Gupta was followed by his elder son Ramagupta (375-380AD) who was a bit of blot on that proud family's good name. Apparently he was having immense trouble with the central Asian Saka invaders who refused to budge from borders of the empire and threatened to come in. Rama Gupta sued for peace, and the Saka king agreed on one condition that his queen Dhruvadevi be surrendered to him. Which was okay with Ramagupta, but not his younger brother Chandragupta who, disguised as the queen, entered the Saka camp and killed their king. After this Chandragupta also killed his brother and married Dhruvadevi and succeeded the throne.
Chandragupta ascended the throne of Patilaputra (now called Patna, the capital of state Bihar) in about 375AD. Four days after the Hindu festival of Diwali is the Padwa or Varshapratipada, the day on which the coronation of King Vikramaditya is believed to be held.
The Empire
Chandragupta II was a conqueror like his father Samudragupta. Conquests (though not many since Samudra Gupta had pretty much already conquered all there was to conquer), able administration, the arts flourishing, literature being produced in huge quantities, relations with foreign kings being excellent. Inheriting a large empire, he continued the policy of his father, Samudra Gupta, by extending control over neighbouring territories. Westward from 388 to 409 he subjugated Gujarat, his greatest victory came when he managed to quash the stronghold of the Rudrasimha III of Shaka (also called Satraps or Kshatrapas or Indo-Scythians) dynasty and annexed their kingdom in Gujarat ( the region north of Bombay (Mumbai), Saurastra (now Saurashtra), in western India, and Malwa, with its capital at Ujjain). Saka (called the Saka Satraps), whose ancestors were Scythian tribes from the regions around Lake Balkhash (Balqash) in Kazakhstan.
On the eastside, he crushed the Cheifdoms of Bengal creating a coast to coast unified Empire. He created a second capital at Ujjain. In the north west he subjugated Presians, Huns and Kambojas in areas east and west of Amu Darya in Afganistan.
His diplomatic tactics in giving his daughter Prabhavati (by his other queen Kuberanaga*, a Naga princess) in marriage to Rudrasena II. The Vakatakas (Vakattaka) king of Deccan helped greatly in securing the vital territory for himself, which could prove advantageous in the event of an attack upon the Saka- Kshatrapas of the west from the north. When Rudrasena II died in 390 AD, Prabhavati acted as regent for her two sons, thereby increasing Gupta influence in the south. Therefore this period in history is called the Vakataka -Gupta age.
His victory over Rudrasimha III provided exceptional wealth, which added to the prosperity of the Guptas. The Guptas at his period had sea trade with the countries of the west. Broach, Sopara, Cambay were ports that facilitated trade. During this period, Ujjain appears to have been the inland centre upon which most of the trade routes converged. Chandragupta occupied the throne for nearly forty years. Pataliputra was a flourishing city.
The emperor may also have made a matrimonial alliance with a dynasty in Mysore. After this, his empire began from the mouth of the Ganges to the mouth of the Indus River, which is now the region from North Pakistan down to the mouth of the Narmada.
Some of his silver coins bear the title Vikramaditya ("Sun of Valour"), which suggests that he was the prototype for the king Vikramaditya of later Hindu tradition.
His Reign
The Chinese Buddhist traveller-pilgrim Faxian (Fahien), who visited India during Chandra Gupta II's reign, spoke highly of the system of government, the means for dispensing charity and medicine (the emperor maintained free rest houses and hospitals), and the goodwill of the people. From his description it is known that capital punishment was absent during the reign of Vikramaditya. Poll-tax, land tax and the presence of a strongly embedded caste system. However, he never visited the emperor or his court.
Why does Polybius think Rome is superior to Carthage?
Polybius wrote after Rome had defeated Carthage in each of three wars over a period of 120 years, after the third one destroying the city and selling it people into slavery. He would think Rome superior, wouldn't he?
Polybius did not just think that Romans were superior militarily. He also thought that they were superior in their political institutions was well, and that this accounted for their military might. He thought that the Romans were superior to the Greeks as well as the Carthaginians.
Polybius was one of the Greek hostages taken by the Romans following the 3rd Macedonian War in Greece. He spent 17 years in Rome. He was treated well and respected. Aemilius Paullus the Roman general who won the war and took the hostages entrusted him with the education of his sons. The Roman elites admired his intellect and often asked him for advice, even on matters of war. He was given access to archives for his studies.
Polybius became a supporter of Rome. The aim of some of his writing was to explain Roman tradition and portray Rome in a good light to his Greek readers and make them more favourable to Roman rule there. When he went back to Greece he helped the Romans in their relations with the Greeks.
Book 6 of Polybius' Histories is an analysis of the Roman constitution. In fragment 7 he argued that Rome was superior to the Greek states of Sparta, Crete, and Mantinea and to Carthage. His writing of the superiority of the Romans over the Carthaginians is very biased, has a strong propaganda flavour and facts are presented in a far from judicious manner.
What are the 5 major historical events in Alexander the great's empire?
1. It establishment.
2. Development of its system of governance.
3. Failure of its expansion plans to the east into India and to the west in Europe.
4. The death of Alexander without a clear heir.
5. Its disintegration into the Hellenistic Kingdoms.
Who killed Leonidas in the battle of Thermoplye?
Helen slices his throat after they returned from Troy.
Did the Delian League win the Peloponnesian War?
No, they were defeated by Sparta and it's allies. The Delian League was formed to defend against Persia, and after peace was made with the Persian Empire, it was turned by Athens into an empire of its own. Athens used its resources of the old League to war against the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta.
Persian Empire.
What was the result of the Peloponnesian Wars?
Athens was defeated and stripped of its empire, becoming a second rate power.
The 27-year war devastated the Greek world.
Warfare continued between varying alliances Sparta became the leading state until displaced by Thebe.
The weakened cities became easy meat for a Macedonian takeover.
Athens lost to he Peloponnesian confederation led by Sparta, was stripped of its empire and became a second rate power. The Greek city-states continued fighting each other in varying alliances until Macedonia under King Philip II established control of them and diverted their activities against the Persian Empire.
During the monarchy it was an oath of allegiance to the king. During the republic it was an oath of allegiance to the republic. During the period of rule by emperors it was an oath of allegiance to the emperor.
What did the Persians do after the battle at Thermopylae?
After defeating the doomed Spartan/Greek rear guard led by the Spartan king Leonidas at the narrow pass of Thermopylae the Persians went on to raid the Greek countryside and burned the Greek City-State of Athens . Afterwards , the Persians returned home .
What did reserves in roman army do?
The Roman term "reserve" in the army did not have the same meaning as today's term. Today, at least in the United States, the term reserve is used to connote our "part time soldiers" or "weekend warriors" who at one time, would train for a certain period of time after they had completed their military service in order to be ready if they were called up. This practice has been discontinued. The Roman army did have a "reserve" which was the third line in a cohort's battle formation. It was made up mostly of veterans and was used to reinforce the front two lines and to step up when the front lines were depleted or needed a rest.
Was josephus description of the roman army disciplined and dedicated to duty?
Was his description disciplined and dutiful.
