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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.

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#433
Today · 12 min
AWA433 - What is the difference between a skirmish and a battle?
What exactly was the difference between skirmishing and a pitched battle in the armies of classical and Hellenistic antiquity? Long-time listener Uygar gets in touch with a question about the often overlooked role of skirmishing in ancient warfare. Were skirmishes simply small-scale battles between lightly armed troops, or did they serve a much more important purpose within a campaign? Why did skirmishing generally produce fewer casualties than pitched battles? Did heavy infantry take part, and if not, was this one reason skirmishes were less decisive? And why could what might seem like a relatively minor skirmish have such a significant effect on morale? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#432
October 23 · 12 min
AWA432 - Were there any British Legions?
@martcorn asks, "I'd like to know whether there were any 'British' legions." I'm thinking of the famous Spanish legions like the tenth. Was there any equivalent?" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#431
October 16 · 9 min
AWA431 - Why do Roman swords have no crossguard?
Why does the Roman gladius have so little protection for the hand compared with many later swords? In this episode, Murray answers a listener question about one of the most distinctive features of the Roman sword. Medieval swords often feature substantial guards designed to protect the hand, yet the gladius has only a relatively small guard. Why? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#429
October 9 · 46 min
AW429 - Stratagems
Stratagems is the theme of the next issue of Ancient Warfare Magazine. The panel share their favourite stratagems from ancient warfare. Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#429
October 2 · 13 min
AWA429 - The Dacian presence in Britain
What happened to the Dacians after Trajan's conquest of Dacia, and did some of them really end up serving in Roman Britain? In this episode, Murray answers a listener question about the Dacian presence in Britain. Following Trajan's conquest of Dacia in AD 106, Dacian soldiers were recruited into the Roman auxiliary forces, and some Dacian units were subsequently stationed on the fringes of the Empire, including in Britain. But what can the evidence tell us about these soldiers? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#428
September 25 · 10 min
AWA428 - Where were Roman arms factories?
Roman legionaries of the late Republic and early Principate are often depicted wearing chain mail, but just how was enough armour produced to equip the vast armies of Rome? In this episode, Murray tackles a listener question about the manufacture and supply of Roman armour. Chain mail was extremely labour intensive to produce, so where were the workshops that made it, and who were the craftsmen responsible for supplying the legions? Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#427
September 18 · 15 min
AWA427 - Questions about ancient military signal jamming
Jon asks "Hi Murray! Regarding command and control of units during battle through trumpets, drums and similar methods of audible communication, a question I've often wondered is if there are any instances in the historical record of: 1. Employing a form of COMINT by 'intercepting' (hearing) the enemy communications, and using that information to alter your forces actions? Were there any attempts to keep the signals secret, or change them to avoid this? 2. Employing a form of military deception by issuing false or confusing signals mimicking the enemy signals (sounding the enemy's retreat or halt signals for example) 3. If "Jamming" was possible by attempting to drown out the horns/drums by making even more noise; And lastly 4: If there was any targeting of enemy C2 by deliberately seeking to use ranged weapons surgically against signallers? Thanks so much for answering the last question too, hopefully I'll get around to that post card one day! Cheers, J" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#426
September 11 · 35 min
AW426 - Band on the Run
Murray chats with Robert L. O'Connell about his new book 'Band on the Run' from Simon & Schuster (2026), which explores the March of the 10,000 and Xenophon's Anabasis. Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#425
September 4 · 13 min
AWA425 - A letter on siege warfare
A second letter from James (in response to Murray answering his first!) James asks about ancient sieges - in particular, how Tyre fell to Alexander in 322 BC, and he also asks what Murray's favourite sieges are. Murray obliges with an overtime rant! Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#424
August 28 · 10 min
AWA424 - How did ancient artillery suppress defenders during sieges?
Demetrios asks, "Hello Mr. Dahm, Regarding ancient artillery, in certain cases such as Josephus' account of the siege of Jotapata during the Jewish Revolt, artillery seems to be very effective in suppressing the defenders and in a sort of anti-personnel role. Due to the slow firing torsion engines of the time, how was this possible? Wouldn't a much higher rate of fire be necessary for such a role? Additionally, were artillery crewmen seen as civilian or military personnel by commanders and how were artillerymen recruited and trained? Thank you again for running AWA, it is wonderful to listen to." Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#423
August 21 · 14 min
AWA423 - How were auxiliary forces managed?
Tom asks: "Sorry for this stupid question. I have read a lot of the red Loeb, but never understood how the Auxiliary forces were managed. By Roman officers, or were they independent?" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#422
August 14 · 44 min
AW422 - The Battle of Gaugamela
'After capturing the Mediterranean ports, and having been welcomed as a god in Egypt, Alexander turned east again, aiming to defeat Darius once and for all.' In this episode of the podcast, the Ancient Warfare Magazine team discuss issue 108, 'Alexander Ascendant: The Battle of Gaugamela'. Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#421
August 7 · 11 min
AWA421 - Did legionaries and auxiliaries have to bribe their way into the Roman army?
The second part of Carlos' question from a few episodes ago: "Second, somewhere in an old issue of AWM I have read (but I cannot find it again) that, to become a legionary, recruits needed to buy their way, and that the required payment (bribe?) was lower if you joined the auxiliaries instead. This was surprising, because I also read about a signing bonus (viaticum) by the second century. The article I remember discussed a poor Roman citizen who joined the auxilia rather than the legions because it was cheaper. What do we know about these payments? If they existed, they would take away some of the arguments that the auxilia were not anymore attractive after the Constitutio Antoniniana because everybody was a citizen: poor citizens might simply not have been able to afford the legions." Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#420
July 31 · 11 min
AWA420 - What were Roman walls for?
Russ asks, "I don't know what it is called, but at a certain point ( or a certain number of points) in time, Rome decided to build walls to defend their empire. Most famous, of course, is Hadrian's Wall. But of course they are many more, such as the Antonine Wall, Walls of Lugo, Aurelian's Wall and Londinium Walls, to name a few. These walls were constructed differently and had different purposes. Anyway, were the Walls revolutionary? Or something else?" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#419
July 24 · 14 min
AWA419 - Who is the better general: Thrasybulus or Demosthenes (or Brasidas)?
Jay asks "Murray, I really enjoyed your podcast about Demosthenes being one of the first generals to have a dedicated flank attack. I have always thought Demosthenes was criminally underrated among historians, because Thucydides writes about quite a few clever tactics of his. Likewise, I think Thrasybulus is another underrated commander as Athens' "last gasp" to preserve their democracy. Yet most casual history enthusiasts have probably never heard of either, while mainly focusing on Alcibiades and Pericles. If you could only pick one, which of the two do you think deserves more praise and recognition among historians?" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#418
July 17 · 12 min
AWA418 - What did legionaries drink on campaign?
Dan asks "May I submit an awa for uncle Murray here? What did legionaries drink on campaign? Aside from the obvious water and wine. Did they have flavoured cordials or plain water? Did they start their day with a hot drink and end with something cold, like we drink coffee and beer? Do we know of water rations, and can we infer if the legions were particularly hydrated or not?" Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast
#417
July 10 · 54 min
AW417 - The Evolution of Tactics
How did tactics evolve in the ancient world? In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, the team explores how battlefield tactics developed over time, from the rigid formations of early armies to the increasingly sophisticated methods employed by some of history's greatest commanders. They discuss the factors that drove tactical innovation, the influence of new weapons and troop types, and whether ancient generals were truly revolutionary or simply adapted to changing circumstances.
#416
July 3 · 8 min
AWA416 - 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.
#415
June 26 · 10 min
AWA415 - 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
#414
June 19 · 14 min
AWA414 - 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

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