12 Renowned Roman Legions and How They Earned Their Names
Roman legions could become famous for their endurance or victories in war. Though all were numbered, many also had names that recorded their history, origins or…
Napoleon as Augustus: How He Modelled Himself on the Roman Empire
“I am a true Roman Emperor; I am of the best race of the Caesars – those who are founders.” – Napoleon Bonaparte, 1812. Throughout…
How the Romans Lost a Tenth of Their Armies in a Single Battle – The Teutoburg Forest
The Roman Empire of the 1st century AD is renowned as one of the most deadly and successful fighting forces in history. But even the…
Roman Military Ranks: 12 Key Officers and Soldiers in the Roman Army Ranks
The Roman Empire saw one of the first truly professional armies in history, and became the inspiration for European armies that followed it. Though its…
Julius Caesar at the Siege of Alesia – the decisive battle in the conquest of Gaul
The Imperator Gaius of the Julii, who was called Caesar, was in Gaul with sixty thousand men. Twelve legions of Roman infantry were supported by…
Top 4 Most Decisive Ancient Naval Battles
Ancient naval battles were quite risky; they involved massive investments in money in building ships and trained manpower for rowing and marines. Contrary to popular…
11 Ancient Roman Military Decorations
Like most professional armies, the Roman legions used military decorations to acknowledge superior behaviour. Though few looked like medals as we picture them today, these…
378 Adrianople: Rise of the Barbarians And The Beginning Of The End Of The Roman Empire
The Fall of Rome was an arduous, drawn-out process, lasting centuries in the West to over a thousand years in the East. The so-called “barbarians”…
The Battle of Actium: Agrippa’s Victory, Octavian’s Glory
Rome after Caesar’s death was a place of great uncertainty. Caesar had a long road to secure power and had finally secured it, and seemed…
The Oldest Ever Evidence of Warfare Revealed: a 10,000-year-old Massacre.
Research recently published from an archeological dig near Lake Turkana in Kenya shows strong evidence of warfare among hunter-gatherers. Though it has often been suggested…
Leonidas I, Sparta’s Greatest Warrior King
King Leonidas I is the most famous general in the history of Sparta, and perhaps the whole of Greece. Disappointingly little is known about the…
6 Reasons Why the English Should Have Lost at Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. On 25 October 1415, an army of English raiders under Henry V faced…