AWA343 - Which type of armor did the legions under Caesar and Augustus use?
Release Date: 02/07/2025
AWA354 - Why did ancient armies have few ranged units compared to line infantry?
Ancient Warfare Podcast
Long-time listener Uygar sent this in. "why did ancient armies, especially Greek phalanx-heavy ones, have relatively few ranged units like archers and slingers compared to line infantry? How did an ancient army determine the right number of ranged units for their army? And did the ranged units fight in a scattered manner in between the formations of the heavier line infantry rather than in rigid formations?' Join us on Patron
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AWA353 - Who were ancient scouts?
Ancient Warfare Podcast
'I was curious as to how exactly the scouting process worked in ancient armies, although I'm sure it varied widely throughout different cultures and time periods. Additionally, was there every a commonly accepted type of soldier selected for scouting, or did ancient commanders simply send whoever was available? Thanks to Demetri for this question. Join us on Patron
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AW352 - Tiberius
Ancient Warfare Podcast
In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, Marc De Santis talks to historian and author Lindsay Powell about his latest book, , published by Pen and Sword. Often overshadowed by his predecessor Augustus and his notorious successor Caligula, Tiberius is one of Rome’s most enigmatic emperors. Lindsay delves into the life and reign of this complex figure—his military career, political challenges, and strained relationships within the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Was Tiberius truly the brooding recluse history remembers, or have we misunderstood the man who ruled the Roman Empire for over two...
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AWA351 - What would be your ideal military?
Ancient Warfare Podcast
What would be your ideal ancient military? Would it be a semi-nomadic people with skilled cavalry and infantry, and how would you structure this military? Murray gives us his ideas and explains what his historical inspirations for this thought experiment are. Join us on Patron
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AWA349 - Were there any inspiring elites in ancient warfare?
Ancient Warfare Podcast
Dylan Thomas, watching on YouTube, asked, 'I'm curious about the early life of Marcus Furius Camillus. He seems to pop up during the siege of Veii in Livy's work, with few mentions beforehand, and is then an important figure going forward. Are there any primary sources that recount his early life and career? The man's a legend, easily one of the top ten Romans of all time, but there seem to be scant records of him.' Join us on Patron
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AW348 - Greece in the fourth century BC
Ancient Warfare Podcast
"The Peloponnesian War had ripped up the existing alliances in Greece — over the next decades, the main city-states looked for ways to regain money, power, and win battles." The team discuss the latest issue of the magazine , issue 101. Join us on Patron
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AWA347 - Questions about Masada and Josephus (part II)
Ancient Warfare Podcast
In the last episode, Murray expanded upon an article in the magazine in response to Chris's question. After recording that episode, Murray realised he had not answered the whole question. Join us on Patron
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AWA346 - Questions about Masada and Josephus
Ancient Warfare Podcast
Chris sent this question for Murray, asking him to expand on one of his articles in the magazine. 'I recently read your article on the siege of Masada in Ancient Warfare magazine. I had a couple of questions regarding the assumptions made about the shortened timeline of the siege. Specifically, you mentioned two assumptions supporting the idea of a shorter siege. Could you provide more information or sources to support this hypothesis? Additionally, I have a colleague who views Josephus's work with scepticism, considering him a collaborator whose writings might have served as Roman propaganda....
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AWA350 - What do we know about the early life of Marcus Furius Camillus?
Ancient Warfare Podcast
Don Antonius sent this question: 'Was there an inspiring role of Elite Units in ancient armies? Do we have accounts of battles where elite units (not necessarily “veterans”) like the Roman cataphracts, Carthage’s sacred band etc. supposedly lifted the spirits to fight on or evidently change the odds?' Join us on Patron
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AWA345 - Why didn't Rome's adversaries emulate her?
Ancient Warfare Podcast
Christopher asks, 'why didn't adversaries to Rome (especially on the Italian peninsula) see the methods by which Rome consistently recovered from defeat and tried to emulate them?' Join us on Patron
info_outlineThis question came via a comment on an earlier podcast.
'Which type of armour did the legions under Caesar and Augustus use? I understand the lorica segmentata was adopted later, but was it used during Octavian's era?
Additionally, I've found references to three types of scuta (shields): the curved oval used by late Republican soldiers, a slightly curved rectangular version, and the iconic rectangular scutum seen in reliefs of Trajan and Aurelius. Could you clarify which types of shields were used during Augustus' later reign and the periods of Germanicus and Vespasian?'
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