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AW383 - The Ancient Warfare Christmas Reading List

Release Date: 11/14/2025

AWA403 - Why does the Odyssey 2026 trailer feel wrong?

Ancient Warfare Podcast

John has been watching the trailer for the 2026 film 'The Odyssey', starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, and something does not sit right. The Trojan War is usually dated to the thirteenth or twelfth century BC, a period associated with Mycenaean or Achaean warfare and distinctive equipment, such as boar-tusk and horned helmets. This is the world shown in archaeological reconstructions and classic works such as Peter Connolly’s The Ancient Greece of Odysseus. Yet in film and illustration, the warriors of Homer’s epics are almost always dressed in the armour of much later centuries. Corinthian...

AWA402 - Arausio 105 BC: military defeat or political disaster?

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Peter got in touch with some thoughtful feedback and a set of big questions about the Battle of Arausio in 105 BC. A long-time reader of Ancient Warfare and a regular podcast listener, Peter has been debating Arausio with a wargaming friend and wanted Murray’s take on a few key issues. Was Arausio a failure of Roman arms, or a failure of Roman politics that ended in catastrophe? If Caepio and Mallius had cooperated, could the battle have been won, or was defeat inevitable? And how capable were the Cimbrian commanders, and are they underestimated because our sources are Roman? Murray tackles...

AWA401 - Why Did Helmets Have Crests?

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Responding to a recent episode of the main Ancient Warfare podcast, Eric writes in to ask about the purpose of the crest on helmets worn by ancient Greek and Roman soldiers. Join us on Patreon

AW400 - Warriors in Bronze

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Bronze helmets, greaves, armour, and bronze-faced shields make for an impressive army, but who fought in all that kit, next to whom, and how? In the latest episode of the Ancient Warfare Magazine Podcast, the team discusses . Join us on Patreon

AWA399 - Outflanking as a Tactical Innovation

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Following an earlier episode in which Murray suggested that warfare was often conceived as frontal and honourable, Peter writes in with a response. He reflects on the idea that outflanking an opponent may once have been seen as poor form, even cowardly or lacking heroic virtue, and asks when outflanking became a tactical innovation deliberately employed in battle. Join us on Patreon

AWA398 - Turning to Face an Outflank

Ancient Warfare Podcast

John asks whether there are historical examples of a formation being outflanked where the troops on the threatened flank turn to engage the attacker, while the main line remains engaged to the front, effectively fighting on two faces at once while maintaining cohesion. Join us on Patreon

AWA397 - Athenian Archers

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Samuel asks about Athenian archers at the start of the Peloponnesian War. Thucydides lists significant numbers of them in 431 and it raises a series of questions. How were these archers equipped Were they citizens, metics or the famous Scythian archers Did they serve aboard triremes or mainly in garrisons Were they poorer citizens unable to afford hoplite equipment, or were they specialists and mercenaries. Murray looks at what we know from the sources and archaeology about Athenian archers. Join us on Patreon

AW396 - Revolutions in Warfare

Ancient Warfare Podcast

What counts as a true revolution in warfare? In this episode, the panel tackles the idea of sudden and radical change on the ancient battlefield. Rather than slow evolution, they ask which developments transformed how wars were fought almost overnight. From the emergence of the phalanx and the impact of the trireme at sea, to the spread of cavalry, chariots, and new ways of organising troops, the discussion ranges across the ancient world. The panel also considers technological shifts, including the move from copper to bronze and later to iron, and whether these really changed warfare in a...

AWA395 - Gladiators and the Roman Army

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Alexis asks about the connection between the Roman military and gladiators. Why did the army build and use its own amphitheatres, like the one at Carnuntum, with others recently identified at Megiddo and possibly Carthage and Puteoli Another puzzle is why the army engaged with gladiators at all when civilian amphitheatres already existed. Murray looks at what military amphitheatres were for in day to day army life. Were they training grounds, places of discipline, entertainment or demonstrations of Roman power He explores how common gladiator involvement with the army actually was, how units...

AWA394 - War Pigs

Ancient Warfare Podcast

Ancient sources claim that pigs were sometimes used as weapons against war elephants. Murray examines the origins of this idea, whether it ever occurred, and the famous story associated with Antigonus II Gonatas at the siege of Megara. Did armies really set pigs on fire to panic war elephants? What evidence do we have for this practice? Was it a routine tactic, or does the story survive primarily because of a single account by Antigonus II Gonatas of the siege of Megara? Murray examines the sources behind these claims, what ancient writers say about animals used against elephants, and the...

More Episodes

With Christmas just around the corner, the Ancient Warfare team take a break from battles to share their top reading recommendations for the holidays. From newly released studies to timeless classics, Jasper, Murray, Mark, Lindsay, and Marc each choose books that any ancient warfare enthusiast would love to find under the tree.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration for your own list or shopping for a fellow history buff, this episode is full of great ideas to keep you reading well into the new year.

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