Ralph Kirby challenges Murray with an intriguing question: could the Polybolas be considered the least influential weapon on the ancient battlefield? Used by both the Successor Macedonian states and Rome, Kirby argues that the Polybolas might have even replaced the Scorpio as a legionary siege weapon.
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In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Magazine Podcast, the team explores groundbreaking archaeological discoveries from 2025 that are reshaping our understanding of ancient conflicts. From mass graves to reinterpreted royal tombs, these finds illuminate the strategies, societies, and struggles of the past.
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In more modern battles, small farm compounds like La Haye Sainte and Hougoumont played pivotal roles in the fighting. But in ancient warfare, we rarely see small villas or farmsteads having a similar impact on battles. Why is that? Were these features less significant in ancient combat, or are there examples where small built-up areas shaped the course of battle? Join Murray Dahm as he tackles this intriguing question on Ancient Warfare Answers!
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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?'
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'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.
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In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast, Marc De Santis talks to historian and author Lindsay Powell about his latest book, Tiberius: From Masterly Commander to Masterful Emperor of Rome, 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 decades?
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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.
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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.'
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"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 City-States in an Arms Race: Greek innovation in the fourth century BC, issue 101.
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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.
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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. Given this perspective, I wondered why there seems to be such heavy reliance on Josephus, especially considering the article's focus on Legion X Fretensis rather than Josephus's narrative.'
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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?'
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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?'
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In the latest episode of the Ancient Warfare Magazine podcast, Marc De Santis speaks with Murray Dahm about his new book, Roman Soldier vs Dacian Warrior: Dacian Wars AD 85–106.
The wars between Rome and Dacia were some of the most intense and strategically important conflicts of the early 2nd century AD. Fought during the reign of Emperor Domitian and later under Trajan, these battles saw the disciplined Roman legions face off against the determined warriors of Dacia. The struggle ended with Rome’s annexation of Dacia, a victory commemorated on Trajan’s Column in Rome.
Murray’s new book, published by Osprey, examines the tactics, weaponry, and battlefield experiences of both Roman soldiers and their Dacian opponents. In this episode, he discusses the challenges faced by both sides, the effectiveness of Dacian weapons—such as the falx—and how Rome adapted its military approach to counter the threat.
Listen to the episode to learn more about one of Rome’s toughest adversaries and the warfare that shaped the empire’s northern frontier.
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This 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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Shabbi poses this intriguing question,'how vulnerable were armies during the Bronze and Iron Ages to lightning strikes, whether on the battlefield or while marching, given their use of metal weapons, armour, and formations in open areas?
Could such vulnerability have influenced ancient religions, particularly the widespread belief in storm and lightning gods in various unconnected cultures (like Zeus, Thor, and Indra)? For example, could events like lightning strikes swaying the tide of battle (if such an event is plausible) explain why so many societies independently developed lightning-wielding deities?'
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These questions came via postcard from Michael in Boston.
'What really happened at the battle of Lugdunum (197 CE)? I've read that this battle might have been the largest in Roman history - do you agree?
I've also read that this battle lasted multiple days. How does that work? Did both sides retire at night and resume fighting in the morning, or was skirmishing constant throughout?'
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Two great questions here for Murray on the topic of usurpers.
'It seems Legio VII Gemina raised by Galba in AD 68 in Hispania is quite unique. In terms of being a creation by a usurper. Are there any other similar units raised usurpers and retained by victors? Also, what province Ancient Warfare crew consider the best in terms of starting usurpation/rise of the new Emperor?'
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'For those trying to win wars in the ancient world, large armies were a necessity. However, the personal prestige earned from a victory in single combat was still unmatched.'
In this episode, the AW team discuss issue XVII.6 Duels to the Death: Single Combat in Antiquity.
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For the first episode of 2025, we have this from @mrookeward, who asks Murray to explore some of the tropes (or not tropes) for 'uniforms'. E.g. the Spartan lambda shield, or ancient Egyptian headwear.
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Murray answers four questions in just one episode sent in by David:
1. Were the legions largely (or even completely) replaced by the foederati by the seventh century CE?
2. What do we know about the ethnic makeup of the armies that fought for pagan Rome in the wars of the first centuries BCE and CE (largely legionaries from southern Europe?) compared to the armies that fought for Byzantine Rome in the seventh-century wars (largely “barbarians”?), including Heraclius’s reconquest of Jerusalem in 628 CE from the Persian Sassanid empire?
3. Do you have a view (either way) on the argument—made most compellingly by Tom Holland in his 2014 book, In the Shadow of the Sword—that the Byzantine Roman army of the early seventh century was made up largely of fighters from the southern Levant and northern Arabia (where the Ghassanids came from)?
4. Could Arab forces that formerly made up the Foederati have “declared independence” from Rome in the third decade of the seventh century and ultimately have conquered the Levant from the Romans in the 630s (before engaging in civil war among themselves and the descendants of the Lakhmids, who had fought on behalf of the Sassanid empire three decades later)? In other words, might Muhammad and his original followers all have been former Foederati, who turned against their former Eastern Roman clients, much like the Gothic barbarians did against their former Western Roman clients a couple centuries earlier?
'We’ve all heard of ancient armies catapulting corpses and manure over walls in sieges, but is the modern intuition that this was to promote illness in those cities correct? Are there any primary sources that describe flinging corpses in order to make the defenders sick, or was it more likely just out of convivence for the attackers?' Thanks Thomas for sending that in.
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With the release of Ridley Scott's Gladiator II, the Ancient Warfare team have headed off to their local cinemas (well, almost all of the team) for a screening.
Will this be as influential on future historians as the original Gladiator movie?
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Murray gives his thoughts on this question sent in by Paul, 'were the reasons for war in ancient times any different to the modern era?'
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Jason sent this in for Murry to muse over, 'a lot of old action war movies set in ancient times have two champions or the two kings from both sides meeting in combat as their armies watch on before the battle starts. Has there ever been any historical battles where two men have fought like this, or is it purely fiction? If it is fiction, are there any good stories of two champions or kings meeting in battle?'
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