In this episode of Ancient Warfare Answers, Murray Dahm tackles a listener question from Richard Azzalin. Did Greek and Roman soldiers ever fight while wearing their cloaks or chlamys? And did warriors sometimes go into battle barefoot? Murray looks at what the evidence tells us about these details of ancient warfare.
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Dominik asks: is the famous story of Hannibal and Scipio Africanus meeting to discuss history’s greatest generals plausible? Murray Dahm examines the ancient accounts, the realities of elite travel in the ancient world, and whether such encounters between great commanders could have happened.
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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.
Suggested Books
Decorated Roman Armour: From the Ages of the Kings to the Death of Justinian the Great
Germanicus: The Magnificent Life and Mysterious Death of Rome's Most Popular General
Inside the Roman Legions: The Soldier’s Experience 264–107 BCE
The War for Gaul: A New Translation
Crossing the Pomerium: The Boundaries of Political, Religious, and Military Institutions from Caesar to Constantine
Shadow Empires: An Alternative Imperial History
Ancient Rome in Fifty Monuments
Early Rome to 290 BC: The Beginnings of the City and the Rise of the Republic
The African Emperor: The Life of Septimius Severus
Weapons, Warriors and Battles of Ancient Iberia
Caesarian Legionary vs Pompeian Legionary: Rome’s Civil War 49–45 BC: 82
Roman Cavalry Tactics: 263
The Wars of Justinian I
A Thousand Ships: A Gripping Feminist Retelling of the Trojan War
The Children of Jocasta: A Viscerally Atmospheric Retelling of Greek Myth
Hadrian's Wall
Vindolanda
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A listener asks: without modern nutritionists or recovery plans, how did Caesar’s legionnaires maintain the stamina to fight repeated battles, such as Bibracte and the Arar in 58 BC? Murray Dahm looks at training, diet, and discipline in Rome’s legions, and how ancient soldiers sustained their fighting edge.
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