Ancient History | War History

Cruel and Unusual? Fact and Fiction About Punishment in Ancient Rome

There are numerous tales of cruel and unusual punishments in ancient Rome. One of the tales in Livy’s History tells of how Tarpeia was punished…

Guarded by 7,000 Warriors – Tomb of Qin Shihuangdi

Qin Shihuangdi died in 210 BCE. He was the first ruler to unite China. He also built an extensive network of roads, standardized the currency,…

Hannibal’s Revenge: Elephant General of Carthage

The Origin of an Oath Rome and Carthage were two large and rich states that in the 3rd century BC dominated the Central and Western…

Celtic Warriors Limit Roman Power at Hadrian’s Wall

The Roman Empire’s success, like that of many empires, was closely linked with its ability to expand. Rome’s history was borne of conflict, and for…

17 Women to 1 Man – Generations of War May Explain Ancient Mystery

Several millennia ago men were in an unusual position.  According to recent studies, genetic diversity–specifically the diversity of the Y-chromosome–virtually collapsed over the course of…

Hadrian’s Wall of Denmark – Dannevirke Defensive Complex

Beginning in the later part of what historians know as the “Nordic Iron Age,” the pagan Danes built massive lines of fortifications along their border…

Ultimately Disgraced – Scipio Africanus was One of Rome’s Greatest Generals

Publius Cornelius Scipio was born around 236 BC, the son of a Roman aristocrat. He grew up amid the privilege of the Roman elite and…

Mysterious Fate of Zenobia: The Palmyra Queen Who Defied Rome

In the third century AD, Palmyra was a stopover for traders traveling across the deserts. This made Palmyra wealthy and earned it the nickname “The…

Spartans – Men Who Were Born To Fight

Spartans were a people from ancient Greece who had two main goals in life: to be the best warriors in the land, and to serve…

Mongol Tactics Learned from the Great Sun Tzu – Speed, Deception and Intel

The strategic genius of Genghis Khan is immortalized in history. The writings of Sun Tzu have established sound military principles that have transcended time and…

Egyptian Master General – Pharaoh Thutmose III And The Battle of Megiddo

Ancient Egypt had seen many Pharaohs come and go, several dynasties rise and fall, many amongst whom were great and truly remarkable but only a…

Boudica – The Celtic Queen Who Challenged Rome

Arminius, born in the Germanic territories and forced to become a Roman soldier, never forgot his past and decided, when the chance came, to fight…