Ancient History | War History

Mithridates the Poisoner King: Hallucinogenic Honey, Venom Arrows, and More

Poison had a steady but often quiet or controversial place in the history of warfare. On one hand, it was incredibly useful. Poisoned wells could…

Rome’s Most Hated People (Spoiler: Their Stories Often Don’t End Well)

Throughout the history of Rome, from the Kingdom of the 700’s BCE  to the fall of the Empire in 476, there have been individuals who…

Alternative History: The Roman Civil War

Crassus is an interesting character in Roman history. He was incredibly wealthy, one of the richest men before the emperors, but craved some military glory.…

Top Five Roman Generals – From Marcellus to Caesar

The Roman Legion was a fearsome military unit. A heavy infantry advance was almost unstoppable, able to take on most enemies. The best aspect of…

When Rome Crushed Israel: The Siege of Masada

The inhabitants of modern Israel and Palestine have a long history of stubborn defiance in the face of outside threats and military oppression. It’s a…

The Battle Of Alesia: The Roman Siege That Completed Julius Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul

War History Online presents this Guest Article from by Joseph M. Durante “Gaul comprises three areas…” and “the whole of Gaul was now conquered.” In 58 B.C.…

The Raids on Rome: The Eternal City Saved by 600-Year-Old Wall

In the 8th century, a fractured collection of European kingdoms came under increasing pressure from the powerful united Caliphates of the rapidly developing Islamic world.…

Top Four Totally Effective Surprise Attacks in Military History

Surprise attacks and ambushes can turn the tide of war. More often than not, the side that has the larger base of industry or manpower…

Mantinea: Greeks Killing Each Other to Pave the Way for Conquest

Philip of Macedon conquered the Greeks, most of us know that, but how did he do it? These mighty Greeks faced huge numbers of Persian…

How Caesar Defeated 250,000 Gaulish Warriors Coming At Them From Two Sides With Only 60,000 Legionnaires

Julius Caesar’s Gallic Wars had been raging for over five years when his legions faced their greatest test at the double siege of Alesia, a…

Five Amazing Facts About Hannibal Barca: Rome’s Most Dangerous Enemy

Hannibal Barca – he crossed the Alps with elephants, supposedly took a sworn oath to forever hate the Romans, and inflicted some of the worst…

The Man Who Found The Ancient Greek City of Troy

It’s difficult to mention either the early days of archaeology, Troy or even the history of ancient Greece without mentioning Heinrich Schliemann. The German archaeologist,…