Roman Legions Of Renown… And How They Earned Their Names
Roman legions could become famous for their endurance or victories in war. Though all were numbered, many also had names that recorded their history, origins or…
Battle of the 300 Champions – When Sparta And Argos’ Best Hoplites Fight to the Death, Last Man Standing Wins
The Greeks sure seem to like the number 300. The 300 Spartans (and their 7,000 allies) at Thermopylae, the 300 Theban Sacred Band, and the…
Alternative History – The Teutoburg Disaster
“What if” history questions can be a divisive. Some view them as an exercise in futility, a place where no serious historians should go. Others…
Enemies Within And Without – Caligula, Arminius and Vercingetorix – Most Hated Men Of Ancient Rome
If you haven’t seen the first post covering the Roman Republic, here it is. Rome hated a lot of people over the thousands of years…
Five Facts – 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,…
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…
Greek Fire: Civil War in the “Cradle of Democracy” After WW2
War History Online Presents this Guest Blog From Alan G. Gauthreaux. A highly motivated and extremely determined Greek army descended on communist guerrillas on three sides…
Constantinople: Holding The Walls At All Costs
At dawn, the leaders of the defence gazed out west from the walls of Constantinople. The two Byzantine commanders, Bonus and Sergius, did not speak…
Mantinea: Greeks Killing Each Other to Pave the Way for Philip’s 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…
Arab 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.…
The Viking Mercenaries of the Byzantine Empire – The Varangian Guard
The Byzantines Hired Viking Mercenaries as Guards The relationship between the Byzantine Emperors and their Varangian Guard was a complex affair. The Byzantines were first…