When Pirates Kidnapped Julius Caesar He Laughed at Their Ransom Demands & Told Them To Ask for More
Long ago a 25-year-old Roman author, poet, priest, and aristocrat was kidnapped by pirates. Rather than plead for his release, however, he ordered them to…
Leonidas I, Sparta’s Greatest Warrior King
King Leonidas I is the most famous general in the history of Sparta, and perhaps the whole of Greece. Disappointingly little is known about the…
Battle of Agincourt – The English Really Should Have Lost, But They Won
The Battle of Agincourt is an iconic moment in English military history. On 25 October 1415, an army of English raiders under Henry V faced…
Greek Fire: Civil War in the “Cradle of Democracy” After World War Two
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…
The Most Terrible, Deadliest Sieges Before the 19th Century
Sieges throughout history were awful affairs. Unlike Field Battles, Sieges involved civilians, as well as numerous ways to die over long periods of time. Starvation…
1453: The Fall Of Constantinople And The End Of The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire didn’t end with the 476 depositions of the Western Emperor Romulus or the Fall of Rome. It continued with solid momentum in…
The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, Rome’s Greatest Defeat And The Broken Remnants of a Glorious Army
Varus was crushed. His feet and hands and mind were numb with the freezing rain. His legions, so splendid and untouchable only days before, were…
Elite Cavalry Units of the Ancient World – They Were Very Effective
Prior to gunpowder and efficient pike squares, cavalry had a key impact on the battlefield. Cavalry was utilized differently based on their training, equipment, and…
1571 Battle of Lepanto: The Pope’s Naval Crusade – Destroying the Ottoman Empire Naval Supremacy
The Ottoman Empire grew from being a minor power in modern Turkey to controlling much of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. By 1453, they…
Hadrian’s Wall – One Of The Greatest Achievements Of Ancient Roman Military Engineering
Though long since reduced to ruins, the line of Hadrian’s Wall is still visible through the countryside of northern England, from Bowness on the west…
Ancient Generals Who Had No Problem Fighting Heroically On The Front Lines
Generals now certainly do not fight on the front lines, that would be ridiculous. Perhaps the last time we had instances of high-ranking officers in…
A Day in the Life of a Roman Legionary – Mighty Soldiers Of The Ancient World
Roman legionaries were among the most ruthlessly efficient soldiers in the ancient world. But even for these highly disciplined and well-equipped men, the armies that…