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#1
Army Research / Re: Cunaxa and later Persian a...
Last post by stevenneate - Dec 15, 2025, 09:48 PMThis discussion looks like the basis for a Guardroom follow-up article!
Cunaxa discussion is both very interesting and very relevant at the moment. Makes me want to build a Persian army. I mean, another one...
Cunaxa discussion is both very interesting and very relevant at the moment. Makes me want to build a Persian army. I mean, another one...
#2
Army Research / Re: Cunaxa and later Persian a...
Last post by Jim Webster - Dec 15, 2025, 08:02 PMI agree with the issue of Homogeneity. Men sent as a contingent from a Babylonian temple were equipped by that temple. Then we have Gadal-Iâma who will serve as a cavalryman, but expects his family to supply the equipment, not the state.
So your regular royal troops could well have shown a fair commonality of equipment but even then, but anybody who was based and home and arrived with their kit when summoned is less likely to be 'uniform'.
So your regular royal troops could well have shown a fair commonality of equipment but even then, but anybody who was based and home and arrived with their kit when summoned is less likely to be 'uniform'.
#3
Ancient and Medieval History / Pope Gregory and the investitu...
Last post by Imperial Dave - Dec 15, 2025, 07:34 PM #4
Army Research / Re: Cunaxa and later Persian a...
Last post by DBS - Dec 15, 2025, 05:59 PMA couple of tangential thoughts:
1) Are we at risk of assuming too much homogeneity in the Persian army (and to be fair, most other ancient armies)? Even regular, royal troops might struggle to switch cleanly from one pattern of equipment to another; witness the endless debates about which pattern of scutum for different phases of the late Republican through to middle Principate Roman legions... Indeed, whilst one might suspect dear old Herodotos might have exaggerated some of the ethnic variation in his description of Xerxes' lads, nevertheless, homogeneity is very much not the point.
2) I suspect the cane shield may have been at the easier/quicker end of the scale for mass production. If you are Artaxerxes, looking to levy the odd extra myriad as your pesky and ungrateful brother marches east, getting the ladies of the Women's Institute to redouble their raffia output may have its attractions, even if the product is all a bit dated.
1) Are we at risk of assuming too much homogeneity in the Persian army (and to be fair, most other ancient armies)? Even regular, royal troops might struggle to switch cleanly from one pattern of equipment to another; witness the endless debates about which pattern of scutum for different phases of the late Republican through to middle Principate Roman legions... Indeed, whilst one might suspect dear old Herodotos might have exaggerated some of the ethnic variation in his description of Xerxes' lads, nevertheless, homogeneity is very much not the point.
2) I suspect the cane shield may have been at the easier/quicker end of the scale for mass production. If you are Artaxerxes, looking to levy the odd extra myriad as your pesky and ungrateful brother marches east, getting the ladies of the Women's Institute to redouble their raffia output may have its attractions, even if the product is all a bit dated.
#5
Ancient and Medieval History / Justinians plague and the byza...
Last post by Imperial Dave - Dec 14, 2025, 10:11 PM #6
Ancient and Medieval History / Money and the war of Athens an...
Last post by Imperial Dave - Dec 14, 2025, 10:09 PM #7
Ancient and Medieval History / Re: The Chremonidean War
Last post by Imperial Dave - Dec 14, 2025, 08:28 PMNo problem. I found it interesting as well
#8
Ancient and Medieval History / Re: The Chremonidean War
Last post by Chuck the Grey - Dec 14, 2025, 08:21 PMVery interesting, Dave. Thanks for posting.
#9
Ancient and Medieval History / Re: Periodising the Middle Age...
Last post by Erpingham - Dec 14, 2025, 03:28 PMQuote from: Jim Webster on Dec 14, 2025, 02:22 PMI wouldn't have thought of the Silk Road as a period
OK, I admit to being a bit sloppy just to get a working topic title
Feudalism is a concept but is used freely as a period (the Feudal Age). The Norman Yoke is also a concept but is associated with a period of time in England and with the Late Medieval Military Revolution(s), the period places the supposed transformation rather than vice-versa. #10
Ancient and Medieval History / Re: Periodising the Middle Age...
Last post by Jim Webster - Dec 14, 2025, 02:22 PMI wouldn't have thought of the Silk Road as a period