Through the middle ages, infantry was often relegated to an almost overlooked status in favor of the prominence of knights and the ideals of chivalry and cavalry. In many battles, the full number of combatants was unknown since the infantry wasn’t even counted as part of the force.[1] Between the end of the medieval age … Continue reading Infantry and Gunpowder
Month: January 2017
Case Study: Arsuf
Approaches to Combat: I thought this week’s module was fascinating – although I may be biased because I am fascinated with the history of the Crusades and the rise of Islam in general. Arsuf is a battle I had heard about in passing, but I was unware of the details, and studying history from a … Continue reading Case Study: Arsuf
Athens and Sparta – Poleis Polar Opposites
The city-states of Classical Greece all fostered different virtues, styles of government, laws and standards for behavior. Two of the most well-known Poleis of Ancient Greece were Athens and Sparta, and the two Poleis could not have been more different in what they valued, what they placed their attention on for cultivation and how they … Continue reading Athens and Sparta – Poleis Polar Opposites
Warfare: East vs. West
In reading both the Strategemata and the Art of War excerpts, it is clear that although there is a common idea that warfare in the classical age consisted of two armies meeting in a field and going at each other until a clear victor emerged, warfare was more complicated and much more involved, both in … Continue reading Warfare: East vs. West
Innovation, Adaptation and Technology in Ancient Warfare
Throughout this module, the thing that impressed and surprised me the most, which was repeated in the text several times was that success in ancient warfare wasn’t based so much on technological or even societal advancements but on the ability of ancient leaders to innovate with their armies and adapt, integrating what they had seen … Continue reading Innovation, Adaptation and Technology in Ancient Warfare
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