John asks one of the big questions of Roman Imperial military history - what happened to the ninth legion (Legio IX Hispana). Murray presents his theory (and adds on the fate of the other lost legion too - the twenty-second Legio XXII Deiotariana) Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

Clausewitz wrote that there are three forces at work when a nation goes to war: “unbridled passion,” reason, and the play of chance and probability. Things only work well when each of these is held in equilibrium by the other two. The people, the government, and the military represent these forces and the government should, in theory, maintain that…

'When a Legion is transferred, is it sent en masse? and generally, were replacement troops put in place to assume the fortifications et al that the departing Legion would have left behind? and is it expected that a transferred legion would take over standard positions in their new territory? And are troops left behind to provide handovers to the in…

Greg wonders what really happened at the Battle of Panium in 200 BC, and how good a tactician was Antiochus III? Are there some books that you could recommend to me about this subject? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

War is really very simple, but Clausewitz cautioned that by saying that in war, even the simplest thing is difficult, sometime insurmountable. This idea, which he called “Friction” he maintained was the one thing that made war in theory different from war in practice. The elements that create friction in war also apply to the effort to move from wa…

"Over the course of its long history and expansion, Rome fought a range of peoples. Some were conquered, while others never were. A few would even return for revenge." In the latest issue, the team discuss issue XVII.3 Rome's May Enemies: Threats from within and without. Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast…

Jan asks what do we really know about ancient massed archery? How was it conducted? We may envision Hollywood-style showers of arrows raining down accurately on a target, but… how realistic is this? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

If the only acceptable outcome of war is a peace, and the only sustainable peace is a just peace, then it is essential to answer the question, “what is peace?” This is a simple question, but without a simple answer. It has been debated from Plato up until the present day. This lack of definition may be one reason why the transition from war to peac…

Euchale writes that he has recently watched a video by Farya Faraji on just how inaccurate a lot of modern "interpretations" of ancient music is. One of his pet peeves is the use of Armenian Duduks for anything vaguely Arabic. Euchale poses two questions to Murray, do you have pet peeve that every movie gets wrong about ancient warfare? And, have y…

College library director Darren is sponsoring a wargame involving a student tabletop game club (D&D, etc.) and a student history club. Darren writes to ask Murray what, in his opinion, would be the best ancient battle(s) for a group of 18 to 20-year-old students. Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast…

The subject of Just War, or Justum Bellum, is a frequent topic in these podcasts. If, however, the only acceptable justification for any war is to establish a more just and lasting peace, shouldn’t there be a similar framework for Just Peace, or Justum Pacem? Just War theory goes back to Plato and Aristotle, but Just Peace thinking is a product of …

In conversation with Ancient Warfare regular Marc DeSantis, Murray tells us about his new book Finis Britanniae: A Military History of Late Roman Britain and the Saxon Conquest. Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

In Chapter 17 of the Prince, Nicolo Machiavelli wrote that a prince ought to desire to be thought of as clement and not cruel. It is more important, he said, to generate a respectful fear which, in then end, is actually more merciful than those who pursue reputations of mercy. Under no circumstances, however, should the prince become hated. This co…

Dave Latham asked about the Kingdom of Soissons, and after a particularly deep rabbit hole, Murray has emerged to give you his musings. Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

Just as it takes two parties to agree to fight a war, it takes both parties to agree to peace. Getting both warring parties to agree to peace sometimes requires a third party. This third party provides “good offices” to help both sides agree on what peace should look like. It also helps when each party understands the political objectives of the ot…

Mark asks, 'did any of the friendly client states (i.e. Thrace, Cappadocia, Mauretania etc) try to copy Roman legions in terms of equipment, organisation, tactics etc?' Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

Ending a war begins when one side or the other believes that the cost of continuing to fight exceeds any expectations of success. This could be a simple cost benefit calculation, it could be that continuing to fight after a major defeat is unlikely to bring success, or that the war aims have already been achieved and any further violence is unjusti…

Thanks to Andy for sending this one in. 'I’m listening to SJA Turney’s Marius' Mules. Over the first three books, he frequently references the medical support for the legions. How developed were the medics? Were their skills another advantage for the Romans ?' Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast…

My podcasts on The Ancient Art of Modern Warfare presented the elements of war that I think every citizen should know in holding our elected representatives responsible for decisions about going to and prosecuting war. The time has come in this series to move from war to peace. The most important consideration in going to and in prosecuting war is …

In a second question from his postcard, Gus asks, what was the difference between bronze and iron weapons and armour in terms of availability, hardness, temper and penetrating ability? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

'After two decades of war, Alexander's successors had found a delicate balance. When Ptolemy's wayward son managed to destabilize matters, the Celts grabbed their chance.' The Ancient Warfare team discuss the latest issue of the magazine XVII.2 Invasion of the Celts: Brennus' Campaign into Greece. Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast…

In a new Ancient Warfare Answers postcard, Gus asks Thureophoroi - what were they? (light troops/peltast replacements)and where did they originate? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

Aaron asks "On your comment about written battle accounts, were Empire era writings less common, lost to time, or were the generals less educated than Republic era generals?" Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

In this episode of the Ancient Warfare Magazine podcast, Murray and Jasper are joined by Stephen DeCasien to discuss rams on ships. Stephen is a PhD candidate at Texas A&M University studying Nautical Archaeology. His academic interests are Greek and Roman maritime history and archaeology, with a special focus on naval warfare, naval rams, and wars…

To celebrate the 300th episode of the Ancient Warfare Podcast and Ancient Warfare Answers, Murray answers a curly one, what really happened at the battle of Marathon - Murray has forgotten who asked him this but is a 'big' question nonetheless! Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

'A question for Murray, who or what made the decisions about where Roman army units were based or moved around the Empire? I am presuming if it were a vexillation from Hadrian's Wall to York, it would be a local commander's decision, but what if it was a cohort sent from York to Gaul, ie between adjacent provinces? Was that worked out by the milita…

Sara wonders how negotiations between different armies were practically arranged. For example, with Caesar in Gaul, several times he had some type of meetings with different groups. Such as the Helvetii before he had even established himself in Gaul. How was such a meeting arranged before and after a battle? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwar…

Murray answers this question set in by Tim. 'I'm wondering why historians generally accept that Mons Graupius was indeed a great victory for Agricola. My understanding is that Tacitus' account is the only written evidence we have, and archaeology has turned up little physical evidence of the battle. Is part of the reason that a great victory would …

“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” So begins L.P. Hartley’s book, The Go-Between. Although the way people do things changes over time, what they do remains largely the same. War and politics are human endeavors, and human nature is unchanging. It should be no surprise, therefore, that the nature of war and politics i…

Nathan wonders how the Praetorian Guard was structured. Was it used in traditional combat or taken on campaigns? While not directly related to ancient warfare, why did the emperors continually use the Praetorian Guard despite their history of treachery, intrigue, and assassination? Join us on Patron patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast…