Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol. IX.6 - The Aftermath of the Battle

Enjoy Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol. IX.6 - The Aftermath of the Battle

Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol. IX.6 - The Aftermath of the Battle

Topic: Josho Brouwers, The Aftermath of the Battle - Historical Introduction

When we think of warfare in the ancient world, the first thing that probably comes to mind are images of men, clad in armor, fighting each other. Battles often attract a lot of attention, and there have been many heated discussions about the nature and mechanics of combat. In comparison, there is often less interest in what happens after the battle has been decided and the dust has settled. But the aftermath of the conflict is no less interesting than the fighting itself, as this issue of Ancient Warfare magazine will demonstrate.

Source: Friedrich Wilhelm Miesen, Spoils of War in Ancient Greece - The Spoils of War

Warfare for the ancient Greeks was commonplace. For civilians, there was an unstable mix of hardships, including the risk of being robbed by passing armies. For those serving their city or their king, battle meant the risk of being wounded or killed in single combat or in the claustrophobic shuffle of phalanx formations. Survivors would face the devastations of the battlefield. Here, on the fields where the day's slaughter had ended, the victorious side would search and collect clothing, armor, weapons, and other valuables from the bodies of friend and foe alike.

Subject: Sidney E. Dean, Germanic post-battle human sacrifice - bog bodies and broken swords

Post-battle religious ceremonies have always been an integral part of warfare. Survivors thank their god or gods for sparing their lives, victors rejoice in their divine favor, and losers pray for better luck next time. What varies from era to era and culture to culture are the forms of post-battle worship. Pledges of conduct, wine libations, and temple dedications seem civilized enough. But all too often, expressions of faith have shown a darker side. When the Germanic gods invested in the victor's cause, they wanted their share of the spoils—that is, the sacrifice.

Subject: P. Lindsay Powell, Celebrating Victory in the Augustan Way - A Trophy Proud of You

After a battle, victorious Roman troops would erect a collection of captured weapons and armor and dedicate them in gratitude to the gods. After the battles of Actium and Alexandria eliminated his rivals, Caesar Augustus developed the temporary display of war spoils into lasting symbols (presented on coins, inscriptions, and public monuments) to celebrate the glory of his conquests and the peace achieved through his victories.

Topic: mark mccaffery, the gates of janus - geminae belli portae

Following the victory over Antony and Cleopatra in August 30 BC, the Roman Senate lavished numerous expressions of praise and reward on Octavian, including his new title of Augustus. Some of these were politely declined by the absent victor, who would remain in the eastern Mediterranean solving problems until the following summer. However, according to Cassius Dio (51.20), the decree that most pleased Octavian was the decision taken by the Senate in his absence to close the Janus Gates. This was done in a ceremony held on January 11, 29 BC, as recorded by Verrio Flaccus in the Fasti Praenestini.

Topic: Gareth Williams, defeat and surrender in ancient Greece - flight

Once an engagement with the hoplites had begun, what was the "protocol" for those fleeing or surrendering? Were there unwritten laws or customs that dictated the Greeks' activities during these final stages of the battle? Was hoplite warfare dominated by such constructs, or could they be overridden by more pragmatic objectives?

Subject: Cezary Kucewicz, war dead in ancient Greece - ancestral custom

After the battle, those who survived were left to contemplate a gruesome spectacle. What they faced was a scene of distorted humanity: a field of mangled bodies, abandoned weapons, and the pitiful cries of the wounded and dying. Birds circled expectantly overhead, while dogs scavenged anxiously on the periphery. The field itself was littered with the dead of both sides, now indistinguishable in their shared ultimate fate. Indeed, the ancient Greeks offer us a complex picture of the glories and triumphs of war, but few scenes strike a modern reader as strongly as the pathos of battle's aftermath.

Subject: Owen Rees, Unspoken Homecomings in Ancient Greece - The Lost Nostoi

All soldiers go home. It's a reality faced by all survivors of every conflict throughout history: all soldiers must return home. From the victory parades of the Roman Empire to the triumphal marches of Napoleon, the image of a victorious homecoming is synonymous with military power and domination. In Classical Greece, a land and period that idolized the military—and the hoplite in particular—images of homecoming, victory, and the pride and glory felt by the individual or the state should have been prolific. However, this was not the case.

Special: Arnold Blumberg, Praetorians During the Roman Republic - The Personal Guard of a Roman General

The Praetorian Guard rose to power in the late Republic, becoming both the most famous and controversial unit of the Imperial army. Its name became synonymous with intrigue, greed, conspiracy, betrayal, and murder. Quickly assuming the status of the real power behind the Imperial Empire, it was responsible for the overthrow, abandonment, or assassination of fifteen of the 48 emperors between 27 BC and 305 AD. However, the Praetorian Guard's original purpose, at least from the 3rd century BC, was far from the brutal history it eventually left behind.

The Debate: Michael J. Taylor, A Look at the Roman Wedge Formation: What Was a Cuneus?

Almost all Roman reenactment patterns inevitably involve the group of Romans forming a lazy 'V' and running across a field. This demonstration aims to replicate an actual Roman infantry tactic, the cuneus, or "wedge." The wedge is attractive to reenactors partly because it can be made with a small number of available members: while at least sixteen are needed to make a respectable testudo, a group of about five hardy souls will suffice for the wedge. Cuneum facite is one of the standing orders in the Latin drill manual of the famous Ermine Street Guards.

At Tienda Medieval, we have thousands of medieval and other period products. Discover them!