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

Subject: 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 armour, fighting each other. Battles often attract a great deal 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 conflict is no less interesting than the fighting itself, as this issue of Ancient Warfare magazine will demonstrate.

Source: Friedrich Wilhelm Miesen, War spoils in ancient Greece - The spoils of war

Warfare for the ancient Greeks was a common occurrence. For civilians, there was an unstable mix of hardships, including the risk of being robbed by passing armies. For those who served 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. The 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


Religious ceremonies after battles 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, libations of wine, 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, i.e. the sacrifice.

Subject: p. lindsay powell, celebrating victory in the manner of august - a proud trophy of you

After a battle, victorious Roman troops would erect an array of captured weapons and armor and dedicate them in gratitude to the gods. After the battles of Actium and Alexandria that eliminated his rivals, Caesar Augustus developed the temporary display of war spoils into lasting symbols (featured 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 sorting out problems until the following summer. However, according to Dio Cassius (51.20), the decree that most pleased Octavian was the decision taken by the Senate in his absence to close the Gates of Janus, which was done in a ceremony held on 11 January 29 BC, as recorded by Verius Flaccus in the Fasti Praenestini.

Subject: gareth williams, defeat and surrender in ancient greece - escape

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

Topic: Cezary Kucewicz, war dead in ancient Greece - ancient custom

After the battle, those who survived were left to gaze upon a grisly spectacle. What they faced was a scene of distorted humanity: a field of shattered bodies, abandoned weapons, and the piteous cries of the wounded and dying. Birds circled expectantly overhead, while dogs rooted 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 give us a complex picture of the glories and triumphs of war, but few scenes strike the modern reader as deeply as the pathos of the aftermath of battle.

Subject: owen rees, tacit homecomings in ancient greece - the lost nostoi

All soldiers go home. It is a reality that has been faced by every survivor of every conflict throughout history: every soldier 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, of victory, and of 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 the most famous and controversial unit in the Imperial Army. Its name became synonymous with intrigue, greed, conspiracy, betrayal and murder. Quickly assuming the status of the royal power behind the Imperial Empire, it was responsible for the overthrow, abandonment or assassination of fifteen of the 48 emperors between 27 BC and AD 305. However, the original purpose of the Praetorian Guard, at least from the 3rd century BC, was far removed from the brutal history it eventually left behind.

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

Almost every pattern of Roman reenactments inevitably involves the group of Romans forming a lazy ‘v’ and running across a field. This demonstration is intended to replicate an actual Roman infantry tactic, the cuneus, or “wedge”. The wedge is appealing to reenactors in part 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.

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