'Emperor's Sword' Book Review By Ron Fortier

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'Emperor's Sword' Book Review By Ron Fortier

EMPEROR’S SWORD The Imperial Assassin Book 1 By Alex Gough Canelo US 358 pgs

Silus is a half-breed Roman scout comfortable in the wild northern terrain of Caledonia. One fateful mission ends with his murdering a regional chieftain. This reckless act in turn starts a chain of events that has dire consequences for the Empire. The retaliation for his rash act results in further barbarian raids and in one attack his wife and daughter are killed. Lost in a sea of grief and despair, Silus comes to the attention of Caracalla, one of the triumvirate rulers. Seeing potential in the scout, Caracalla has him assigned to the veteran spymaster Marcus Oclatinuis; the chief of an elite spy faction known as the Arcani. They are the assassins of the empire.

What follows is a truly memorable historical action-adventure filled with colorful characters and gut-wrenching battles as two different cultures vie for supremacy. The prize of their war was the island continent of what would one day be Great Britain. Gough’s history is impeccable and enriches his tale greatly. The characters come to life as does the savagery of the times. He brutally displays the insanity of war and the vagaries of the human experience both in its nobility and its depravity.

This is a remarkable book and only the first in a series. One we are eager to follow.

Why are masked men so hot? Truly tho, what's the psychology behind the attractiveness? It's mental issues, isn't it?

PLEASE...PLEASE JUST LOOK AT HIM

THE EYES??THE EYEBROWS???HIS EXPRESSIONS???ITS EVERYTHING RAHAGS

AND HE SEEMS SO GOOFY TOO 😭😭🖤🖤

But he's sexist so 😔

In ancient times, no army was truly powerful without a cavalry. The equivalent of modern tanks and special forces, cavalrymen were the terror of the ancient battlefields. A force to be reckoned with, they had the power to shift the course of battle, while the sight of their charging horses frequently prompted brave soldiers to retreat in fear.

Arguably, the most powerful and organized cavalry in ancient times was that of the Romans. Playing key military roles throughout the regal, republican and imperial eras, the Roman cavalry was in many ways responsible for the continued successes and military expansion of Rome.

This article delves into the history, tactics, weaponry, and legacy of the Roman cavalry, shedding light on their unparalleled impact on ancient warfare and their enduring influence on military strategy.

I FORGOT to talk about the legion....i only know a little about it from what ive seen in game but caesar did a bad job. he did a bad job

Romans versus “Barbarians”: A Military Comparison, Part Two

An Original Essay of Lucas Del Rio

Note: This is the second installment of an essay that will be four parts in total. The previous installment has already been posted on my blog. Each section chronologically covers the wars fought by the Romans in the events leading up to the dawn of the Middle Ages. A special focus is on how both the Romans and their adversaries, whom the former referred to the latter as “barbarians,” fought in terms of tactics and weaponry. In this segment of the essay, the focus will be on the Roman wars with the Carthaginians, Iberians, Macedonians, and Seleucids.

           The Roman Republic was in a strong position once it had secured control over all of Italy. However, it was not yet at this point the dominant power in the Mediterranean, or even in the western Mediterranean. For several centuries prior to the Roman unification of Italy, the title of being the greatest Mediterranean realm had belonged to Carthage. Located in modern Tunisia, the city of Carthage was initially founded by Phoenicians. A culture that emerged in the Bronze Age, the Phoenicians were Canaanites in the Levant who spoke a Semitic language. Their early history is poorly documented, but at their peak, they were expert sailors and traders. Some Phoenicians traveled as far as the Atlantic. Folklore states that a Phoenician queen, whose name has been disputed, founded Carthage in 814 BC. If this is true, the city was founded sixty-one years before the Romans claimed that their own city was established. Some historians believe that the conquest of the Levant in 538 BC by Persian King Cyrus the Great caused many Phoenicians to settle elsewhere, including in Carthage.

           Cyrus the Great was not the only conqueror whose actions led to an increase in the strength of Carthage while their ancestral homeland of Phoenicia declined. Later, in 332 BC, Alexander the Great seized the region from the Persians. Alexander ravaged Phoenicia, and those that were able to flee did so. In the years that followed, Carthage established vast trade routes, allowing it to grow and prosper as it sold dye, glass, and ivory throughout the Mediterranean. The Carthaginians had formed an empire by the 600s BC with colonies across North Africa. These endeavors led them to build a feared and formidable navy. They also developed a military, learning to vigorously utilize javelin throwing cavalry from their allies, the neighboring Numidians. Like many empires at the time, the Carthaginians employed chariots early on and would increasingly copy Greek and Macedonian phalanxes. During this point in history, there were still elephants in North Africa, and they trained these elephants for battle. Carthaginian war elephants were armored, had their tusks outfitted with sharp objects, and usually carried two soldiers.

           The Carthaginian army included native Carthaginians, who occupied all leadership roles. However, the bulk of its forces were foreign mercenaries. These included Balearic slingers, both Celtic and Iberian swordsmen, Cretan archers, and Libyan warriors who fought with axes. Eventually, these soldiers would end up fighting the Romans, although the two cultures had not always been enemies. In fact, prior to the Punic Wars, their societies had been close trade partners who were generally on positive terms. At the time that the Romans had largely secured control of mainland Italy, the nearby island of Sicily was almost entirely Carthaginian territory. This may have allowed both empires to do business with one another, but the close proximity of the island and the peninsula began to spark tensions. Pyrrhus had remarked after his defeat in Italy by the Romans that war between Carthage and Rome war was inevitable.

           The Punic Wars would not be the first time that Carthage had experienced a major military confrontation. Prior to the Punic Wars, the Carthaginians had to fight a Greek general named Agathocles. A former mercenary, it was actually with their help that Agathocles was able to establish his own military dictatorship. In 317 BC, he seized power in Syracuse, a colony of the Greek city-state of Corinth and the only major city on the island of Sicily other than Acragas not controlled by the Carthaginian Empire. Still not content, Agathocles invaded other cities on the island. While the Carthaginians managed to repel these attacks, Agathocles was able to escape with sixty ships before Syracuse could be captured. By doing so, he managed to bring fourteen thousand soldiers to Africa. At this time, Carthage was battling an uprising, plus its soldiers in Sicily were struggling to take Syracuse despite the absence of its leader. Agathocles was making impressive progress in conquering cities belonging to Carthage, but he went back to defend Syracuse once he realized his city was beginning to fall. He was forced to sign a peace treaty with the Carthaginians in 306 BC and agreed to give them their cities back, although he continued to conduct military campaigns elsewhere for the duration of his life.

           Like the war that the Carthaginians were forced to fight against Agathocles, the starting battleground of the First Punic War would be in Sicily. It began as a proxy war, as the Romans became involved in a power struggle on the island concerning Carthage. Mercenaries known as the Mamertines previously had employment with the monarchy in Syracuse. After their work for the city had concluded, they chose to seize control of a different city known as Messina. In an attempt to avoid facing the wrath of Carthage, the Mamertines went to the Roman Senate to seek an alliance. Even though Carthage and Rome had not previously been adversaries, the Romans now saw an opportunity to expand into Sicily and in 264 BC sent soldiers. Before long, the two empires had entered a state of open warfare. Both sides knew the strengths of their opponent and thus tried to keep the combat that they excelled at. Carthage had the advantage of a highly formidable navy, whereas serious naval warfare was something that the Romans had never previously experienced. On the other hand, the Carthaginians, with their dependence on foreign mercenaries, lacked a land formation of their own that could compete with Roman warriors, who fought in legions.

           The Carthaginian advantage at sea would not last long against the industrious Romans. Ships captured by the Romans were examined by Roman engineers, who learned how they could build their own. Unlike the Carthaginians, who sunk enemy ships with rams attached to their own, the Romans employed the tactic of boarding the Carthaginian ships with legionnaires. As the war went on, the Romans won battle after battle despite the brave efforts of Hamilcar Barca, a commander who is still celebrated in the field of military history. Because the situation in Sicily remained a stalemate, the Roman army invaded Africa directly in 256 BC. Carthage sought the help of a Spartan military commander by the name of Xanthippus, who helped repel the Roman onslaught, yet it was still not enough for Carthage to win the war. In 241 BC, the Carthaginians surrendered and were forced to give up Sicily, plus give the Romans tribute. However, despite this surrender, the Carthaginian Empire retained its sovereignty, as it had not yet been defeated.

           Much of what happened in the years following the First Punic War were not kind to Carthage. As Sicily had been one of its most important trade destinations, funds were lacking to pay the mercenaries that composed much of the Carthaginian army. Between 240 and 237 BC, a conflict occurred known as “the Mercenary War” in which many of their mercenaries revolted. While Carthage managed to defeat the rebels, the Romans took advantage of the situation to seize Corsica and Sardinia, two other major islands in the Mediterranean. The sea had become dominated by the Romans, who were now an unmatched naval power. However, the Carthaginians were still trying to reestablish themselves as a major power. They decided to colonize the Iberian Peninsula, where they founded various settlements, including the city of Cartagena in 228 BC that still stands today. Hamilcar Barca, the aforementioned general, played an active role in Carthaginian military operations in Iberia. His son, Hannibal, and his son-in-law, Hasdrubal, followed in his footsteps.

           Peace between the two cultures would not last. Hamilcar died in 228 BC, but both Hannibal and Hasdrubal would continue fighting for the empire they served. Silver mines captured in Iberia eased the strain on the Carthaginian economy that had been caused by the tribute owed to the Romans. The silver also allowed for the military to expand again. With Carthage resurgent, the empire would soon strike back. Rome, having recently defeated Celtic allies of Carthage to the north of Italy, were not worried about the possibility of another war. Hannibal led an army to seize a town in Iberia called Saguntum in 219 BC, which startled the Romans, as the Saguntines were their ally. However, while the move provoked Rome, nothing about this particular action by the Carthaginians was in violation of any diplomatic treaty between the two societies. If anything, the Romans had acted illegally by allying with these people, as the town was in a location that both sides agreed was to be reserved for the Carthaginians. Rome demanded that Carthage extradite Hannibal, which they did not. It was the start of the Second Punic War in 218 BC, in which the Romans would see plenty more of Hannibal.

           Hannibal first gathered an army in Iberia, which included many Iberian mercenaries. Prior to his death, Hamilcar had been trying to build a more effective army for Carthage after the defeat in the First Punic War had largely been the result of a weak one. Due to the strong presence that the Carthaginians now had on the Iberian Peninsula, recruiting the locals for the new war would have been a logical choice. Most obviously, the region was fairly close to Italy, which Hannibal intended to invade. Additionally, the Iberians were fierce warriors who had mastered fighting as both infantry and cavalry. Like their Roman counterparts, Iberian infantry carried large shields, were heavily armored, and threw javelins at their enemies before charging. By the time of the Second Punic War, it had become clear that Roman legionnaires were some of the best melee infantry in the known world. However, the Iberians had some advantages in melee combat. Legionnaires were still generally armed with spears, and those that fought with swords still carried a now outdated variety long used in Greece. Years later, legionnaires started to be equipped with a type of sword that they called the “gladius hispanicus,” a weapon, based on the Iberian “falcata,” that would also famously become common in brawls between gladiators.

           As previously stated, the Iberians were also very skilled at fighting on horseback. Like the Spanish cavalry that would later exist in the region many centuries later, the Iberians had a combination of both heavy and light cavalry. Whereas the heavy cavalry wielded both lances and their signature swords, the light cavalry threw javelins. Hannibal, of course, had a variety of soldiers in the army that he amassed to invade Italy, with ninety thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry. He also mustered forty war elephants. Carthaginian war elephants had previously been of the variety indigenous to North Africa, but it has been theorized that Hannibal acquired Asian elephants for his campaign against Rome. If this is true, the elephants were likely supplied by the Ptolemies, the dynasty that then ruled Egypt. The Ptolemies were on friendly terms with Carthage and had trade routes with the east.

           The Second Punic War was arguably the greatest threat to Rome for centuries to come. Hannibal knew that he could not give Rome the chance to invade Africa, as it had done to win in the First Punic War. He therefore decided that his first move would be to march his troops directly from Iberia to Italy. In doing so, the army commanded by Hannibal had to cross over the Alps, which resulted in twenty thousand soldiers dying. It was probably especially disappointing to Hannibal that only one elephant survived the journey. However, this did not stop him. Rome expected his weakened army to be defeated quickly, but Hannibal proved to be a tactical genius and won countless battles. His army wandered and ravaged Italy until 203 BC. Like Pyrrhus years earlier, the main reason for his defeat was his inability to replenish fallen troops after major battles. Carthage did little to provide support to Hannibal, and he failed to find many allies among conquered Italians that he expected would want an opportunity to revolt.

           Rome would defeat Carthage in a similar manner that they won the first time. After Hasdrubal failed in an attempt to reinforce Hannibal, the Romans invaded Iberia and then Africa, conquering all of the Carthaginian Empire except for its capital city. Hannibal had arrived with his army, but it was too late. In 202 BC, Carthage was forced to agree to another humiliating peace treaty. From 149 to 146 BC, there would be a Third Punic War, which occurred when Rome was making various rather absurd demands. Perhaps the most bizarre of these was that the Romans wanted the Carthaginians to abandon their city and found a new one further away from the sea. Carthage had also declared war on the Numidians, which the Carthaginians were forbidden to do according to the prior peace treaty. This time, Carthage was very weak, and the Romans chose to raze the city once and for all.

           During the lengthy span of time that the Roman Republic waged war against Carthage and its colonies, the world of classical antiquity saw other violent conflicts elsewhere. Several dynasties with roots in wars that had occurred decades before the Romans united Italy would be among the next barriers to Roman expansion. The story of these dynasties begins with Alexander the Great, the Macedonian conqueror who defeated the entirety of the Persian Empires. His death in 323 BC without an heir left the mighty realm that he had built without anyone to succeed him. Decades of violence they called “the Wars of the Diadochi” followed, with several former generals of Alexander carving out pieces of his domain. Even his homeland of Macedon was not spared. Macedon and its new line of rulers became known as “the Antigonid Dynasty,” even though Antigonus was killed in one of the wars. Philip V, who was one such ruler, went to war with the Romans in 215 BC in hopes that he could help Carthage contain the rising power of Rome.

           Ten years after the start of the first of the Macedonian Wars, Rome made peace with Macedon. Unlike the Carthaginians, who had lost territory fighting the Romans, Philip V was able to gain some. However, further warfare between Macedon and Rome would favor the latter. The Macedonians began to militarily annex various Greek city-states in violation of the peace treaty, prompting a declaration of war by Rome in 200 BC. Rome brought elephants, which along with Roman legions, the Macedonian phalanxes were helpless against. By 196 BC, Rome had won, and the Romans assumed control of most of Greece. An additional two wars also ended in Macedonian defeats, with the ultimate result being full Roman control of the region. Another, more powerful successor state to the realm of Alexander the Great, known as “the Seleucid Dynasty,” also fell victim to Rome and its legions.

IRS Agent Danny

IRS agent Danny

The Joker looked at his goons and screamed, " Do it faster!"

Batman, who came through the window, said, " Stop Joker!"

Joker looked at his goons and said, " You all don't stop packing, Bats! I don't have time for you. I have to pay up; otherwise, I will go to jail for tax evasion!"

Batman;" What? "

Joker: " The IRS sent their new agent after me again! I own them for 36.000.000 dollars, and I don't pay; they will come with IRS levy permits!"

Danny walked into the place and said, " So Joker?"

Joker smiled a not crazy smile:" Here you have it. Not one penny less or more. Now Batman, you can put me in prison."

Batman wasn't sure what had happened as the Joker left into the police car.

Bruce looked at the young agent; he looked pretty young, between Jason and Tim's ages, wearing a fur-trimmed brown jacket, tactical military pants, and a knife holder. He seems to be looking at a list.

Danny, looking at his list, says, " So, I talked with Bane, Oswald Cobblepot, Harvey Dent, Red Hood, Roman Sionis, Victor Fries, Hugo Strange, Slade Wilson, and now the Joker, other then well as Pamela Isley, who is in prison for tax evasion for 2 years. They all paid. I think I am done with Gotham, so Metropolis is next."

And yes, Bane paid taxes on the money he earned from his drug empire.

Danny turned his face to Batman and said, "So, Mr. Batman, I heard your electric Batmobile is around $US1.5 million. So we should have a talk about your taxes."

Bruce had no idea what happened, but he didn't like what was about to happen.

It ended with Batman sitting next to the Joker in the police SUV.

The Joker looked at Batman, not sure what had happened.

"I want my phone call; I need to call Nightwing. I have to pay my Bat taxes."

Joker:" Hahahahaha! Smartly, you didn't try to run away. We all tried, but well, we'd rather fight you than him again."

In Arkham

Ivy is kind of a pariah, criminals don't like people who evade taxes. As the IRS send then their special agent. So it was her fault he was back in Gotham!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G56VgsLfKY4

Danny's clothes are like RE4 Leon's clothes

Brand New City

(Keegan P. Russ x Reader)

COD men are my roman empire, PLEASE SEND ME ASKS IM BEGGING- I NEED SOMETHING TO WRITE ABOUT SO I CAN GET OUT OF MY OWN SKIN (this is a cry for help, I'm supposed to be focusing on finals but I cant get these scrunkly ass military men outta my head, so enjoy this spew from the depths of my sleep deprived mind..)

Keegan wasn't sure how he got here.. One minute, he was fighting Federation soldiers alongside Hesh, Merrick, and the Walker brothers and now he was... God, where even was he right now?? It was dark and cold.. He still had his mask, tactical gear, and weapons, but it was like he had been transported to an entirely new goddamn universe.

The city looked clean, it was something he wasn't used to. The Federation had destroyed everything years ago, back when he was in his late 20s or early 30s, he couldn't quite remember, but this place.. It was completely spotless, besides the normal city trash and critters wandering the dark alley he found himself in. He definitely did not miss this air quality, he had only been wherever here was for less than 5 minutes and he was already feeling like his lungs could collapse at any moment.. But the more he stands here, confused, the more.. Familiar this gets. Cautiously, he steps out of the alleyway he was in, ending up on a city street lined with shops that twinge with familiarity for reasons unknown to him. The sidewalk was empty besides himself, and the street was mostly empty besides a few cars that drive by every five or so minutes as he walks down the pavement in a random direction- the direction that just felt right. He didn't know where he was, but being a Ghost for most of his life has gotten him to trust his gut no matter what.

And he does just that.

He heads in whatever direction he feels like he's supposed to go, turning down side streets and such whenever he feels like he's supposed to, it's.. Almost concerning how his gut knows this city but his mind doesn't. Everything is in-tact, theres no destroyed buildings or cliffs that clearly hadn't been there when the roads were paved and parking garages made, it looked like a city from before the Federation bombed the States.. Had he gone back in time? No, no, that's not possible. Had he died? Was this his version of hell, or maybe heaven? How did he even get here?

He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

It took about two hours of walking until he stopped, suddenly the feeling of familiarity vanished and everything was so unfamiliar that it made him feel sick. Made him feel like he was going to vomit all over the pavement.. But then a jingle of a bell rang out as a door opened across the street, voices rang out in the night as people bid each other goodbye and went on their separate ways. The sounds of talking and jingling didn't seem to help curb this feeling of sickness, uneasiness, in fact the voices made him feel worse. He felt dizzy, his vision was spinning and he couldn't stand right, whatever was making him suddenly feel ill was getting worse. His legs gave out beneath him, and suddenly one of the voices from before got louder.. The last thing his vision managed to focus on was an all-too familiar face, the face he saw in his dreams and the face that haunted his nightmares, staring down at him with an all-too familiar concerned expression that made his heart clench.

It was you. You, who had become one of the many casualties caused by The Federation the day they bombed the United States. You, who had plagued his mind for years. You, who he kept a picture of on his person all the time so they could be with him all the time. You, who loved him dearly, even with your last breath.

Yan!Julius Caesar Random Headcanons

❝ 📜— lady l: I love writing these random headcanons and if you guys want more historical characters feel free to send them! If you're curious about how he is yandere, I posted a general headcanon of him, which you can read by clicking here. Here are historical facts and some additional ones from my head. I hope you like it and good reading!! ❤️

❝tw: not entirely historically accurate and perhaps murder (?).

Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC and became an important Roman military and political leader. His conquest of Gaul (present-day France) and his successful campaigns contributed to his rise to power.

In 44 BC, Julius Caesar was appointed dictator for life by the Roman Senate. This move sparked concern among senators, leading to a plot that resulted in his assassination on March 15, 44 BC, known as the "Ides of March". The man did not last long as a dictator.

Julius Caesar played an important role in reforming the Roman calendar. The Julian calendar, introduced in 45 BC, was an adaptation of the lunar calendar to the solar year, forming the basis of the modern Gregorian calendar. So much so that the month of July is in his honor.

Julius Caesar formed a political alliance known as the First Triumvirate with Pompey and Crassus. They shared power and influence to advance their political and personal agendas. It didn't last long because soon they started fighting each other for power. A yandere obsessed with power, I dare say.

Julius Caesar is known for writing "Commentaries on the War in Gaul", also called as Commentarii de Bello Gallico, a series of accounts of his campaigns in the region. These writings offer valuable information about military tactics and life at that time. A great military commander and also a great fanfic writer.

There are reports that say that when he was 30 years old, he passed in front of a statue of Alexander the Great and wept because he had reached the same age and had not conquered as much as the Macedonian King. An inferiority complex, I would say.

The title "Caesar" became a dynastic name used by many Roman leaders after Julius Caesar. The first Roman Emperor, Augustus, was his nephew and adopted heir, and he adopted the title "Caesar" as part of his name. A curious fact is that many Brazilians have Caesar (César in portuguese) in their name.

In addition to his military achievements, Julius Caesar had a deep taste for literature and writing. He frequently exchanged letters and discussed poetry with various intellectuals of the day. A true cultured man and a renaissance ahead of time.

The death of Julius Caesar was one of the key events that contributed to the fall of the Roman Republic and the subsequent rise of the Roman Empire. His legacy has had a lasting impact on history and politics. Our man is credited as one of the greatest military commanders of all time.

Rumor has it that Julius Caesar had a secret superstition of avoiding black cats, believing them to bring bad luck. This contrasted with his image as a fearless leader. Poor kitty, so many powerful men were afraid of cats.

The Forgotten Battle of Silva Litana, Autumn 216 BC

The year 216 BC was certainly a bad year for Roman civilization and perhaps the worst year of the Roman Republic’s history. Two years into the Second Punic War Hannibal Barca and his Carthaginian Army had crossed the Alps and marched deep into Italy. 

In the summer of 216 BC the Romans assembled the largest Roman army in their history up to that point in order to stop Hannibal once and for all. The two armies met on August 2nd near Cannae in southern Italy. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Carthaginians managed to surround and annihilate the Roman Army, leaving only 15,000 survivors out of an army of 85,000. The Battle of Cannae would go down in history as Hannibal’s greatest victory, and one of Rome’s worst defeats. In the aftermath another embarrassing and devastating defeat would occur which today is little known, being overshadowed by the horrors of Cannae. Yet the massacre at Silva Litana was in many ways just as devastating and the tactics used would rival the best of Hannibal in terms of ingenuity and brilliance.

Merely a few months after the Battle of Cannae, the Roman Consul Lucius Postumius Albinus raised an army of 25,000 men in order to retaliate against the Boii, a Celtic tribe living in Cisalpine Gaul (Northern Italy) who had allied with and given support to Hannibal. The route took the army through a heavily wooded forest called Litana.

Unfortunately for the Romans, the Boii had predicted this route and had readied a clever ambush.  The only way through the forest was a single small road. Along the road the Boii had cut large notches in the trees so that they would remain standing if unsupported, but could be easily knocked over. Once the Roman army had march deep within the forest, the Boii sprang from their hiding places and began pushing dozens of trees onto the Romans. The large trees easily crushed men, horses, and wagons, and broke apart Roman formations leading to panic and chaos among the Romans. The Roman army broke and scattered in terror as the Boii attacked, allowing the Boii to easily pick off scattered groups of soldiers. The Boii took no prisoners, executing all who surrendered. Out of the 25,000 Romans who marched into the forest, only 10 are said to have escaped, a survival rate that was far worse than even Cannae.

The disaster at Silva Litana only added more bad news for Rome, sending the city into a panic. In desperation the Romans resorted to human sacrifice to appease the gods while recruiting criminals and slaves in order to rebuild the Roman Army. Fortunately for Rome, this was a time in history when the Roman military machine could take a lot of punishment but still keep fighting. After the disasters at Cannae and Litana the Romans changed strategy, preferring to avoid direct battle with Hannibal, instead opening up new fronts in the war to spread out Carthaginian resources. Instead of trying to defeat the Carthaginians with a few decisive battles, the Roman’s settled on slowly grinding down the enemy through long attrition. Hannibal would never conquer Italy or Rome, and while the Romans could afford to lose tens of thousands of men, the Carthaginians could not. While the Romans had the resources to play the long game, the Carthaginians did not. As for the Boii, the Romans retaliated in 193 BC and defeated them at the Battle of Mutina and forced the entire tribe to flee from northern Italy. 

I absolutely love love love Roman!König! Thank you so much for this blessing. 🖤

Also, not sure if our Titan can read, but let’s just imagine he can:

In my head, König would definitely sleep with an old, worn out German edition of "Die Kunst des Krieges" ("The Art of War") by Sun Tzu along with a dagger from his hometown under his pillow. He probably doesn’t have many priced possessions, however these are some of them. (The other is Fee, of course)

I just had to share this, because he made me think of Alexander the Great and the "Iliad plus dagger under the pillow" is one of my favourite history facts.

…just picture Fee's expression, when she finds them…

Lots of love!

Sorry this is from ages ago but aaaaahhh! I think Roman!König can read somewhat because he knew how to explain the travel guides to Fee! He'd appreciate the Art of War for sure if he ever got his hands on it.

He's far more intelligent than any of us think, but sadly there's no one to listen to his ramblings about military tactics or single combat or how dual wielding axes differs from dual wielding short swords like the Roman gladius :( If Fee could speak his tongue, she would have to listen to some of his monologues, accompanied by a display of his vast skills with different weapons (he's trying to woo her for the rest of his life, just in case)

The book I imagine he'd keep under his pillow would be Germania by Tacitus. He'd keep it as a reminder to never trust Romans and their interpretation of the world. And a dagger is a man's best friend, but König can kill assassins with his bare hands too if it comes to that! One of the reasons he used to keep a knife under his pillow was to see if Fee tried to murder him with it. It would've made a nice foreplay... :) (@wordstome shamelessly winking at you and your most recent fic here 💕)

Just finished reading Fascism: A Graphic Guide by Stuart Hood, and Ur-Fascism by Umberto Eco. Hood traces the development of fascism from the 19th century to the present, while Eco describes common patterns from which fascist movements can develop. Both works are set much later than my usual focus, but I figured they'd be useful since fascists love mythologizing (and warping) ancient history to suit their own ends. I hope that understanding fascist tactics, ideological patterns, and brutality will help us spot, avoid, and oppose fascists who lurk in history studies today.

Some of their tells are well-known: fear and resentment toward the Other (immigrants, Jews, queer people, minorities), subjugation of women, glorification of war and violence, deification of the state at the expense of individual human rights, contempt for the unfortunate and disabled, and intolerance of democracy and dissent. The fascist is attracted to authoritarianism because he mistakes compassion for weakness, and cruelty for strength.

In classics studies I suspect the most common red flags would be glorification of the military, imperialism and autocracy, and a romanticized "return to tradition." Deep down, I don't think most fascists even like actual history: they despise intellectuals for raising irritating counter-points that reveal how ignorant fascism really is. The fascist cares more about his fantasy of heroes and villains, and uses history as a stage. I say he because much of this draws from toxic masculinity and machismo, but of course fascists can be of any gender.

Anyway. I liked both the works I mentioned above, and Miriam Griffin's A Companion to Julius Caesar has good articles exploring how fascism, communism, and other political movements have used Roman history for their own purposes. In my Roman diversity tag I've been trying to collect info on how multicultural the empire really was. Forgive me if I sound sappy, but I believe real strength lies in curiosity, empathy, and pursuit of the truth.

Alexander the Great: A New Life of Alexander

"Alexander the Great: A New Life of Alexander" by Paul Cartledge offers a detailed yet accessible exploration of the legendary figure's life and legacy. The author's expertise and engaging storytelling provide fresh insights into Alexander the Great's conquests and their historical significance. This book is recommended for scholars and general readers alike.

Alexander the Great's profound impact on Roman culture is undeniable, particularly when considering the fusion of Greco-Oriental influences during the Hellenistic era, which permeated Rome and, subsequently, Western Europe. His conquests paved the way for cultural diffusion and laid the groundwork for religious and imperial ideologies. His ideological legacies include figures like Pompey and Caesar. The territories Alexander the Great once controlled formed the foundation of Rome's eastern dominion, often considered the culturally and economically richer half of the empire.

However, understanding Alexander himself proves challenging due to conflicting ancient sources and continuous reinterpretations throughout history, often reflecting the agendas of interpreters.

In Alexander the Great: A New Life of Alexander, Paul Cartledge offers a captivating and comprehensive new examination of Alexander the Great. With his trademark storytelling prowess, Cartledge, chair of Cambridge University's Classics Department, guides readers through the life and conquests of Alexander with precise detail and an engaging narrative that balances discussion on Alexander's achievements with acknowledgment of places where we lack historical evidence.

Cartledge challenges prevailing notions about Alexander's motivations, particularly regarding Alexander's aim of spreading Hellenism. Cartledge argues that while Alexander was indeed attached to Hellenism, his driving force was personal glory and conquest. This nuanced perspective adds depth to our understanding of Alexander, presenting him as a complex figure driven by ambition and a thirst for success.

Central to Cartledge's exploration is Alexander's military genius. Through detailed chronicles of Alexander's battles with the Persians, Tyrians, and Babylonians, Cartledge highlights the young leader's strategic brilliance and innovative tactics. He demonstrates how Alexander's love of hunting served as a metaphor for his approach to warfare, as he adapted hunting strategies such as the surprise attack to achieve military success. This analysis sheds light on Alexander's mindset and sheds new light on his military achievements.

The book is enriched by many appendixes, including a glossary and an extensive bibliography, which enhance the reader's understanding and provide valuable resources for further exploration. Cartledge's skillful storytelling brings history to life, making the ancient world feel vivid and immediate. His vivid descriptions and storytelling make for an absorbing read that will appeal to both scholars and general readers alike.

Overall, Alexander the Great: A New Life of Alexander is a masterful biography that offers fresh insights into the life and legacy of one of history's most iconic figures. With its diligent research, engaging narrative, and nuanced analysis, this book is sure to become a definitive work on Alexander the Great for years to come. Whether the audience is a seasoned scholar or a casual reader with an interest in ancient Greece, this book is a must-read.

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Romans versus “Barbarians”: A Military Comparison, Part One

An original essay of Lucas Del Rio

Note: I continue in this essay with the Roman theme that explores the origins of the Middle Ages. This time, I compare and contrast Roman tactics and weaponry with some of those that they deemed barbarians and fought wars against. The word “barbarian” is sometimes used, which is only because that is who they were from the Roman standpoint. Keeping this in context, it is not meant as a judgement from my own standpoint. This essay, which will be in four parts, covers relevant wars in an order chronological with Roman history. Part one examines the transition in the Roman army from the Greek phalanx to the early legions in the wars they fought in Italy with the Etruscans, Latins, Samnites, and the Greek colonies. Next week, part two shall deal with the Roman wars with the Carthaginians, Macedonians, Iberians, and Seleucids. After that, part three will cover their wars against the Armenians, Gauls, Britons, and Parthians. Finally, the wars discussed in part four will be those opposing the Germans, Dacians, Sarmatians, and Vandals.

           Few empires can rival that of the Romans, but this is not to say that they had no worthy adversaries. It took centuries of wars of aggression against many different cultures for them to create such a massive and powerful realm. Later, their clout would diminish after centuries of defensive wars. The Romans, therefore, were strong enough to conquer what would then become their vast territories, plus continue to hold on to them for an impressive amount of time. Meanwhile, their opponents held off Roman expansion, and while many of them were ultimately subjugated, there were also cultures that were never defeated by the might of Rome. Many years in the future, foreign invaders proved that Romans were not the only successful conquerors around. Like the Greeks, the Romans considered other societies to be uncivilized and referred to them as “barbarians.” Romans had their own specialized ways of fighting that they refined over the centuries, hence their many military successes. Each culture that they battled also fought in manners that they had invented in earlier wars before fighting the Romans. Every war, consequently, was not just between the Roman and “barbarian” armies themselves but also their methods of combat.

           As the city of Rome is located in what is now Italy, the first Romans naturally fought their first wars and made their first conquests on the Italian peninsula. Prior to being united by the Romans, Italy was made up of many independent city-states with as many as ten different cultures. In central Italy, where Rome is located, this culture was the Etruscans. The Etruscans are believed to have existed in Italy for a very long time before Rome was even founded. DNA evidence shows that the region was first settled around 6000 BC, when Europe was still in the Stone Age. While the Etruscans were not the first Italians, their ancestors may have migrated from the Steppes. These ancestors, known as the Villanovan culture, were forming by 1100 BC as the Iron Age was beginning. Initially living only in small villages scattered across central Italy, they began to build large cities as they organized into Etruscan society over the course of several centuries. Such cities prospered as they formed trade routes across the Mediterranean Sea with the Carthaginians, Greeks, and others.

           There were several stories in antiquity as to how the city of Rome was founded, although the Romans maintained that the year was 753 BC. According to the Romans, their society began as a kingdom, with a series of four kings reigning from 753 to 616 BC. Under the last of these kings, Ancus Marcius, Rome began its military expansion. Following his death, however, the Tarquin dynasty, which was ethnically Etruscan, took over leadership of the city. Various characteristics of Roman civilization did in fact originate with the Etruscans. Perhaps most importantly, the Romans adopted many aspects of Etruscan architecture. Also significant was the Etruscan alphabet, which the Etruscans had adopted from the Greeks and the Greeks from the Phoenicians. Roman religion, often assumed to have only had Greek influence, had roots with the Etruscans as well. Comparatively trivial yet still culturally iconic, it was the Etruscans who wore the first togas. Three different Etruscan kings would rule Rome, but despite the impact that they would have on the Romans, it was the Etruscans who would be their first major adversary.

           When the Etruscans ruled the city of Rome, different Etruscan kings controlled at least twenty others. Alliances between these city-states were constantly shifting, as they periodically warred with one another. It might seem peculiar today, but Etruscan warriors were largely aristocrats who personally bought the items such as armor, shields, and weapons that they would need in order to fight. However, peasants were still levied for purposes other than combat. Kings of the city-states also would employ mercenaries that came from places such as Carthage and Greece. In addition to having these Greek mercenaries in their armies, the primary military formation used by Etruscan armies was the Greek phalanx. Possibly originating among the ancient Middle Eastern culture known as the Sumerians and also spreading to the Egyptians, the phalanx became a staple of warfare in Greece and neighboring Macedon. Even more so than Etruria, Greece was composed of a myriad of city-states that sporadically fought wars. The Greek phalanx was eight rows of warrior infantry known as hoplites, who were armored and carried a pike, a round shield, and a sword. A wall of pikes and shields was difficult for enemies to attack without taking heavy losses, and once the battle had become a conventional melee fight, the hoplites used their swords.

Armies in Etruria evolved as the centuries passed. The Etruscans had always preferred to fight as infantry, but the chariots they had sometimes previously employed were replaced by cavalry. Like the Romans, chariots had become strictly for ceremonial purposes. More significant was the change in the prevalence of hoplite phalanxes. After having been customary on Etruscan battlefields since as far back as the 700s BC, the 400s BC saw the formation decline in the region. For a time, the Etruscans tried to counter phalanxes, which did have the genuine problem of inflexibility, by sending waves of warriors brandishing axes into the weaker ends of the formation. While the Etruscans and their styles of fighting changed, there were also major changes occurring in one of their cities. Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was the final Etruscan king to rule the city of Rome, and supposedly he was also the most domineering over its citizens. According to Roman folklore, this king was ousted by his oppressed subjects. Historians today have generally concluded, however, that Tarquinius Superbus was deposed by invaders who then lost control of Rome.

Whatever the reason for the change, the Kingdom of Rome was transformed by the Roman Republic in 509 BC. The government began as an aristocracy despite its Republican name, for government positions were reserved for nobles called patricians. After 494 BC, a revolt of the commoners, known in Roman society as plebeians, established a system of voting rights for all free men. They may have achieved a degree of freedom, theoretically at least, although now the city wished to fight in order to expand their own domain. Part of the reason for this was because Rome, many years before becoming a major power, needed a buffer zone against Gallic and other raiders. During the wars that Rome fought against the Etruscans, the Roman army was still in its infancy. Like their Etruscan rivals, the Romans relied much more on infantry than on cavalry. Furthermore, these infantry largely fought as phalanxes, and soldiers in Roman phalanxes carried a spear known as the hasta. As Rome fought the Etruscans, they proved victorious, razing Veii, an Etruscan powerhouse, in 396 BC. It would still be many years before Rome took full control of Etruria, but the fortunes of the Etruscans would gradually decline as the Romans assumed more and more power.

Despite being the first, the Etruscans were only one of several cultures in Italy that the Romans had to vanquish in order to unite the peninsula. The weakening of Etruscan civilization resulted in a deteriorating economic situation for neighboring Latium as well, in fact, as for Rome. Power in central Italy fell into confusion for several decades, but the Romans eventually proved resurgent. Rome began to fight and conquer surrounding tribes, so the Latin League, in an attempt to eliminate the threat that the city posed, declared war in 340 BC. Like the Etruscans, the Latins could not withstand the strength of their Roman foes. By 338 BC, Rome was victorious. In less than a century after the establishment of the Roman Republic, the Romans had become quite the force to be reckoned with. Further south in Italy, a series of three wars with the Samnites also ended in 290 BC with a triumphant Rome.

During these wars, the Roman army continued to innovate. While the exact dates of the military reorganization are unclear, historians believe that the Romans abandoned the phalanx sometime in the 300s BC in favor of one of the mightiest military formations of the ancient world. This formation was the legion. Some scholars in classical antiquity claimed that the Roman army was always organized into legions since the days of the kings, but this notion is not supported by historical evidence. If Livy, one of the most renowned historians from Ancient Rome, is to be believed, then the Roman Republic began using legions in 362 BC. Much more complex than a phalanx, the legion was a highly sophisticated arrangement of different forms of both infantry and cavalry. Soldiers that fought in legions were known as legionnaires. Part of the organization in early legions had to do with experience, as the youngest legionnaires fought at the front of the legion. In early legions, soldiers were armed only with a shield and a spear, plus two of a type of javelin called a pilum.

Roman culture is widely known to have been greatly influenced by its Greek counterpart, but this did not mean that the Romans regarded the Greeks as friends. Long before the Romans invaded Greece itself, they were already having to fight the Greeks. For centuries, the city-states of Greece had been establishing colonies across the Mediterranean, including in Italy. One such colony, which historians believe to have been Spartan, was Tarentum. There are conflicting accounts from antiquity as to exactly how Rome and Tarentum went to war, but it appears, at least according to Roman historians, to have originated in a dispute over Roman trade vessels seized by the Tarentines. Knowing the strength of their foe, the Tarentines found support in other Greeks who had settled in Italy as well as Pyrrhus, the king of the Greek region of Epirus. Pyrrhus, who was related to Alexander the Great, amassed an army full of veteran mercenaries and in 280 BC faced off against the Romans at the Battle of Heraclea. In this battle, the Roman army was able to take advantage of flexibility of the still relatively new legion, which was now starting to prove its superiority over phalanxes. The older formation seemed slow and cumbersome, not to mention vulnerable to flank attacks, compared to the deadly mobility of legions.

Another strength possessed by the Roman army at the Battle of Heraclea was sheer size. The Greek forces led by Pyrrhus numbered twenty-six thousand compared to forty thousand soldiers of Rome. Despite the advantages that the Romans had in both numbers and military sophistication, it was the Greek general who managed to achieve a victory. He managed to bring twenty war elephants to Italy for the purpose of battling the Romans, who panicked at the sight of animals that they had never fought. However, the number of soldiers and their officers that Pyrrhus lost in the battle, possibly fifteen percent of his army, was devastating. Furthermore, his ability to replenish his forces was miniscule compared to that of the Romans, whose republic by this point controlled most of the Italian peninsula. Pyrrhus foolishly expected a Roman surrender, but he did not receive one. In the battles that followed, the Romans refined techniques of using fire to frighten his elephants. By 275 BC, the Roman Republic had won the war, and Pyrrhus managed to flee Italy. Rome may have now united the peninsula that was their homeland, although their ambition had by now grown to want to expand much further.

specific things i’ve seen tss fans do that make me hate this fandom:

(disclaimer: a lot of this fandom is great but oh my lord i just have to show some of y’all how your behavior affects others because it’s atrocious)

please read this guys because chances are you or someone you know has done at least one of these things because they’re so rampant in this fandom it’s crazy-

1. sending death threats and calling somebody a “boot licker” and a “d-rider” for defending thomas’ silence about the war. like he shouldn’t be saying anything about the war unless he knows enough to have authority on it??? he’s a privileged white man who lives in a place where the war is not taking place. what productive thing would he be able to say about the war?? leave the man alone, he’s not a politician or a military general. if he did say something, it would probably be misinformation. stop acting like you’re some saint because you’re using bullying tactics to make yourself feel more woke.

2. writing aggressive posts about stuff thomas does that is not an issue. what i mean is that he does deserve to be called out if he fucks up (like the whole thing with underpaying his employees), but i saw a post where someone was using super aggressive language because thomas said he was “being delusional” in a short and someone was on their high horse about how thomas was “being insensitive to people who have mental disorders that involve delusions.” like…please go outside. anyone can have a delusion. and if thomas does make a REAL mistake that actually matters, there are better ways to go about it than spewing hate and name calling. he tries very hard and actively patches up mistakes as well as he can, which is more than what can be said about most cis white male celebrities.

3. blatant racism. i’ve been told by white people that my views on poc headcanons are wrong. like i’m a poc??? i would know more than you??? and i try to be nice about it?? so don’t attack me for saying that there’s nothing wrong with race headcanons as long as they’re done in a respectful way? or that just because roman speaks spanish one time doesn’t automatically make him latino and that’s actually a pretty racist assumption? just trust poc fanders. WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCE RACISM ON A DAILY BASIS. white people will never know what it’s like. so stop acting like it. that’s a huge issue in this fandom.

4. a LOT of aphobia. there’s this concept going around that’s like “oh the sides could be ace because they’re not human so they don’t get romance!” like…babes let’s step back and look that over…cuz ace people aren’t ace because they don’t “understand” sex. that’s infantilizing and dehumanizing. it’s possible to be ace just because you don’t want sex in a conventional way. the sides are not a vessel for your aphobia.

5. SO MUCH RUDENESS WHEN IT COMES TO CHARACTER CRITICISM. the amount of death threats i’ve gotten just because i hate patton??? like PLEASE. i’m allowed to hate a character!! i have trauma and patton reminds me of horrible people in my life who did horrible things to me! he’s like a carbon copy of them in my mind! and even if i didn’t have trauma, it would still be valid because patton is a flawed character! there is nothing bad or wrong about dissecting a character’s unkind actions??? that’s just basic analysis. like i ADORE roman and you don’t see me wishing death upon people who don’t like him??? i just block and move on or i hear them out!! because discussion about the flaws of a character you like isn’t a personal attack!!! people NEED to get that in their heads cuz it’s so frustrating when people take it so personally and actively seek it out just to get mad at it.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” —Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)

“Winning the Battle Inside of You” by Rick Warren:

“You may not realize it, but you’re in a battle. You may not wear a military uniform, and you may not dodge physical bullets.

But you’re in a battle—an invisible one. It’s called spiritual warfare. You’ll be in the battle from the moment you’re born until the moment you die.

The Bible tells us that you have three mortal enemies out to destroy your life and everything God wants to do through it:

The world: the dominant value system around us

The flesh: the old nature within you

The Devil: a real being that’s out to “steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NIV) along with his demonic minions

The victory for the battle you’re in won’t come through bullets or tactics. The Bible teaches us that, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

In this battle, all that matters is Jesus. He has to be the general of your life, the one in charge of the battle plan. You may be a believer, but that’s not enough for this war within you. Jesus has to be your Lord, too.

Many people believe in Jesus. But to find victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil, Jesus has to be more than just someone you believe in.

Romans 7:24-25 says, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (NIV)

The answer to the all-consuming battle you’re in isn’t a self-help seminar, a new book, or a conference. It’s Jesus. Make him your boss. Paul, who wrote the book of Romans, makes it clear he can’t win the battle on his own. His only hope is “Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And that’s your only hope, too. Jesus, the Lord, who will deliver you.”