Introduction Ancient warfare is war that was conducted from the beginning of recorded history to the end of the ancient period. The difference between prehistoric and ancient warfare is more organisation oriented than technology oriented. The development of first city-states, and then empires, allowed warfare to change dramatically. Beginning in Mesopotamia, states produced sufficient agricultural… Read More
Introduction Prehistoric warfare refers to war that occurred between societies without recorded history. The existence – and the definition – of war in humanity’s hypothetical state of nature has been a controversial topic in the history of ideas at least since Thomas Hobbes in Leviathan (1651) argued a “war of all against all”, a view… Read More
I read an interesting piece in the New Scientist (Barras, 2020) about the role of warfare in developing complex civilisations. The researchers (Turchin et al., 2022) quantitatively tested several theories using a general dynamic model based on the theoretical framework of cultural macroevolution and the Seshat: Global History Databank. They tested 17 potential predictor variables… Read More
Introduction Ataraxia (Greek: ἀταραξία, from alpha privative (“a-“, negation) and tarachē “disturbance, trouble”; hence, “unperturbedness”, generally translated as “imperturbability”, “equanimity”, or “tranquility”) is a Greek term first used in Ancient Greek philosophy by Pyrrho and subsequently Epicurus and the Stoics for a lucid state of robust equanimity characterised by ongoing freedom from distress and worry.… Read More
Introduction The Claw of Archimedes (Ancient Greek: Ἁρπάγη, romanised: harpágē, lit. ’snatcher’; also known as the “iron hand”) was an ancient weapon devised by Archimedes to defend the seaward portion of Syracuse’s city wall against amphibious assault. Background Although its exact nature is unclear, the accounts of ancient historians describe it as a sort of crane… Read More
Introduction In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta (1194-1184 BC, traditional datinancieng and 1260-1180 BC, modern dating). The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been… Read More
Introduction War is an intense armed conflict [see note below] between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterised by extreme violence, aggression, destruction, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces. Warfare refers to the common activities and characteristics of types of war, or of wars… Read More
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