Modern preconceptions of ancient warfare place significant emphasis on the virtues of youth. This is a clear misconception however, experience and teamwork counted for far more in battle. As I discovered, soldiers who fought into their sixties were not unheard of (e.g. the Silver Shields).
This articles discusses three examples of the ‘elder generations‘ who excelled at the brutal art of ancient warfare.
One of my all time favourite comics (and now television show by AMC) is The Walking Dead. The show depicts a post apocalyptic world filled with zombies (dead people) and the living fight for their own survival.
Fortuitously in the ‘real world’ we have no such interaction with the dead and they are placed firmly within the realms of fiction.
However, in Ancient Rome it was a completely different story. The living perceived a very real threat of the dead returning and sought measures to placate the restless spirits of those that had past.
The AIRC Unlisted Conference recently featured a video on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in Digital Archaeology. This naturally sparked my interest as someone who is interested in both archaeology and search engine optimisation.
While many ‘modern people’ might consider ourselves figuratively slaves to debt, it was literally the case in early Rome. Citizens unable to pay debts were liable to become bonded to the lender or face tougher punishment.
There have been many famous secessions in Ancient Rome (the multiple secessions of the plebeians immediately springs to mind).
However, until recently reading a passage in Livy (9.30.5-10), I was unaware of another potentially damaging secession, that of the flute players!
Scott McCulloch: Thanks Brian - I have 2 of your books which are excellent (assuming I ...
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