Greek and Roman
Enemies both Foreign and Domestic
“In fact, if I killed you, there are plenty of nobles and politicians in Rome who would thank me for it” […]
Conquest of Gaul
History
Rally Round the Rich
“. They had a force of six thousand cavalry, each of whom had selected from the whole army, for his personal protection, one infantryman of outstanding courage and speed of foot.” […]
Greek and Roman
Romans on the Rhine
“Our troops attacked with such vigour when the signal was given, and the enemy also dashed forward so suddenly and swiftly, that there was no time to throw spears at them. So the men dropped their spears and fought hand to hand with their swords.” […]
Greek and Roman
A Retreat Becomes a Rout
“Thus our troops were able, without any risk, to kill as many of them as there was time to kill.” […]
Greek and Roman
Insults from the Battlements
“Did those pygmy Romans, they asked, wither their feeble hands and muscles, imagine that they could mount such a heavy tower on top of a wall?” […]
Greek and Roman
The Mercy of Caesar
“t. But the enemy clearly had a preconcerted plan. They equipped themselves with arms that they had hidden, or with shields made of bark or wickerwork, and soon after midnight their whole force suddenly made a sortie at the point where our fortifications appeared easiest to scale.” […]
History
A Society Built on War
“Their diet, daily exercise, and the freedom from restraint that they enjoy – for from childhood they do not know what compulsion or discipline is, and do nothing against their inclination – combine to make them strong and as tall as giants.” […]
Britons and Celts
Chariot of the Britons
“Thus they combine the mobility of cavalry with the staying power of infantry; and by daily training and practice they attain such proficiency that even on a steep incline they are able to control the horses at full gallop, and to check and turn them in a moment.” […]
Britons and Celts
Wife-Swapping Brits
“Wives are shared between groups of ten or twelve men, especially between brothers and between fathers and sons, but the offspring of these unions are counted as the children of the man with whom a particular woman cohabited.” […]
Greek and Roman
Caesar’s Marines
“One device, however, that our men had prepared proved very useful – pointed hooks fixed to the end of long poles, not unlike the grappling-hooks used in sieges. With these the halyards were grasped and pulled taut, and then snapped by rowing hard away.” […]