In my last article I discussed two legendary ‘Lost Legions’ of the Roman Empire. Such legends often have a habit of eclipsing reality. In this article I shall discuss the facts behind two archetypal lost legions, one Roman and one modern: the VIIII Hispana, which supposedly met its end in the wildes of Scotland; and […]
Stories of the ‘lost legions’ of ancient Rome still fascinate people today. In a world mapped to the last square metre by satellites and GPS it is spine-chilling to imagine a time when whole armies could march into the mist never to be seen again, a time when the world beyond the borders of civilisation […]
From the dawn of human conflict, until the development of firearms, the vast majority of battlefield injuries were inflicted by blades, barbs or bludgeons. The ancients, however, never neglected any means at their disposal to annihilate the enemy. Time and again kings and commanders turned to the dark arts of alchemy to give them the […]
War is a product of culture, not of science. No matter how much modern warfare owes to science and technology, no matter how much effort modern soldiers have devoted to rational consideration of the problems of war, the way we fight is influenced by habits, traditions and customs which can be traced to the beginning […]
"But what are you going to do when you catch me?" Silence above. He sounded silly to himself. He lowered himself down the rock. "What are you going to do-?" From the top of the towering rock came the incomprehensible reply. "Roger sharpened a stick at both ends." Roger sharpened a stick at both ends. […]