"The difference between prehistoric and ancient warfare is more organization oriented than technology oriented."
Study of military tactics, strategy, and technology used in conflicts from prehistoric times up until the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 CE.
Ancient Weapons: A study of the various weapons used in ancient warfare, including swords, spears, shields, bows and arrows, and chariots. This topic also covers the development of technology and strategy in weaponry.
Ancient Warfare Tactics: A study of the various tactics used in ancient warfare, including siege warfare, phalanx formations, and cavalry tactics.
Ancient Military Leaders: A study of the most famous military leaders from ancient times, including Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Hannibal Barca, and Sun Tzu.
Ancient Battles: A study of the most significant battles in ancient history, such as the Battle of Marathon, the Battle of Thermopylae, and the Battle of Gaugamela.
Ancient Armies: A study of the various ancient armies, including their organization, training, and equipment.
Ancient Naval Warfare: A study of the ancient navies, including their ships, tactics, and significance in warfare.
Ancient Warfare and Society: A study of the impact of warfare on ancient societies, including the economy, politics, and culture.
Ancient Warfare and Religion: A study of the role of religion in ancient warfare, including the use of religious symbols and rituals on the battlefield.
Ancient Warfare and Women: A study of the role of women in ancient warfare, including female warriors and strategists.
Ancient Warfare and Technology: A study of how technology was utilized in ancient warfare, including siege engines, catapults, and ballistae.
Ancient Warfare and Geography: A study of how geography impacted ancient warfare, including the influence of terrain, climate, and natural resources on military strategy.
Ancient Warfare and Diplomacy: A study of how diplomacy was used in ancient warfare, including alliances, negotiations, and treaties.
Ancient Warfare and Propaganda: A study of how propaganda was used in ancient warfare, including the use of art, literature, and symbols to promote military campaigns.
Ancient Warfare and International Relations: A study of the impact of ancient warfare on international relations, including the rise and fall of empires and the development of regional power dynamics.
Ancient Warfare and Ethics: A study of the ethical considerations of ancient warfare, including the treatment of prisoners, civilians, and non-combatants.
Siege Warfare: This was a tactic used to starve out or break down enemy defenses by isolating them and waiting for resources to run out.
Naval Warfare: Battles fought on the water between ships and often involved boarding, ramming, or shooting with arrows or catapults.
Guerrilla Warfare: A type of warfare where a smaller group uses unconventional tactics to fight larger, more established armies, such as ambushes and sabotage.
Cavalry Warfare: A style of warfare used by armies composed mainly of horse-mounted soldiers. Often used for scouting, raids, and quick engagements.
Archery Warfare: This type of warfare involves the use of bows and arrows, often fired from a safe distance, and employed primarily in open fields.
Infantry Warfare: The oldest and most common form of warfare involving foot soldiers fighting with swords, spears, axes, or even shields to inflict damage on opponents.
Chariot Warfare: Used extensively in ancient Egypt and nearby regions, chariots were used for shock and awe tactics in battle.
Phalanx Warfare: An ancient tactic often associated with ancient Greece, where heavily armed soldiers called hoplites were arranged in a tight formation to form a shield wall against enemy lines.
Skirmish Warfare: Short, fast-paced engagements that involved small groups of soldiers meant to disrupt enemy movement or supply lines.
Fortification Warfare: This tactic involves the use of castle fortifications and walls as a means of defense which enabled small defensive forces to resist much larger hostile forces.
"The development of first city-states, and then empires, allowed warfare to change dramatically."
"States produced sufficient agricultural surplus. This allowed full-time ruling elites and military commanders to emerge."
"While the bulk of military forces were still farmers..."
"These new armies were able to help states grow in size and become increasingly centralized."
"The end of antiquity is often equated with the Fall of Rome in 476 AD, the wars of the Eastern Roman Empire on its Southwestern Asian and North African borders, and the beginnings of the Muslim conquests in the 7th century."
"It can also be seen as ending of the growing role of mounted warriors needed to counter the ever-growing threat from the north in the 5th century..."
"The ancient period ends with the decline of the Gupta Empire (6th century) and the beginning of the Muslim conquests there from the 8th century."
"In Japan, the ancient period is considered to end with the rise of feudalism in the Kamakura period in the 12–13th century."
"Early ancient armies continued to primarily use bows and spears."
"The findings at the site of Nataruk in Turkana, Kenya, have been interpreted as evidence of inter-group conflict and warfare in antiquity."
"The infantries at this time would be divided into ranged and shock, with shock infantry either charging to cause penetration of the enemy line or hold their own."
"These forces would ideally be combined, thus presenting the opponent with a dilemma: group the forces and leave them vulnerable to ranged, or spread them out and make them vulnerable to shock."
"This balance would eventually change as technology allowed for chariots, cavalry, and artillery to play an active role on the field."
"No clear line can be drawn between ancient and medieval warfare."
"The characteristic properties of medieval warfare, notably heavy cavalry and siege engines such as the trebuchet were first introduced in Late Antiquity."
"The main division within the ancient period is at the beginning Iron Age with the introduction of cavalry (resulting in the decline of chariot warfare), of naval warfare (Sea Peoples), and the development of an industry based on ferrous metallurgy."
"The first military power to profit from these innovations was the Neo-Assyrian Empire..."
"...achieved a hitherto unseen extent of centralized control, the first 'world power' to extend over the entire Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia, the Levant and Egypt)."
"...the development of an industry based on ferrous metallurgy which allowed for the mass production of metal weapons and thus the equipment of large standing armies."