where history comes alive
The ancient world, often painted with broad strokes of brutality, presents a complex tapestry when examining its approach to warfare and its aftermath. Among the most stark realities of conflict is the fate of those captured. In the Old Testament, a period spanning centuries and encompassing a diverse range of societal structures and theological interpretations, … Read more
The dust of ancient battlefields and the clamor of Napoleonic cannonades may seem worlds apart, separated by nearly two millennia. Yet, in the annals of military history, few figures loom as large, or cast as long a shadow, as Gaius Julius Caesar and Napoleon Bonaparte. Both men were not merely soldiers; they were strategists, innovators, … Read more
When we conjure images of ancient Greece, the name Sparta often evokes a singular vision: a land of stern, battle-hardened warriors, living lives of austere discipline. This image, powerfully etched into our collective consciousness, owes much to the foundational epics of Western literature – Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. Yet, the Sparta sung by Homer, a … Read more
Consider the following scenario: the year is approximately 1274 BC. The scorching sun beat down on the dusty plains near the Orontes River in what is now Syria. On one side, the mighty Egyptian Empire, led by the charismatic and ambitious Pharaoh Ramesses II, advanced with four divisions of chariots and infantry, a force designed … Read more