I would appreciate an issue not devoted to the real fighting, commanders, or men, but to the general context of war. So here are some suggestions:
* Logistics
* How to get your state involved in war (examples: outbreak of
Peloponnesian War, Cato on Third Punic War)
* Citizens
* Genocide
* States and strategy (the match between resources and armies
* Christianity and war

And furthermore
* Alexander's selfdeification
* The Battle of the Jaxartes (Alexander at his best)
* Medicine
* Bar Kochba
* Messianism

I certainly wouldn't mind an issue devoted to the general context of war.

I'd also like to suggest the Roman civil wars of the late republic as a theme. Furthermore, I would like to see an issue devoted interely to siege warfare.

One idea for a special issue would be to step out of bounds ever so slightly and cover of the Hindus during the Hellenistic age, starting with Hydaspes going forward.

- The Battle of Hydaspes (from the Indians' perspective)
- Asian Elephants in War
- "The Great Wall of India" - the kingdoms and peoples (and armies) that stood between Alexander and his goal of reaching "The Encircling Ocean."
- Tactics and Weapons of the Indians, circa 200BC.
- Diplomatic and cultural relations between India and the Hellenistic states

Agreeing with Jona, I´d love an issue devoted to the Bar Kochba revolt, or better one covering both it and the Jewish revolt of 66.
Related with these issues, covering Messianism will be interesting, and what about the Slave Wars?

I will also suggest the Bellum Cantabricum and the fierce resistance of Cantabrii and Astures against Rome.

Best regards

Best regards

"The psychological consequences of war". In the first place: because it has never been treated in AW or RAT. In the second place: because it counters claims that people interested in ancient warfare are sensationalists. Think of:
* post-traumatic stress disorder (the case of Horatius killing his sisters);
* the neurology of battle (how our senses are influenced - I know the neurologist/psychologist who can write this);
* how people who have started to hate another nation, continue this hatred even when the enemy is no lomger there, and look for another victim (cf. the sad news these days about people in Belfast transferring to Rumanian gypsies).

I know this is an unusual proposal that will make it necessary to look for authors outside our normal circle, but I think it may be a really nice adventure for everyone involved.

Military Christian Saints

My concern is the period of Jesus up to 15th centaury. I request a special issue that would deal with the Military Christian Saints starting from Legions III and X in the Area of the Middle East and Rome with all possible dress code and weapons of the local Royal Families and ruling Government & people that are referred to in the Bible and possible dress references that are related to Holy Iconography Icons [Coptic & Byzantine style]

My concerns which touch 300.000 Eastern Christian Orthodox from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Romania up to Russia etc. Would have a reference to be used by many Artist that would use this information to Artistically correct historic mistakes and those interested in Military Saints of both West Roman and East Roman [Byzantine]

What is my concerns on behalf of my craft and trade, is the correct military dress code of Saints from the 1st ace up to the fall of Constantinople, were religious Orthodox Icons have a vast collection of metaphysical paintings as you know on church walls & portable Icons. However, they are images of what Hagiography Icon painters copied and over the 1,900 years of religious painting, took out or changed way too many details in military weapons and dress code [including horses and architecture].

There is a new Icon boom in the Icon industry in the Orthodox Christian Countries especially in Russia

We have many military men in history who became Saints and were either in Roman Legions or other Military structures later in military history up to 1453.

I believe that you have a vast collection of info that you could edit a special issue

“Military Christian Saints”

p.s. if anyone can help me on this subject until then please contact me

I agree with suggestions for "The Jewish War" (including the siege of Masada, military finds from Israel, Josephus as a source, etc.) and "Siege Warfare" (obviously!) but also:

* Roman Frontiers
* Rome and Persia
* Medicine and warfare
* Late Macedonian warfare (Philip V / Perseus)

For the Special, you should probably wait for Marathon (but start planning now -- it'll take 12 months to integrate the contributions!)

"Cavalry in the Ancient World"
"Decisive Weapons"

Perhaps including another military religions (don´t forget Mithra, for example) may complete the picture?

That would be a fresh insight on the everyday soldier life and psichology (christianity and mithraism at least of the a.C. Romans)

The siege issue it´s unavoidable

I would like to see one of medicine. My introduction of reenactment was explaining one amazing kit...

I'll just add my five cents worth:

1) Roman Britain (including campaigns against Scotland; Rome vs. barbarian invaders; structure of the late Roman military force in Britain). I see great potential for a special issue here, but we missed the timeline hook by one year (official Roman withdrawal in 409 AD) -- although I seriously think we could afford to be liberal about the date, since the actual force withdrawal took place over years, and some Romans stayed on past 409.

2) The campaigns of Tiberius and Drusus

3) Women Warriors and War Leaders (from the mythic Amazons to historical figures such as Britain's Boudicca and Illyria's Teuta)

4) The Black Sea and Caucasus Region
(Sarmatians, Scythians, Cimmerians etc, as well as Greek/Roman warfare in the region)

5) Huns, Goths and Rome (Potential for a special issue here - Sack of Rome, 410 AD)

Maybe more later

I propose these themes:
Roman's little wars: Africa, Asia,
Bellum Socii
First civil war: Marius against Sulla
Sertorius' War in Hispania
Barbarians in Rome: generals, dictators, protectors
The roman punishment.

Great! Bellum Socii, Marius against Sulla and Sertorius' War seem excellent choices for me!
What about an issue centered in Marius? the scope can be really broad, the siege of Numantia, the war againts Jugurtha, the Cimbri and Teutones threat, Bellum Socii, the civil war, Marian reforms, etc...

- Friendly fire in ancient battles; cf. my forum thread
- Reasons for decline of great kingdoms: technological advance, destruction of the environment…
- Figures: population, economical strength, base of recruitment…
- Forms of government in Ancient times, their pros and cons, why was it impossible to keep democracy once the city-state expanded?
- Keeping the murderers at bay; means to stop the regular killing of the monarch/emperor
- Review of the pc game mod Europa Barbarorum; the dream of all readers here
- The German development during the Roman empire: from loose tribes to kingdoms

Hi, it'd be great if one or two issues could delve into warfare in the Byzantine Empire in the 6th/7th centuries. Justinian's wars need little introduction.

I'd like to focus more on the wars of Heraclius. During his regin, Byzantium was nearly annihilated as a political entity and it was only under his energetic leadership that the Persian and Avar threats were neutralised. Heraclius's tenure as Emperor also saw the rise of Islam and the Roman efforts to contain this new threat. While the timeframe is slightly off 600 AD (600-641AD), I am of the opinion that it is a topic which is highly interesting due to the intense warfare which saw Byzantium barely survive. Furthermore, it would be a refreshing change to the current topics.

Please do consider my suggestion.

Regards
KL

Germanicus !

Here was a brilliant, capable and well loved general - too well loved? Did his murder start the political and ethical rot?
His campaigns are worth the review and his ability to command the loyalty of the legions was equal to Caesar (if not more so). He was a soldier's soldier and a fine example of the Roman officer àt his best.

Paul makes a great point referring to the 410 epistle. If we want to make a special issue around Roman Britain it would have to have a focus, and I agree that the Roman withdrawal is the most significant single aspect. (Don't worry Jasper, I won't suggest King Arthur again)

Here's a Bronze age suggestion: the "catastrophe" which hit the greater eastern Mediterranean region circa 1200 BC (collapse of the Mycenean palace culture, the Hittite empire, destruction of the Canaanite cities etc).

There are many military aspects to choose from here, including individual major battles and campaigns (e.g. Qadesh, Trojan War, etc); large scale militant migrations (Dorians, Phrygians, the Sea People); tactical developments (mobile light infantry defeating chariots; large scale amphibious raids); developments in military technology.

We could tighten the focus more and concentrate, for example, on the Sea People or the Trojan War as a central theme, with articles on various aspects.

The Claudian Army Reforms

The Dacian Wars

The Persian and Peloponnesian Wars and The Golden Age of Athens.

- Wars of the Rome with Samnites. Battle of the Caudine Forks 321 BC.
- Social War (91–88 BC).
- Intrusion of tribes the Cimbri and the Teutons (113-101 BC).

ancient weaponry in use/effiency (topics to discuss, I'm thinking of)
-ballistics of the sling bullet
-artillery (maybe also about the mechanics behind it)
-plumbata
-use of different types of swords (saex, falcata, gladius, spatha, etc)

The story of Carausius (the first leader of UKIP? - joke), Allectus and Asclepiodotus. Per Wikipedia:

Carausius:
"Marcus Aurelius Mausaeus Carausius (died 293) was a military commander of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century. He was a Menapian, born in the western part of Batavia, who usurped power in 286, declaring himself emperor of Britain and northern Gaul. He did this only 13 years after the Gallic Empire of the Batavian Postumus was ended in 273. He held power for seven years, before being assassinated by his finance minister Allectus (see Carausian Revolt)."

Allectus:
"Allectus was treasurer to Carausius, a Menapian officer in the Roman navy who had seized power in Britain and northern Gaul in 286. In 293 Carausius was isolated when the western Caesar, Constantius Chlorus, retook some of his Gallic territories, particularly the crucial port of Bononia (modern Boulogne), and defeated his Frankish allies in Batavia. Allectus assassinated Carausius and assumed command himself."

Asclepiodotus:
"Julius Asclepiodotus was a Roman praetorian prefect who served under Aurelian, Probus and Diocletian and was consul in 292. In 296 he assisted the western Caesar Constantius Chlorus in re-establishing Roman rule in Britain following the illegal rules of Carausius and Allectus. ...
"While Constantius sailed from Boulogne, Asclepiodotus took a section of the fleet and the legions from Le Havre, slipping past Allectus's fleet at the Isle of Wight under cover of fog, and landed presumably in the vicinity of Southampton or Chichester, where he burned his ships. Allectus attempted to retreat from the coast but was cut off by Constantius's forces and defeated. Some of Constantius's troops, who had been separated from the main body by the fog during the channel crossing, caught up with the remnants of Allectus's men at London and massacred them."

Stirring stuff!

I cast my vote for the social wars, Marius and Sulla (examined separately), Marcus Agrippa (Great general or pawn of Augustus?), and Trauma Surgery circa 108 BCE.

I would like to read more about the following:

* Sassanians, their rise, decline and fall and how did they influenced warfare (that could be theme for a whole issue)
* Just cause? How did the Ancients justify even the bloodiest aggression?
* Legionaries versus Clibinarii - weapons, tactics, famous encounters
* Central Asian warfare (Sakas, YueChi, Chionites, Kidarites, Hephtalites ...)
* Eastern footsoldiers - as bad fighters as we have been told?
* The great Gothic incursions of the 3rd century AD.
* The Great Germanic confederation (Franks, Alemanni, Goths).

Fine time for me to say this now (and this coming from someone who piled five different topics into one post) but maybe it would be better of we were to put each of our suggestions into a separate post. I'm finding it hard to vote on some proposals because the post contains 1-2 topics I like and a couple I'm not so enthused about.

I would like to see an issue on the Pyrrhic Wars and further more how about an issue on Mithridates and his wars with Rome.

Hi, maybe it's a little off topic but i think it fits:
- Keep at least one elaborated battle report
- Include reviews of new or unknown movies or series dealing with our timeframe (e.g. Alexander, Troy, Rome when they came out)
- Include reviews of documentaries that are worth being seen. (Non Anglo-americans might never hear of a good one there) My latest discovery was Boudica - Warrior Queen (it's ok)
- I have to say that I would accept fewer models reviews

-hellenistic elite troops (agema, peltasts,..)
-Agathocles vs Carthage
-Assyria and his enemies

Here are a couple of suggestions, some of which I know have been made already:
Ancient Logistics: from the simple needs of a Hoplite army, to the much more complex need of Alexander, or Hannibal , or Roman armies and how this factor alone played such a major part in Strategy.....How did they feed and water an army of 50,000 men and many more animals on a daily basis ?

Dacian Wars: the sudden rise of Dacia as a military power, the wars of Domitian and disaster. Trajans successful wars.

Individual Battles: analysis in detail of a particular ancient battle...who, what, where and why....

Arms and Armour as a subject....a series of articles looking at particular panoplies in detail...photos - real equipment/re-enactors, detailed description of gear, technical information, how it was used etc


For the Special: Roman Britain ( given the anniversary of 410 AD) or The Perian Wars (given the upcoming Marathon event)

I have a hankering for a theme that just failed for '09: Sparta-Athens-Thebes. To which I'd add Persia. There is much to be covered in this including the political aspects of the contending alliances; critical relationship(s) with Persia; the nature of "common peace(s)"; decline of Sparta; the "professionalising" of Greek warfare and the moral social decline (as perceived by a moralising Isokrates and fellow travellers). One might dare call it the "The twilight (or death strugles) of the classical city-states".

It is a fascinating period of Greek history and one with significant ramifications in respect to the period to follow.

I'd tend to agree with those on a special for Roman Britain. Another favourite would be the Triumvir Wars.

Issues I'd like to see:

* Military propaganda: how, why and by what means.
* Romans in the media: How were Rome's military leaders received by contemporaries?
* Irregular arms: About weapons which were sparsely used but had some impact or at least spark the imagination. How were they used? Why weren't they widespread?
* One day flies: About leaders who are known (or at least best known) to have performed "only" one feat.
* Mare nostrum: About the Mediterranean. From battles with the Carthaginians to Pompeius whiping out pirates. Also the importance of the inner sea to logistics.
* The gladius: Rome's most imaginative sword, origins, development and use.
* Natural boundaries: The importance of nature/surroundings to military operations.
* Slaves: The role of slaves in ancient times.
* Military religion.

Follow the Money: A fuller discussion of the Roman economy and how disparate parts of the empire supported each other. How did the economy determine the stationing of the legions? What was the role of tribute in Roman/Greek/etc. foreign policy? How was coinage used to pay the troops and what was the propaganda value of reverse legends? What is the history of the donative? Who was taxed and who wasn’t and what was the role of the army in enforcing imperial fiscal policy? What did the legionaries spend their money on?

Dominate & the Tetrarchy: How did the development of the “Dominate” change the relationship between the army and the emperor? How did the Illyrian Soldier Emperors reverse the empire’s death spiral and reestablish the old borders. Why was Diocletian successful at surviving, thriving and stabilizing the security situation? 4 emperors are better than one? What was the role of the armies in the succession crises that destroyed the Tetrarchy model? An exploration of the emergence of the Sassanid Persian Empire and its strategic goals versus the Romans.

Special Issues on the campaigns of:
Julius Caesar in Gaul
Julius Caesar in the Civil War
Augustan Age: Civil Wars, Octavian Against Antony, Agrippa, Tiberius
AD 69, Year of 4 Emperors
Dacian Wars
Constantinian Era: Civil Wars, Goths/Barbarians, Establishment of Constantinople, Impact of Christianity on the Armies
Barbarians: Adrianople, Goths (Aleric), Vandels (Gaiseric), Huns (Attila) and the Roman responses by Stilicio, Aetius and others.
Justinian’s Great Quest to Reconstitute the Empire: Belisarius, Carthage, Gothic War, Persia, Nike Revolt, Plague

Hello,

I suggest these topics:

Dacian Wars - psycological issues and roman weapon change because of Dacian tactics and weapons (falx...)

Scutum romanum: How it did evolved form the oplon to the squared ones seen in the traianic column and the related colours and patterns

Samnitic wars: they seems to have caused a change in roman tactic and introcuction of maniples.

Thanks for your attention.

Ciao

Stefano from Mediolanum

Stefano wrote:

Scutum romanum: How it [removed]void(0);did evolved form the oplon to the squared ones seen in the traianic column and the related colours and patterns

This subject was already touched in some articles by Christian Koepfer in earlier issues.

For the special issue, Marathon's 2500th anniversary is next year. So how about one commemorating that, and the whole Persian War?

Two:

Belisarius and the Byzantine
And the Persian War Machine in the Greek wars

- The logistics of great campaigns, such as the ones of Alexander and Hannibal

- The military of early byzantium, Heraclius etc

- The soldiers war, psychology and the stress of battle

- something on the hittite empire and the battle of kadesh

just some ideas for now..

Something about the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and its conflicts with the Seleucid Empire.

I had the great fortune to visit one of the key Roman Kastelum from the Limes border wall in Germany. Why not have a string of articles on various ancient border fortifications? The Romans had them in North Africa and the Middle East as well as Britain. The Chinese had the Great wall, and the Assyrians has something similar.
Perhaps a running series of such articles and an examination on why they all eventually failed.

I had the great fortune to visit one of the key Roman Kastelum from the Limes border wall in Germany. Why not have a string of articles on various ancient border fortifications? The Romans had them in North Africa and the Middle East as well as Britain. The Chinese had the Great wall, and the Assyrians has something similar.
Perhaps a running series of such articles and an examination on why they all eventually failed.

I would like to read about the Romano-British.

I have read all the above posts, and must say that most suggestions do look interesting to me! Unfortunately, only 6 issue's a year. I think you already have enough suggestions for the next few years!
Here are my suggestions anyway:

-Assyrian and early Achaemenid Persian armies and battles. How did the Achaemenids evolved from steppe nomads to an empire in such a short time? And removed the Assyrians, who where known as great warriors.

-The end of the Roman Empire in Western Europe (what happened in France, Belgium and the Netherlands when the empire colapsed?)

-Scythian and Thracian warriors. How did they fight against heavely armed and armoured troops, being both lighter troop types?

-I also would like to know more about Belisarius and the Justinian Wars.

-Sieges through the ages. Assyrians, Alexander & Successors, Carthago, Alesia,...

-Maybe an article on wargaming and how to use a rulesset to refight a historical battle would be interesting.


Anyway, all issue's have been excellent, and very informative!

Some ideas
-Early roman armies
-Pyrrhu's army
-Antigonid macedonian armies
-Evolusion of roman military equipment
-Hellenistic thureophoroi
-Late ptolemaic armies
-Galatian armies of asia minor
-Balkan enemies of the ancient Macedonian kingdom
-Macedonian militias after 168bc(Under roman occupation)
-Republican rome balkan wars
-Roman expendition against the galatians of Asia minor(189bc)

some more
-Aetolian-Achaean League armies
-Roman-Aetolian war
-Greek mercenaries of the hellenistic kingdoms
-Late macedonian army
-Hellenistic cavalry equipment ,tactics, weapons

I vote for the reconquest of Africa and Italy by the forces of Belisarius and the campaigns of Justinian as a theme. It's an interesting period and I think it hasn't been treated before in Ancient Warfare.

It could be very interesting to analyse the gothic and vandal forces, and the byzantine army in this period.

Greetings to all.

Some more:
- Life of Constantine III and history of Britain after he left.
- Rome and the Rhine in the V century.
- History of the Franks in the IV and V century.
- Maximinus Thrax's campaign in Germany.
- History of Venice in the V and VI century.
and I like maps :-) so please add more.
Hi all.

The Barcids' issue might cause unfortunate overlap with this, but Hannibal and Hasdrubal Barca were not exactly the only interesting figures to emerge from the Punic Wars. Perhaps doing Gnaeus and Publius Scipios' campaigns in Spain would be going over old ground, so how about Marcellus and Sicily?

In fact, Sicily's role in the Punic Wars would be great, as it was both significant and interesting in both of the important ones (3rd Punic War was effectively just a siege). Topics covered could be: strategic importance, notable sea battles/the overall campaign in the 1st war, Hiero as an ally of Rome, Marcellus's campaign.

If you wanted to go even more general, Sicily's pre-Punic history would be interesting - eg with the Greeks, the Graeco-Sicilian tyrants and the Athenian campaign during the Peloponnesian War.

what about homer's epics re-examined?
-The source: the state of warfare in Homer's Archaic Age
-What is known about the Mycenaeans as soldiers, and what equipment they used
-Homeric tactics, eg heroic duels and chariots for transport (now believed to be innacurate)
-The history behind the Trojan War: Wilusa, the bronze trade ect
-The Bronze Age Collapse and its impact, such as the history of the Sea Peoples
-The battle: Kadesh, and the influence of Egypt and the Hittites on the Mycenaean world at the time

this would be extremely useful as I'm writing a trilogy linking the myth to the Collapse but I only started uncovering the much-neglected history whilst doing the research, and it would be an interesting, and much-overlooked, topic to bring to life. It has been fascinating for me to see how the well-known myths fit into a larger, richer tapestry, and I'm sure Ancient Warfare's point of view would bring it even more to life.

I would suggest the Mithriadiatic wars.

I would suggest a topic on the most ignoble of ends to the Roman Empire. Perhaps starting with the battle of Frigidus to Chalons. The rise of the Roman generalissimos could be expanded on.

A beneficial Roman theme add-on would definitely be information regarding 1st and second century Legion and Auxilia shield designs, with a definitive focus on shield colors. Come to think of it, Roman shield color information appears with few exceptions rather threadbare and conjectural for the Republican era through to the period pre-dating the Notitia Dignitatum. Am looking forward to the color plate eye candy.

Perhaps not surprisingly I would like more stuff about Sparta - but not of the well-covered classical period - how about the later Hellenistic period? Perhaps an article that explored the difficult period between Leuktra and Pyrrhos' attack on Sparta itself - a neat 100 year period.

The other thing that interests me is the Roman withdrawal period from Britain and the subsequent early Dark Ages.

Sorry that should have been for 2010 (got that damn new film on my mind!)