The Final Draft of the Final

Ancient Miliary: Formtion and Equipment of Three Militry Powers

The greatest civilizations to survive were not due to great economic wealth, the level of peace that was established between nations, or by who had the most citizens. In ancient times, the success of a nation was based on how powerful, how successful their military was. Today we recognize several nations as having the greatest militaries of their time, including the Persian Immortals, Viking and earlier Native American tribes. However, three of the closest militaries in time were all pitted against each other, with variations of initial failures and successes. These three nations are the Romans, Spartans and the Gaelic Warriors of Ireland. The Romans, possibly considered to be the most innovative and successful military ever, revolutionized the use of battle tactics and battle formations. The warriors of the Greek city-state of Sparta are renowned for the ferocity they showed in battle and the strength in small numbers, as depicted in the acclaimed film 300. The Gaelic Warriors of Ireland, more commonly known as the Celts, were successful due to their amazing size, towering over enemies, and the employment of Guerilla Warfare Tactics. However, when pitted against each other, one of these nations military’s reign supreme over the other two, based on the use of tactics and, in some cases, the weapons that were used by them.

The most prevalent things that led to the success of these militaries are the more advanced weapons, the use of military battle tactics, battle formations, and the warriors’ mentality. As for which military is more successful, the debate is forever ongoing and severely heated. Such questions have become increasingly popular with the rise of Spike TV’s hit television show Deadliest Warrior¸ a show in which they pit a single warrior in simulated battles with another and determine who would win, thus being dubbed “the deadliest warrior”. While the Romans were innovative in the use of battle tactics, the Spartans and Romans used less structured tactics and still were a world power

While Spartans, Romans, and Gaelic Warriors have all been on the show, they have not been pitted against each other to see who would win in such battles.

The first thing that set these societies apart from any other is the use of battle formations. However each used a different form of tactics. The Roman military is said to be “the most successful in history, dominating the Western world for over a thousand years. The size, strength, and organization of the infantry forces wouldn’t be equaled again for another thousand years.”

The Romans began their rise in the 7th century BC, surviving until 177 AD, based on a very successful military that started out as no more than a “regional force of citizen soldier farmers” (Roman Military). The Romans employed several basic formations, which included those specifically for battle and those specific to marching. The military belief was founded on the idea “that by keeping troops in order, one could fight more effectively. One of the most common formations that the Romans used is today referred to as the “Typical Legion Formation”.

The cavalry rode up front, on the sides where they could protect the flanks. In between them were two rows of five cohorts. The rightmost cohort consisted of ~1100 infantry and ~ 30 mounted troops, while the others contained ~500 infantry and ~65 cavalry. Behind the main group were seven units of light troops, followed by seven units of reserves. (Formations of the Legion)

The Romans also had several other battle formations, mostly used for battle. It was believed that “A general whose troops are superior in numbers and bravery should engage in the oblong square…” The first formation, which was designed for the likes of cities and roads, assumed that the “wings” (or outsides) are more powerful. If the army was to become flanked, the reserves would be able to counter. The second formation, said to be the best, took advantage of the left side of the soldier, and considered the left side to be weaker, because it was supported by the use of shields. “The right wing moved around the opponents left, and attacked from the rear. The left wing kept its distance, while the reserves supported the left wing or guarded against the enemy attacking the center.” The Romans had several other battle formations, all of which were used under certain circumstances. By employing such tactics as these, the Romans were able to defeat the likes of both the Spartans and the Gaelic Warriors.

Besides the Romans, the Spartans, considered to be the most premier fighting corps of their time, also dominated the world through the power of their military. Spartans soldiers devoted their lives to training as heavy infantry. The individual warriors fighting prowess as well as using group tactics were honed years before they ever saw battle. The Spartan nation bred the strongest with the strongest, the fastest with the fastest, in order to breed the best possible warriors. Any infants that were seen to have impurities, usually those that were the smallest or had deformities, were cast off of a cliff.

While Spartan men spend time in the earliest form off military boarding school from the age of seven to twenty, they learn battle formations in the form of the phalanx, or “rectangular mass formation, usually composed entirely of heavy infantry armed with spears, pikes, or similar weapons.”

The hoplite phalanx was a formation in which the hoplites would line up in files, no less than four deep, in very close order. In this formation, the hoplites would lock their shields together, while the first few ranks of soldiers would project their spears out over the first rank of shields, thus allowing for the first three or so ranks of spearmen to engage their spears against the enemy. Therefore, one might say that the phalanx was essentially a formation in which the hoplites created a mass spear and shield wall. The effectiveness of the phalanx depended upon how well the hoplites could maintain this formation while in combat, especially when engaged against another phalanx. (Phalanx Formation)

The formation worked in a form of a pushing match, similar as depicted in the movie 300. However, the phalanx formation had several weaknesses that became the downfall of the civilization. The formation took away maneuverability. The formation was nearly indestructible from the front, but was vulnerable to rear attacks, as well as it was easily flanked. This was seen when in the battle of Pynda, where the Romans used the cavalry to outflank and destroyed the phalanx formation from the sides. The second weakness that the Spartans faced was the lack of an artillery forces. The Spartans felt that the use of long ranged weapons was cowardice. Against enemies that used such things as javelins, slings and archers, the Spartans had no answer. This eventually led to the defeat of the Spartans to the Romans, and the Roman overtake of the majority of the European continent.

The Gaelic Warriors of Ireland had no need for the use of complex battle formations or something as monumental as battle tactics. Gaelic Warriors, Celts, relied on their fierceness, and sheer size to, more or less completely swamp their enemies, striking fear into them by simply the things that they wore. The most of a formation that the Celts used was a straight line, from which the Celts had a relentless charge, referred to the Romans as “the Furor Celtica” (Celtic Military, Celtic Military Tactics)The Celtics also were able to fight defensively, which Caesar referred to as the “Celtic Phalanx.” The Celts were also among the first to employ Guerilla Warfare tactics seen in the American Revolution, attacking enemies from the forests.

All three of these civilizations, while using very different battle tactics, employed the use of the same general weapons; swords spears, shields and shields after some form of fashion. First off, the Romans were the most versatile when it came to the use of weapons. They employed the use of the Gladius, a sword used for stabbing in hand to hand combat. It is described as a “50 cm two-edged blade, with a long point.” Later swords used by the Romans resembled these; however they had shorter points, and parallel sides. These newer versions could still be used for stabbing, but now they had the ability to dismember the opponent. Pilum’s, a long spear, similar to that of a javelin were also used by the romans. Thinner pilum’s were tipped with an iron head which fit into place via slots that was about two meters long. The thick pilum was attached with a five centimeter wide tang (long, slender prong). Armor came in the form of greaves, breast plates, and helmets.

The Spartans had possibly the most unique and identifying weapons and armor. The Spartans are notorious for the use of the doru, a spear which was generally about seven to nine feet in length. The doru had a leaf shaped blade at the tip, as well as a spike on the bottom that could be used for stabbing fallen opponents. They also used two different types of swords. These were both forms of short swords, however were very different on both use and design. The first sword, the xiphos was used as a secondary weapon when it was necessary for close combat. The leaf shaped blade was roughly around a foot and a half long, shorter than those used by the other Greek nations, and could be used for both slashing and stabbing. The second short sword was known as a kopis. This blade was heavier and slightly curved, and used for hacking at enemies. Though it had a point, which made it usable for stabbing, it had more of the use of a small axe. The use of this weapon gained the Spartans the reputation as gruesome warriors around the Greek nation.

Unlike the rest of the Greek nations, which had a ragtag assortment of armor for each army, the Spartans had a set uniform starting in 420 BC. This consisted of the typical bronze breastplate that was muscled, a helmet with cheek plates, greaves for the forearms and shin armor. They also carried a shield, known as an aspis or hoplon with the letter lambda. The signifying Spartan trait became the flowing red cape that they were seen wearing to Represent themselves to all that saw them as Spartans, which was never worn in battle.

The Celts were an ever changing warrior society that was separated into tribes. In early eras, the only Celts that employed the use of armor of any sorts of armor were nobles. As time went on, they began to wear typical armors made of leather, in some cases either bronze armor or chainmail, depending on personal wealth. However, later the Celts developed a special form of armor known as “Ceannlann armor.” “It is a layer of metal scales sewn onto lined in which in turn sown on to chain armor creating a very effective multilayer armor that could cover the entire body.” Helmets were seen to have horse tails, feathers or wings on them. Majority of helmets also had horns, whether real or metal, fastened onto them for a more fearsome look. Shields were always used, as Celts took pride in the crafting of them, using animal fur covering a wood that had metal ribbing, edges and spines sticking form the front.

The Celts, due to the warrior culture, used the widest variety of weapons of these three. As far as ranged weapons, this varied by tribe. The general ranged weapons consisted of javelins, harpoons, bows, and slings. Young warriors used poorly made javelins, slings and bows while Celtic Champions used the weapons that were better made. The Celts also used poison on the tips of the ranged weapons. But the Celtics were a society built on close combat prowess. Weapons used in close combat were generally two handed axes and hammers, sword and spears. Swords were originally short, but eventually became long swords. These weapons, like ranged weapons, varied in quality. Some swords, as reported by the Romans “after the first impact of a warrior was known to bend or became blunt.” In some tribes , warriors were seen to carry double-edged swords. Some swords in England have been found of great quality, which may have been used in battle, but just as likely to use in religious and spiritual ceremonies.

While all of these militries are considered great, the Romans have remined to be supreme. Due the innovation of the military, how quickly they were able to asses the situation, and the ability to fight as a unit, rather then just as individuls, they were able to dispose of the Spartans quickly in battle. The downfall of the Spartans, who are forever considered a profound militry force,was the fact tht the militry refused to use the likes of slings, bows and other ranged weapons. With the Romans superior ability at flanking, as well as the defense, and the Spartans lack there of, this caused the Spartan s to be out flanked and attacked from behind.

While the Celts originally beat the Romans (in somese cases embarresing them), they only originally did so because of the ferocious onslaught and overwhelming size. Once the Romans established a proper military that was able to function, the Celts no longer posed as great of a threat.The use of great weapons, and superior armor, along with the empowering use of battle tactics, helped to clench some of the greatest victories in Roman military history.

The Spartans, Romns anctd Celts were all world powers around the samertns time. Each dominated their regions and each were pitted against eachother in battle until only one reigned supreme. While the Romans were innovative in the use of battle tactics, the Spartans and Romans used less structured tactics and still were a world power. This caused the Spartans to reign supreme over all the land, eventually beating both the Celts and the Spartans on separate occasions. Therefore, Romans reign supreme as the premier ancient military force to come out of the European continent.

Annotated Bibliography

“Celtic Military.” Editorial. AncientMilitary.com.

AncientMilitary.com 2010. Web. 16 April 2012.

This website was used for the general information needed to write about the Celtic Military. It will be used for such things as weapons, and battle formations, as well as for the comparison to other militaries that will be used in this paper

“Formations of the Legion.” Editorial. RomanMilitary.net

RomanMilitary 2007. Web 16 April 2012

This website has extensive thoughts on the use of the Roman Battle formations and the times and requirements for them to be used. This will be used for descriptions for a few of the formations to give an idea for the how the Romans used their cunning to win in battle

“Phalanx Formation.” Editorial. Spiritus-Temporis.com.

Spiritus-Temporis.com 2005. Web. 16 April 2012

A website that gives information on the pros and cons of the Phalanx Formations used by the Warriors of Sparta. It will be used to describe the “game Plan” that Spartans used and how effective, or ineffective it was against other militaries

“Roman Military.” Editorial. AncientMilitary.com.

AncientMilitary.com 2010. Web. 16 April 2012.

This website was used for the general information needed to write about the Roman Military. It will be used for such things as weapons, and battle formations, as well as for the comparison to other militaries that will be used in this paper

“Spartan Military.” Editorial AncientMilitary.com

AncientMilitary.com 2010. Web. 16 April 2012.

This website was used for the general information needed to write about the Spartan Military. It will be used for such things as weapons, and battle formations, as well as for the comparison to other militaries that will be used in this paper

“Tools of War.” Editorial.Editorial. RomanMilitary.net.

RomanMilitary 2007. Web. 16 April 2012

This website has information about the different weapons and armors that were used by the Romans. It will be used to describe the things that aided in the protection of battle and defeat of other military enemies.