Runes of History

Roman Universal Citizenship and the Parallels with America

2012-01-02T20:50:00.000-06:00

Caracalla

In 212CE, Caracalla, murderer of his own brother Geta, and sole heir to the ever decaying Roman Empire, made a calculated decision called the Constitutio Antoniniana, which granted universal citizenship to all free subjects of the Roman Empire.

The purpose of the decree was twofold: ease of bureaucracy and to help fill Rome's near empty coffers.

What Caracalla failed to understand, and to the detriment of an already declining society was that the people he made citizens; Moesia, Dacia, Pannonia, supplied an endless resource of able bodies who have had at the time, no dealings with Rome itself. Not only were they unfamiliar with Roman custom's, insofar as everyday Roman life and the worship of Roman gods, they had little knowledge of the universal language of the empire: Latin.

This lack of attachment to Rome, and the relevant non-allegiance to a city hundreds of miles away allowed the infiltration of foreign ideals and norms into an already established Roman culture, which had been in existence since the early 700s BCE. The "1000 Year Empire" as it styled itself to become was already in it's final death throes before universal citizenship.

In 21st century America, with the ongoing debate of illegal immigrant status and universal amnesty, a parallel is being drawn. There are the many who seek advancement in America through legal processes, and others who believe they have a right to be here, legal or not. Immigrants are the backbone of the United States, and keep the blood of the county refreshed. New ideas and innovations came with immigrants of the 20th century, and they assimilated into an already established culture.

The early days of immigration to the United States saw the influx of people from various nations in Western Europe: England, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Spain and Ireland. During the Slavic upheavals of the late 19th/early 20th centuries due to war, famine and disease, the face of the immigrant changed to that of the Pole, Croat, Lithuanian and Russian, in addition to many other cultures across Eastern Europe. The people who settled in the large cities of America did so in their own small communities, keeping their heritage and culture alive. After a generation though, they began to move out of the cities and into suburban areas. Though some retained their languages, all became Americans. They pledged their allegiance to their newly adopted country.

From the mid 20th century until the present, the largest immigrant population has come from Central and South America, with Mexico leading the pack. Values changed, and indoctrination has taught the newly arrived immigrant from South of the Rio Grande that they no longer need to "lose" their culture and become Americans. They have their own culture, and should be proud of it. It is not they that need to conform to America, it is the Americans that need to conform to them.

In retrospect, mass citizenship to people who have little to no allegiance to the nation/empire granting the citizenship is like the Trojan Horse of Homer's day. The nation will tear itself apart from within.

Robert E Howard: Historical Poetry

2011-08-04T20:25:00.000-05:00

I would like to thank fellow REHupan Frank Coffman for sharing this wonderful video of the panel on Robert E Howard's poetry at Howard Days in Cross Plains, Texas this year.

I will definitely need to make the pilgrimage there one day.

The Alchemist: New Horror Short Story now available Smashwords

2011-07-19T20:50:00.000-05:00

The Alchemist

The Alchemist is now available at Smashwords of a whopping .99 cents.

That's right, .99 cents.

It took me a long while to finish this little gem. Actually, I had it sitting on my hard drive for about 3 years; unfinished and unsure of how to finish it.

In keeping with the style of the pulp writers of the 1930's, I developed a rather simple plot: Man meets woman at bar, woman lures man with her beauty into a bad situation, man held prisoner and experimented on by mad scientist, woman seeks redemption and aids man in escape.

Oh, and that damn magic dagger is back, the one used in my other story, Ritual of Fire.

On creating the antagonist, Doctor Martin, I mixed two area that I really dig; history and psycho-thriller. The story takes place sometime in the 20th century, and the doctor is already centuries old, after stealing a flask full of water from the Fountain of Youth. The doctor uses small quantities of the magical liquid to keep himself young, and to perform experiments on hapless victims.

Hope you enjoy the story, and please leave honest comments.

Bringing Back Pulp in the 21st Century

2011-06-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

I grew up reading mass-market paperbacks of sci-fi and fantasy books by Ace and other publishers. Fueling my imagination were books such as Michael Resnick's Redbeard, books by Andre Norton, Philip Jose Farmer's Dark is the Sun and The Cache, and the most influential writer in my life, Robert E Howard and his stories about our favorite barbarian, Conan, in addition to other stories REH wrote including the stories collected in the Gods of Bal-Sagoth.

The art of pulp is to create a fast-paced story, setting a main problem for the protaganist to overcome, and introducing obstacles to the solution for the main problem along the way. (see Lester Dent's Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot)

In today's face-paced entertainment scene, in which a movie that doesn't have CGI explosions and gun-battles within the first couple of minutes on screen time is quickly labeled as "slow-paced", I am surprised that pulp-fiction is not more readily accepted by mainstream readers of thrillers and crime stories, and to an even more extent, horror and fantasy fans.

But the times, they have a'changed. Young adult novel depicting vampires and werewolves are still selling well, riding on the coat-tails of the Twilight series. The vampire had changed from an oafish, unbelievable monster, to a more human-like being with emotions. The idea of a tortured vampire was introduced by Anne Rice in Interview with the Vampire in 1976. It took Hollywood over 10 years to get a movie deal going, which in turn influenced the next generation of vampire writers. Everybody and his sister were writing vampire stories, and the trend is still going strong.

Pulp-fiction lasted for decades, and in my opinion died during the late 1970s. I am talking about books being put to print, but were still being sold through the mid-to-late 1980s. Tor and Dragonlance were putting out D&D books, which in my opinion, though considered high-fantasy, were the closest thing to pulp being printed. They were being mass produced, and at any bookstoer you would, and still can see hundreds of titles available by a few authors in the D&D universe.

The fast action of the pulps drew me in, and will always influence the way I write.

Interview with David Wisehart at Kindle-Authors

2011-06-05T12:25:00.000-05:00

I just finished an interview with Dave Wisehart at Kindle-Authors about my new novel, When Giants Speak.

Kindle-Authors is an excellent resource for discovering wonderful indie-writers for the Kindle market. Dave is also an author whose book Devil's Lair can be found at Amazon for the sale price of only .99 cents.

The interview can be found here: Interview with Jeff Woodward

It's All About the Detail When You Write

2011-05-30T22:56:00.000-05:00

I was just talking with a friend of mine who just happens to be a radio host and boxing fanatic. He recently wrote a short story, and asked me to read it. I read the story, which had a good plot, but it was missing some of the fine-tuning that helps a reader envision in their minds what they are reading.

It's always about details. It's not just a "flower in the garden", it's "a white, rather wrinkly carnation with specks of pink around the front petals." The same concept goes when describing people and places. The reader wants to see what's going on, and you the fabulous writer need to show them.

My first story I ever submitted was a short about a guy contracting the HIV virus, and using it as a sort of revenge by having unprotected sex with women (I know, I know, it was 1995 and I was young). I submitted it to the Lumpkin Times in Chicago, and they shot it back at me with a rejection note. But it wasn't an automated note, I mean they actually hand wrote one and told me the story was "good, but lacking detail." From that day forward, I followed the advice of the anonymous editor and gave me some insight into fiction writing.

Detail, detail and more DETAIL! The more adjectives you use to describe an object, person or place, the happier your reader will be. Robert E Howard did jsut that in his Conan and Soloman Kane yarns. He sucks the reader in, with well-thought out descriptions of females scantily dressed, lying on silk covered divans as the mighty Conan came to carry them away......

New Short: The Voice from Beyond is Available

2011-05-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered about 'white noise', and what you would do if there was something in the room with your child, something you knew was there but shouldn't be?

The Voice from Beyond is a story I wrote some years ago, again in pulp-style. A young couple starts to hear voices on their baby-monitor, and to their horror discover that their baby is wanted by another form of life. As the plot unfolds, Mark's wife learns more details into the sinister spirit, and the tragedy she faced while still alive. Tragedy at the hands of her own brother....

Read the complete story here: The Voice from Beyond

Ritual of Fire

2011-05-28T00:26:00.002-05:00

Put up a short story on Smashwords that I wrote years ago called Ritual of Fire.

I love the old style pulp stories; the fast action and women in peril with an unlikely anti-hero that comes to the rescue in the nick of time. Pulp writing is a form onto itself, and I may take the time to write here how I try to produce the stories I want to tell.

Ritual of Fire is about a man who is sent from a secret order of demon hunters to stop a human sacrifice before a demon is called forth. He is armed with a magic-knife that can drain the essence of any living thing it is thrust in (insert jokes here). He has been a hunter for some time now, but has yet to come across a sacrifice in person. He's strong, he's resilient and resourceful, but he's also scared.

Check it out, it's available as a free download here: Ritual of Fire

Let me know what you think.

When Giants Speak is Available

2011-05-25T20:18:00.001-05:00

When Giants Speak

When Giants Speak is now available at Smashwords.

Though I have been writing since I was a kid, this is the first time I created a novel length story.

I put off self-publishing for years, shopping my manuscript to various literary agents instead. After more rejections than I can count, i decided to go the self-publishing route, especially after The NY Times reported that ebooks are outselling print books on Amazon.

I am very happy I went this route. The Kindle and other e-reading devices have created a means for writers to be heard. The authors keep all rights to their works, and can enjoy nice royalties from sales.

Smashwords Me'Thinks

2011-05-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Getting ready to publish and I think I am going to be using Smashwords. Aside from distribution to Kindle, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles etc., I believe the concept is well worth the trouble to format your writing to pass through their meatgrinder.

I was hesitant at first to self-publish, but after reading numerous blogs and meeting many wonderful self-published authors, I must say my mind was changed.

E-publishing is going to be the way of the future. Smashwords is just one option to help an author along the way.

Ariovistus: Caesar's Head for the Senate

2011-04-19T21:02:00.002-05:00

During the Gallic Wars, after J. Caesar pushed the Helvetii out of Adeun territory, he was asked to come to the aid of the Sequani to help push Ariovistus and the Suebi out of Sequan territory.

Ariovistus was originally invited by the Sequani to help in a war against the Adeui. Ariovistus and the Germans decided to stay in Sequan territory after the war, taking over a third of the territory for himself. The Sequani realized a little too late that they made a mistake, and invited a worse threat to themselves than other Gallic people such as the Adeui could prove to be.

When Caesar approached Ariovistus for the first parley, the leader of the Germans basically rebuffed Caesar and told him he came invited to Gaul, he won their territory by force of arms, etc. After the conclusion of the first parley, there were a few minor skirmishes between the Germans and Romans. When Ariovistus realized the Romans weren't budging an inch, and because German soothsayers were saying that Ariovistus would not win a battle before the next full moon, Ariovistus decided to approach Caesar to parley.

When Caesar approached, Ariovistus opened first with a bit of bragging about himself and the Germans, how they haven't slept under a roof in over 10 years, how brave they are, etc. He also stated something very interesting:

"I know for a fact that if I were to kill Caesar" said Ariovistus, "if I were to kill Caesar, I would earn a great reward from some of the Senators in Rome." Ariovistus then added, "I know this, because I heard it from their very messengers."

Now the great question: Which senators would have sent messengers to Ariovistus and the Germans, promising them fortune if they would kill Caesar? Who would have had the ability to get messengers across the Province, through a part of Gaul, and to the area where Ariovistus was camping?

Or, did Caesar fabricate Ariovistus' words to sow seeds of loyalty among those who favored Caesar or at least were on the fence between Caesar's and Pompey's factions?

Wicker Men and the Gauls

2011-04-15T19:26:00.002-05:00

The first known recording of the Gauls creating wicker objects shaped like men comes from Julius Caesar's The Gallic Wars. Caesar describes how the Gauls would tie up criminals in the wicker men and then set them ablaze as a form of human sacrifice. He also states that when not enough criminals were found, even innocent people were bound and burned to death.

This is in stark contrast to the Germans who lived across the Rhine. The Germans worshipped the things they could see or feel, such as the sun, the moon and the earth. They did not perform human sacrifices according to Caesar, but later on we discover that Roman prisoners caught after the Varus Disaster in 9CE had their heads nailed to tress, and according to Peter Wells in The Battle that stopped Rome, they were even ritually drowned.

The use of human sacrifice was a custom among the Kelts whose Druids were the final say in all matters concerning religion, and if we believe Wells, was even practiced among the Germans to some extent.

The Latins and Greeks did not practice human sacrifice, and after the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West and with the advent of Christianity, the practice was dropped altogether.

The Lygii, Lugii, or Just Plain 'ol Lugans

2011-02-06T12:12:00.000-06:00

These brash people, who inhabited the outter rims of the Germanic world, who controlled the "Amber Road" and were up in arms at one time against the Romans were to me what would have been construed as the boogeymen of ancient Europe. They were fierce, and according to Tacitus and Gibbons, they painted themsleves and their shields black and attacked in the dead of night. At first the Romans were terrified, but their discipline and strength of arms eventually defeated the maruaders. They were pushed back to their homelands, and saved from total annihilation by the Romans themsleves. The Lygii came forth later in recorded history as Poles and Lithuanians.

This got me thinking. I live in the Chicago area, which is heavily populated by Poles and Lithuanians. There is a term used when reffering to Lithuanians here: Lugan. I don't know if it is a derogatory statement, or just a short form instead of using the term Lithuanians. I never put these two words together until I read about the Lygii in the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Their location is evident, and the fact that the Lithuanians are from the same general area made that little bell in my head ring.

In my opinion, I wouldn't say the word Lugan is a derogatory, catch-all punch in the gut against the Lithuanians. It might be acutally flattering; to be called by the earliest of names for your people.

If I called a modern German from the Southwest of the country a Treveri would he get offended?

Probably not, though quite possible since the Treveri were Gauls and not Germans.

Maximinus Thrax as a Conan Influence?

2011-01-25T22:49:00.003-06:00

Reading Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, I was reminded of our favorite Cimmerian by a usurper of the Roman Empire named Maximinus Thrax. Maximinus was of the meanest origins, the son of a peasant and an Alani woman. Maximinus caught the attention of Septimius Severus, by besting some of the best Roman soldiers in wrestling bouts. He was immediately enlisted into the legions. There he rose to the rank of commander. The XXII Legion declared Maximinus emperor when they became angry over Alexander Severus' payment of gold to the Germans to purchase peace. Alexander and his mother were slain in their tent, and Maximinus was declared emperor.

Not only did Maximinus receive an empire by the power of his sword, he was a bad emperor at that. Paranoid, and observant to teh fact that he had no classical training in any art and was from the most base of origins, he sought to destroy those who mocked him because of heritage, or those who just knew where he came from. That being said, his deeds did not go unpunished, and after a slight show of strength after the Senate declared Balbinus and Pupienus emperors, in classic Roman fashion, he was murdered by his own troops.

If you follow the Conan pastiches by DeCamp and Carter, you know that Conan eventually slays the evil Numidedes on the Aquilonian throne, and wrests the kingship for himself. Conan became the first barbarian king of Aquilonia.

Aquilonia was REH's play on the Romans. Tarantia, the capital, was the Rome of Hyboria. This much can be determined through REH's essay titled, The Hyborian Age. The Aquilonians(500 years after the death of Conan) set out nto conquer the Picts to the West, and the Nemedians to the East. They taxed their citizens heavily, and turned their backs on former allies (the Gundermen). They over-extended their armies, and were eventually overrun by the Picts. The Picts in turn were ousted by the Cimmerians, and round and round the wheels of what was Hyboria turned. Decamp and Carter definitely used the Romans and their history of barbaric "warrior-kings" who wrested control of the empire from one another. It was basically who was the toughest kid on the block, and who had the biggest gun, which made a man emperor.

Contemplating Nero

2010-10-27T22:57:00.004-05:00

Just finished reading Tactius' The Histories, and I am again plagued by the emperor Nero. That he contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire is a given; by restoring or introducing new measures to ensure his safety (ie the use of informants), the very foundation of the senatorial and equestrian ranks lost their value. Men were more willing to keep their heads(literally) than to live an honorable life. Nero heaped honors and riches upon informers, who either truthfully or falsely accused men of rank of conspiracy against Nero.

The fratricidal poisoning of his own brother Britannicus was daring. Though only 14, Britannicus was the blood heir who was a legitimate threat to Nero's power. Nero poisoned him at a banquet, and blamed the death on Britannicus' supposed malady, epilepsy.

Not only was Britannicus destroyed, but Agrippina, Nero's own mother was also set within the crosshairs of Nero's paranoia. First trying to kill her by rigging a boat she was sailing on to sink(which ultimately failed), Nero sent some guards to Agrippina's house, and killed her by stabbing her to death.

If Nero could commit such atrocities against his own family, the persecution of the Christians must have been a cake-walk for him. After a fire destroyed much of Rome, Nero placed the blame squarely on the Christians. Ingenious executions such as dressing them up in animal skins and having them torn by dogs, or tying them up to posts and burning them alive roused sympathy even among condemned criminals.

Pommpae, Nero's wife, was next to get the axe. In a fitful rage one night, Nero took it upon himself to kick Pommpae to death, her being pregnant was not even taken into consideration by Nero.

The insanity of Nero was another "brick in the wall"(cheap Pink Floyd reference) in the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.

When a Story you Wrote Pops up as a B Horror Movie

2010-09-30T23:22:00.004-05:00

So it happens..

I wrote a horror story a few years ago, taht i left on my computer and never did anything with. The reason was that I thought there was no market for it. It is a story about a guy who starts hearing voices over the baby monitor, which freaks him and his wife out. To make a long story short, it's the voice of a dead relative coming to claim their baby as her own. A struggle ensues between the forces of life and that of the undead.

It's just your typical pulp type ghost-meets-living story, with a few twists thrown in. I didn't think it was any good, though after I reread it the other day, it's really not that bad.

Well, low and behold, the other day on Comcast, I see a trailer for a B movie they have on on-demand.

Said B movie is about a couple who hears a ghost's voice over the baby monitor. I almost jumped out of my chair. Either the screenwriter and I were on the same brainwaves that day, or my story is that unoriginal.

Gotta love Hollywood.

OK, Now my Two Cents About 'ol Two Gun Bob

2010-09-28T22:43:00.004-05:00

I was 10 or 11 the first time that I came across a book my first Conan book, Conan the Conquerer. It was one of the old Ace book's, which I happened to find at a friend's house. I asked to borrow it, and spent the next few days reading by a very soft amber hall light, when I was supposed to be sleeping. Reading the Hour of the Dragon was a real nailbiter for me; before I picked up Howard's creation, I was reading books such as The Cache and Dark is the Sun by Philip Farmer. Conan really had an effect on me as a youth. I took it upon myself to find every book possible about him, and at the time, I only remember the 12 book series that was released. It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered that many of Howard's orginal writings were altered, or otherwise tampered with by DeCamp and co.

After studying everything Howard, I became enamoured with the man behind such characters as Conan, King Kull and Soloman Kane. I have read the varying opinions of him, which have ranged from Howard having an Oedipus complex, to closet homosexuality.

In my opinion, and it's just that, REH was just born in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was intellectual, but was living in rural Cross Plains, Texas. If Bob grew up in New York City, which had more access to literary publications, in addition to other like-minded writers such as himself, would he have committed suicide at such an early age? Would he have relied less on carrying for his mother, and focused more on his writings? Perhaps he would have even accepted the fact that she was terminally ill, and would have dealt with the matter in a different way.

If Howard's literary focus was history, then perhaps he did belong to a different time. I'm talking about a time when warriors lined in battle formations, the sun reflecting from their coats of plate and mail armor, as they faced an enemy threatening to invade their homelands. This is what Bob would have wanted, and most definitely would never have passed up.

Bob Howard was also interested in writing about the history of the Southwest, and if he had lived longer, I am certain that he would have written stories about the Native American raids, and the battles between them and the settlers. The stories would have opened up a huge market for himself, as people in the Northeast were still gobbling up stories of cowboys and outlaws from the Old West.

I may be totally off base with my opinions. I am just writing how I picture Howard to be, if I would have spoken with him and have gotten to know him. I think he was just misunderstood by a rural culture, frustrated at having to care for his mother and trying write at the same time, and also at missing his chance with Ms. Price. I believe it was a combination of many factors that eventually led Bob into depression and death. Nothing to do with Oedipus, and more to do with his surroundings.

Could you picture Bob Howard sitting at a cafe in downtown New York City, sipping wine and writing Conan stories in a worn, black leatherbound journal?

Bob Howard was the greatest pulp writer in American literature, in my opinion. Thanks to the good people at REHupa, and many other sites around the net, Howard is being kept alive.

Writing Pulp Stories in a Dead Market

2010-09-28T22:04:00.002-05:00

Once again, I've been searching for a publisher of pulp style stories. Weird Tales had rejected me in the past, and I can see why. The writing style of the 21st century varies greatly from that of the 20th, and is even further removed from the great pulp writers such as REH, Lovecraft, Smith, Burroughs, Phil Farmer and Piers Anthony. The stories I come across in WT are entertaining, but would a modern day REH be accepted?

Searching high and low across the internet, I came across Big Pulp, which seems to be one of the only outlets for pulp fiction I could find. Sent in a query today, and we'll see what happens.

Seems stories about guys wielding magic daggers, trying to stop human sacrifice in California are not in demand.

Fingers Crossed.

The Uskoks: The Adriatic's Answer to the Ottomans

2009-08-24T09:20:00.002-05:00

As the Ottomans continued to advance through modern day Bosnia and Herzogovina and Croatia, bands of Croats (and Serbs) formed together, calling themselves Uskoci (meaning: the one's who ambushed), and harried the Ottoman fleet in the Adriatic. With the blessings of the Austrians, the Uskoks established a stronghold at Senj, Croatia, and were paid an annual subsidy from the Austrians. But one empire's benefit is another's proverbial thorn; the Venetians, who traded regularly with the Ottoman's, complained to the Austrians about the Uskoks and the acts of privateering (legalized pirating). The Uskoks also managed to raid Venetian islands( Krk, Rab and Pag). The Venetians responded by besieging a Triest and Rijeka.

The exploits of the Uskoci almost provoked war between Venice and Austria on two seperate occassions (1602 and 1707). The harrying of the Ottomans and Venetians led the Austrians to try and appease the Uskoci, by sending an ambassador to them to curtail their activities. The ambassador, a Mr. Rabatta, was murdered, and the Uskoks contiued their raids on merchant vessels. It wasn't until many years later that the Uskoks were disbanded, and the pirates and their families moved inland to the Military Frontier in Croatia, between the Austrian Empire, and the Ottoman Turks.

What we see here is European politics at it's finest. The Austrians, trying to curtail the influence of the Venetians, allowed and subsidized Uskok raids against merchant vessels. The Venetians, ever the businessmen, were trying to profit from trade with the Ottomans, by allowing Turkish merchant vessels to sail the Adriatic. The Venetians sacraficed allegiance to Europe for monetary gain. The Austrians sacraficed Croats and Serbs for the defense of the Empire. And the Uskoks themselves were thinking in their best interests: waging unconventional war against the Turks(who had overrun most of their homeland), and profitting thus.

We Can't Forget 'Ol Stonewall Jackson

2009-07-01T15:41:00.003-05:00

The South's "favorite son", quite possibly the best battlefield general of the Confederacy (outside of Robert E. Lee), should also be remembered for one other remarkable accomplishment, besides the whoopin' he gave the Yankees during the American Civil War.

A relatively obscure fact pertaining to Stonewall is that he founded the first Sunday school for blacks. Yes, this man who fought for his beloved Virginia; a state thrown into the cause of state rights vs. federal rights, which was fueled by the debate over slavery, was in fact breaking the law of Virginia, by creating the first Sunday school in Virginia for black children, and teaching them to read.

Though the law was not enforced to any harsh degree, Jackson's actions did raise a few eyebrows. Spectators who gathered around the Rev. Dr. D.S. White, who read Jackson's letters to the townfolk, were disappointed at not hearing much anticipated news from the battlefront,

but rather Jackson's inquiries about his Sunday School. Jackson would also send money in his letters to help support the school.

All this from a, god forbid, Southerner (and a General at that)? Weren't they fighting to keep slavery alive against the freedom forces of the North?

We can debate the causes of the American Civil War, and who was on the right side of the fence when the first shots were fired, until we're blue in the face.

A serious researcher though, could dig up some rather interesting facts about the men behind the names of the Civil War, whether Blue or Gray. The facts sometimes become obscured by the name.

All one has to do is research into Abraham Lincoln, and they will see what the differences between fact and fiction.

Harold Godwinson: Viking Invasion and Defeat at Hastings

2009-04-06T06:31:00.007-05:00

If you familiar with Harold Godwinson and his defeat at the hands of William the Conqueror in 1066, thus changing the shape of English and European history forever, then you are probably aware that a few days before the hisorical battle took place, Harold defeated the Viking invaders at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

Emphasis has been placed on Harold's defeat at the hands of William, and we need to understand that quite possibly the proceeding battle with the Northmen wore down the English to such a point, that they were successfully bested by the Normans.

What we know for fact is:

Harold's soldiers were comprised mostly of spearmen and Housecarls
The Vikings gave the English a run for their money, but were bested nonetheless
The Battle of Hastings occurred just 3 weeks after the Battle of Stamford Bridge

I have read on numerous history forums various posters ratioale for the English' defeat. Everything ranging from English lack of unification, to the Normans superior physical strength and fortitude, being the descendants of Vikings and all.

The real truth could be simply: Harold's army was tired. After the victory at Stamford Bridge, Harold marched his army back to the Southern Coast of England to fight the Normans. The soldiers were tired. Dead and wounded soldiers depleted Harold's force. The English managed to rout the left flank of the Normans on at least one occasion, but with drastic consequences. The English broke ranks, and pursued the Normans, killing a vast number of them. William ordered a calvary attack, and hit the English as they were pursuing the routed Normans. The calvary charge swept through the English in pursuit, thus opening the English flank to the Normans.

#1 Lesson of Warfare: always anchor or protect your flanks

The Normans drove through the English, effectively ending the battle. Harold Godwinson was killed, along with his brothers. English history was changed forever after the battle, as the Normans took control of England.

Failed: Treaty of Versaille

2009-04-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

The Treaty of Versailles caused the collapse of the German economy, due in most part to the rigid demands of the French in payment of reparations. The French wanted a weakened German State; after invading German territory on at least seventeen different occasions in the mid 1800's, and after their defeat in the Franco- Prussian War, the French indirectly brought Otto v. Bismarck to power, who unified the German States, creating a potential economic and military powerhouse in Central Europe. It was in the French' best interests to secure a weakened German State, to obtain their ascendancy into a major world player once more. The Treaty seemed to be especially harsh towards the Germans, who were only one part of the Triple Alliance.

The Republic was flawed from the beginning. It was formed during a time of economic and political upheaval within the German States. Ideologies of the Left and Right fought for control of the government, and the German people, having been ruled by kings and generals since the formation of the first Reich under Charlemagne, were never exposed to the form of personal freedoms that brought about the French and American Revolutions. The Republic was utterly doomed to fail from it's founding.

Rome's Decline in the West

2009-04-02T12:14:00.003-05:00

The Fall of the Western Roman Empire was was precipitated by numerous causes. The sack of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths in August 410CE may seem to some as the final blow dealt to the Western Empire, but one would have to look at the events of the past which led to the final demise of the Western Roman Empire, and the chaos in Europe that soon followed it.

When Augustus was declared Princeps (or ,first citizen), in 27BCE, the path to appointing successors was lined up for future emperors to use. As the appointment to the rank of Caesar and Augustus was passed from one family generation to the next (Julian, Claudian, Flavian, Antonian etc.), the seat of power in Rome was kept, for the most part, secure. After the death of Commodus in 192CE, the Empire began a rapid downward spiral into the illegal appointments of emperors, the usurpation of the throne by military generals, and even the purchase of the throne, which was auctioned to the highest bidder by the Praetorian Guard in 193CE(won by Didius Julianus). The highest seat of the Empire was an almost guaranteed death sentence for a usurper or lineage claimant.

The power struggles, the intrigues and murders, and the use of veteran legionaries to help a contender to the throne, instead of using them on the fragile frontiers of the Empire, contributed significantly to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Another contributing factor was the debasing of currency. At the time of Diocletian's Edict on Coinage(296CE), and The Edict on Maximum Prices(301CE), The Roman Empire was facing a serious financial crises. The debasing of currency by former usurpers who minted coins themselves caused rapid inflation and increased debt. Diocletian attempted to stop, or at least slow down the effects, by issuing new tax reformations, and dictating a price maximum, but not a fixed price, on over one thousand different goods. Though his edicts may have been in good faith, they did not help the financial crises, as Diocletian continued to mint coins, and the maximum price Edict was considered too low, and merchants either used the black market, or haggled for their goods. Roman coinage was not saved, and the financial crises deepened.
By the reign of Valens in 376CE, the Roman military was dangerously depleted of soldiers and veterans. The Visigoths, fleeing from the Huns, asked permission to be settled within the borders of the Roman Empire. Valens assented, seeing the Visigoths are prime recruits to strengthen the military.

When famine broke out in 377CE, Valnes refused aid to trhe settlers, which caused an open revolt. The Visigoths rampaged throughout the Balkans, and at the Battle of Andrianople in 378CE, the Roman forces were defeated, and the emperor Valens slain. The Visigoths had free reign over the Balkans, which opened the doorway for other barbarians to enter Roman territory, with virtually no one to resist them.

Finally, the Eastern section of the Roman Empire was the more luxurious and wealthier part of the Empire. From the time of Julius Caesar, military commanders and emperors set forth to conquer and plunder the riches of the East. By the time of the Tetrarchy of Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius and Galerius, the cities of the east were more favored as seats governing than of Rome herself. Constantine, the first ruler of the Byzantine (or the Eastern Roman) Empire, made Byzantium the capital of his domain. Though a few incursions into the Western Empire occurred, Constantine gave up, allowing the Western Roman Empire to eventually be sacked by Goths(410CE), and to have the Western rulers as appointed puppets of the Goths and other Germans, who were the actual rulers of the West after 410CE.

The Fall of the Western Empire led to chaos and uncertainty throughout Western Europe. As the Eastern Roman Empire held out for another thousand years, until their fall at the hands of the Turks, the Western Roman Empire had all but faded from the minds of the Western Europeans, until relative times of peace led to the revival of interest in the past that had so alluded them during the Middle Ages.

Downfall of the Aztec Empire

2009-04-02T12:12:00.002-05:00

The downfall of the Aztec Empire was caused by two main contributing factors: the arrival of the Europeans, and the disease they brought with them. The Aztecs were unprepared for the type of technology the Spanish brought with them, jsut as their bodies were had no immunity system against diseases that the Europeans developed immunities, or at least a stronger resistance to, from centuries of contact with infected peoples.

When Hernan Cortes first arrived on the shores of what is now Mexico, the Aztecs were the dominating culture of Meso America. What peoples they did not conquer, they absorbed into their ever increasing sphere of influence. The altars of their gods needed blood; the conquered cultures of their surrounding empire provided that staple. Both a militaristic and religious society, the Aztecs performed ritual human sacrifices on captured enemies. Their living hearts were cut from their torsos with obsidian blades, as the priest raised it, still beating above his head. What the Aztecs were about to experience at the hands of the Spanish was their own sacrifice, and that of their culture.

Cortes and the Spanish first arrived on Mayan soil in the Yucatan Peninsula. There, they met a stranded Franciscan monk, who was fluent in both the Mayan and Aztec languages. He led Cortes, who along with his 600 soldiers, 15 horsemen, 15 cannon, and hundreds of allied native tribesmen marched on Cholula, the Aztecs second largest city. Cortes killed the nobility of the city, and razed it to the ground. His next stop was Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire.
What gave the Spanish a military advantage were their equipment. A regular foot soldier, encased in a helmet, plate breastguard, wielding a 7 foot pike, in addition to his musket, must have been a fearsome sight to an Aztec warrior, clad in a loincloth, wielding a wooded club lined with spikes, or an obsidian blade. The Spanish would fire vollies of cannon shells into the city, and fire with muskets before engaging in hand to hand combat. The Aztecs could do little to protect themselvs against such attacks, and as their weapons caused little damage to well armored Spanish soldiers, their morale must have declined considerably.

Diseases, such as smallpox, were spread rapidly among the indiguous populous by infected Spanish soldiers. This caused catastrophic consequences on the conquered Aztecs. As the Spanish gained more and more influence, and installed puppet emperors of their own on the Aztec throne, another, unseen battle was being waged. Disease cut through the Meso-Americans, diminishing and changing their cultures forever

Roman Dominance in the Ancient World

2009-04-02T12:10:00.001-05:00

Roman military dominance was secured by strategy, discipline, adaptation, and equipment.
During the Republican era, the Roman army consisted of landowners, wealthy enough to supply their own weapons and equipment. The hastati(spearmen) would form the front line; the principes(expreienced) formed the second, and the triarii(veterans) formed the third. Every soldier had to be a landowner, and a member of the fifth census, or higher. They were formed in maniples(handfuls), and led indvidually by the equites(knights). During the Marian reforms of 107BCE, the Roman army was overhauled. Marius set forth the precedence of allowing landless men to to enlist within the legions. A service time of twenty years was required, with an extra five years as a evocati(veteran-prior service) in addition.

The Roman Legions were reformed from maniples, to centuries. A legion consisted of roughly 6000 soldiers, with 5200 being the core legionaries. The legionaries were divided into 10 cohorts, and 60 centuries. A cohort consisted of around 400 men, with the first cohort being double strength. A century consisted of 100 men, which was again divided into 10 contubernia, or squads. Marius introduced the eagle standards to the legions, and also identifying markers to each cohort. This sense of identity gave the soldiers a common loyalty to their units.

Drilling was performed daily by the legionaries. Soldiers would practice with wooden swords, either in matched fights, or against wooden posts. The wooden swords were double the weight of the gladius, the standard short sword of issue to a legionaire, the idea that swinging a double weighted sword would increase the soldiers strength.

Daily marches were undertaken by the soldiers. After marching a full day, the soldiers would have to set up camp for the night. A Roman camp was laid out like a small city, with earthen works surrounding the camp, a blacksmith, and a hospital. After a long days march and setting up camp, a soldier would retire for the evening with his squad, to cook dinner and to rest. These daily practices resulted in a strict form a discipline among the soldiers.

The legionaires equipment consisted of a pilum(javelin), a gladius(short sword), segmented armor(segmenta), a helmet(galea), and a shield(scutum). Heavily armored as such, the legion would march into battle, after a hail of missiles from the ballista and archers to soften the enemy's front ranks. The Romans would then march within 30 to forty feet of the enemy, and throw their pilae(javelins). The pilae were tipped with a long iron prod, that would bend when it stuck in an enemy's shield. The enemy would cast his shield aside, leaving him exposed. The legion would advance, scutum covering their bodies as they thrusted with their short swords. These tactice gave the Romans tactical advantages over a myriad of enemies, though against some peoples, like the Germans or Parthians, such tactics would prove useless.

The Roman's battle tactics were rather complicated. They would form up only with the sun to their backs, with the impression that the light would inconvenience the enemy. They would not battle from a low position, and would secure hilltops if possible. Roman military officers would issue commancs to their units within the legion, and the standard bearers were guarded to the death. The legion would march to meet an enemy, three ranks deep. The weakest units and levies were bound in the middle, to prevent them from fleeing. The veteran units made up the flanks and reserve units. Most battles were fought and ended before dusk, as visiblity became a problem. The Romans performed every task necessary to ensure victory