05 Common Misconceptions About Ancient Warfare

Far from going back in time, watching TV and movies is the best way for most of us to get a sense of what war was like back in the day. Unfortunately, both have led to many misconceptions about what happened in the ancient war. Such as…

1. Spartans Were Great Warriors

The sword-and-sandal type of film that popularized many Greek epics is also partly responsible for the modern belief that the Spartans were exceptional warriors on the battlefield. No film has cemented this belief more than 300 years ago.

In real life, while the Spartans were undoubtedly capable on the battlefield, they certainly didn't have a great reputation or even notability for their fighting skills among the rest of the Greek states. Indeed, in one story, some Aigiai went to the oracle at Delphi to ask who was the best of all the Greeks. The oracle served them evil burns by telling them that they were the worst of all the Greeks, but they were the best at making a list that the Spartans only got for the quality of their women. It was the people of Argos who became famous for their skill on the battlefield.

In the Battle of the Champions in 550 BC, 300 Spartans faced 300 Argives with the result that one Spartan survived while two of their enemies survived. If nothing else indicates they are evenly matched, with a slight advantage over Argives.

As for the famous battle depicted in the movie 300, it is true that Leonidas, King of Sparta, led an army of 300 Spartans to confront a force larger than the Persians. He led about six or seven thousand other Greeks from several other city-states and for two days blocked the Persians at a mountain pass. However, Xerxes' forces managed to outflank the Greek army, and while most of them fled, the Spartans stayed behind. After killing Leonidas, the Persians removed his head. This was certainly an act of remarkable bravery on the part of the Spartans, but the fact that they did not win the battle did not prevent the Persians from advancing through Greece.

2. Knights Were Honorable

Most of us think of knights as honorable people, hence the concept of chivalry. The legend has often been reinforced in books and movies, especially with regard to anything of the Arthurian legend. Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, Sir Gawain, and all the rest were noble and honorable men. But the truth was that knights were often the only men with swords. They have hired muscles that have the skill and willingness to hurt others if you want to. An armored man on horseback in the Middle Ages wasn't much different from a tank today.

Indeed, the code of knightly conduct that we think of as dealing with how knights behave, and the rules they must follow, does in fact exist, and this fact is in direct response to many knights emerging as barbaric outlaws.

The Church developed the canon of chivalry after the conquest of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. That battle, and many knights before it, saw civilians brutally destroyed. They were killing, robbing, and raping with impunity because no one could stop them. This is the only reason why the Church has tried to pass laws to try to limit his behavior.

3. Medieval Armor was Incredibly Heavy

It has been a longstanding belief by some that a knight in a full suit of plate armor would be too bulky and ill-fitting. Laurence Oliver's version of Henry V contains a scene in which a crane is used to lift a knight in full armor onto his horse. This gave rise to the modern belief that knights were so burdened by the weight of their armor that they could barely move, and had to mount their horses to get moving again.

In fact, a suit of armor usually weighs between 45 and 55 pounds. A modern Marine will carry 60 to 100 pounds worth of equipment into battle. Even the modern firefighter carries 30 to 40 pounds worth of equipment while on the job.

4. Boiling Oil Was a Common Castle Defense

When it comes to ancient warfare, fortresses were extremely powerful and almost impregnable. They are, after all, huge chests made of stone. However, they still need to be defended, and what better way to take out a small group of enemies trying to storm the gate than by throwing a pot of boiling oil at them from above. It sounds totally possible when you say it like that, and you've likely seen it in a movie once or twice. However, it wouldn't have actually happened that way in real life.

Oil is not a cheap substance, and it was very difficult to obtain it back in the day. Modern technology has greatly simplified the oil refining process, but in ancient times it took a lot of time and money to collect enough oil to fill a cauldron and then boil it.

There is little evidence that this was a common practice in the defense of forts. It was more likely to boil a pot of water and throw it at some enemy. Failing that, hot sand was also something that could be thrown at enemies, because the extremely hot sand seeping through your armor would likely burn you badly. But oil was not available enough to make it in any way a practical weapon.

5. Knightly Combat Was Highly Skilled

It appears that a knight was supposed to be a highly skilled fighter and in many cases this was true. But not in every case. And even if a knight had spent years perfecting his battle preparations, in the heat of the moment it was not necessary to confront your enemy with perfect fighting style.

In many cases, fighting between knights was less about skill in combat and more about who could hit the other man over the head the most. Given that both of them can be heavily armored, your swordsmanship hasn't always been so important. Indeed, military historian Robin Neylands is quoted as saying that 'Cvalry warfare involves no great skill, it is simply a matter of fact. He knocks his opponent down.