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NAVIGATION
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This section will comprise on a brief background of each civilisation and will be updated on a regular basis , we will also include the main attributes of each Civilisation in respect to Age of Empires.
We will also have a "Tips Guide" to selecting these particular civilistation.
Members please help and send in your contributions.
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The Hittites were a people who once lived in what is modern Turkey and northern Syria. Most of what we know about them today comes from ancient texts that have been recovered. It would seem that the first indication of their existence occurred in about 1900 BC, in the region that was to become Hatti. There, they established the town of Nesa. Over the next three hundred years, their influence grew until in about 1680 BC, a true empire was born.
This original kingdom was founded by a leader known as Labarna, and the kingdom was expanded by later rulers all across Anatolia and down to the Mediterranean Sea. So strong was this kingdom that in 1595 BC, they were able to raid Babylon. However, this initial serge of the Hittite empire was staggered due to the lack of a clear custom for the succession of Kings. Hence, the kingdom was only as strong as the current ruler, and within about 120 years, it began to crumble.
The Persians
From the dawn of history, Persia has been a distinct and important cultural entity. Its position as a vast natural fortress, with mountain ranges, enabled the Persians to preserve their individuality inspite of the conFrom the dawn of history, Persia has been a distinct and important cultural entity. Its position as a vast natural fortress, with mountain ranges, enabled the Persians to preserve their individuality inspite of the conquests by the Arabs (7th century), the Turks (10th century), and the Mongols (13th to 15th centuries
This was the largest empire and civilisation the world had seen at the time. Its style was different from its predecessors. Savagery and brutality was not celebrated in official art and Cyrus was careful to respect the institutions and ways of his new subjects. The result was a diverse empire, but a powerful one, commanding loyalties of a kind lacking to its predecessors.
Persia has been a distinct and important cultural entity. Its position as a vast natural fortress, with mountain ranges, enabled the Persians to preserve their individuality inspite of the conquests by the Arabs (7th century), the Turks (10th century), and the Mongols (13th to 15th centuries).
Today, Iran remains a country rich in traditions, with a culture, which has had great influence on other countries, both in Central Asia, and throughout the world.
Quests by the Arabs (7th century), the Turks (10th century), and the Mongols (13th to 15th centuries).
Today, Iran remains a country rich in traditions, with a culture, which has had great influence on other countries, both in Central Asia, and throughout the world.
The country has always been known to its own people as Iran (land of the Aryans), although for centuries it was referred to as Persia (Pars or Fars, a province in southern Iran) by the Europeans, mainly due to the writings of Greek historians.
In 1935 the Government specified that it should be called Iran; however, in 1949 they allowed both names to be used.
Most people today, know Persia or Iran through its carpets, its caviar, its costly war with its neighbour Iraq, or through its importance as one of the world's major oil-producing nations. Yet, Persia has one of the richest and oldest cultures in the world.
For more than three thousand years Persia was a melting pot of civilisations and demographic movements between Asia and Europe.
Under Cyrus the Great, it became the centre of the world's first empire. Successive invasions by the Greeks, Arabs, Mongols and Turks developed the nation's culture through rich and diverse philosophical, artistic, scientific and religious influences.
Persia's first vigorous growth began in the Neolithic era, and by the third millennium BC it had developed into a civilisation of great sophistication. The infiltration of the Aryan peoples into Iran during the second millennium BC paved that way for the Achaemenian dynasty, whose achievements were gloriously represented in the great palaces of Perasepolis
These monuments had been built to testify to the absolute power of the Achaemenian Empire, and yet they were razed to the ground in just one night by Alexander, who conquered Persia and begun the Hellenistic period. The Parthian and then the Sassanian Empires followed this in less than two hundred years
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Sargon of Akkad established his kingdom in 2371 B.C., becoming the first king to assert control outside of his city-state. His model would be followed by all succeeding empires, down to our times. From his base at Akkad, south of Baghdad, Sargon would come to control territories stretching north to Ashur and west to the Mediterranean.
It is in Assyria where the mythological foundation of the old and new testament is found. It is here that the story of the flood originates, 2000 years before the old testament is written. It is here that the first epic is written, the Epic of Gilgamesh, with its universal and timeless theme of the struggle and purpose of humanity. It is here that civilization itself is developed and handed down to future generations. It is here where the first steps in the cultural unification of the Middle East are taken by bringing under Assyrian rule the diverse groups in the area, from Iran to Egypt, breaking down ethnic and national barriers and preparing the way for the cultural unification which facilitated the subsequent spread of Hellenism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The Assyrian empire collapsed in 612 B.C. The Assyrian people survived the loss of their state, and they remained mostly inconspicuous for the next 600 years. The Persians mention employing Assyrians as troops, and there is the failed attempt at reestablishing an Assyrian Kingdom in 350 B.C.; the Persians squelched this attempt and castrated 400 Assyrian leaders as punishment.
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Throughout ancient Egyptian history its military underwent many significant changes. During the Old Kingdom, a standing army was not kept but if there were a conflict, an army would be called and organised, composed of older, untrained men. During the First Intermediate Period, the core of the army consisted of house troops. This core was made up of conscripts (men who were drafted into the army) and was supplemented by troops of an allied kingdom.
Mercenaries from Nubia with their bows and arrows were also used. The same type of army was used during the Middle Kingdom. During the Second Intermediate Period, the core of the army was made up of house troops, who were the personal troops of the king,. Supplemented by conscripts. During the Late Period, the army was basically a Greek mercenary unit.
The most important thing that changed throughout Egypt's history was the technology of the military. During the Pre-dynastic Period, the army used weapons such as spears, cudgels, clubs, throwing sticks, daggers, bows, maces, and shields. During the Old Kingdom, the quiver was used and the battle-axe with a semi-circular head was invented. During the Middle Kingdom, the scalloped axe-head battle-axe was invented. During the Second Intermediate period the chariots, composite bow, and narrow axe-headed battle-axe were invented. Most importantly, during the New Kingdom, the scimitar or sickle sword and body armour was invented.
The ancient Egyptian army was organised differently throughout time. From the Old Kingdom through the New Kingdom, the main fighting units of the Egyptian army were organised into battalions. During the New Kingdom, they were organised into divisions named after principal gods. The Egyptian infantry was divided into regiments, very similar to the Greeks; and these were formed and distinguished according to the army they bore. They consisted of bowmen, spearmen, swordsmen, clubmen, slingers, and other corps, disciplined according to the rules of regular tactics. The regiment was divided into battalions and companies, each officer had his particular rank and command.
When you consider all of ancient Egypt's great military, the most notable among the Pharaohs were Ramesses, Pepi, Thutmose, and Ahmose. The most notable soldiers were the composite bowmen, remembered even by the Romans. The Hyksos who came from Asia with the technology introduced the composite bow. The Semites invented the bow, nearly twice as strong as a regular bow. It was of a long, slender strip of bullhorn, with a wood beam on either sides of the horn. This made a very springy yet sturdy bow. The horn and wood was covered with a strip of bark so the archer could have a firm grip on the weapon. Composite bowmen usually wore light clothes and little if any armour in order to give them greater flexibility. The Pharaoh had a war helmet that was made of leather with small metal rings. It bulged out in the front and there was a backside to protect the Pharaoh from a sweeping attack of a sword.
The Egyptian chariot charged the enemy in an orderly line. After the initial volley of enemy arrows, the enemy line disbanded. Given the broken line, the chariots dispensed over the battlefield, crushing the fugitives beneath their wheels and trampling them under their horse's feet. Thutmose III introduced another piece of military equipment that had a great impact. It was wagons drawn by oxen to transport boats for the crossing of the Euphrates, and afterwards oxcarts formed part of the equipment of the Egyptian army.
The Egyptians had involuntarily become a war machine from the New Kingdom all the way through the Late Period. Ancient Egypt became a well-trained respected military force. They conquered many people and at one time their empire stretched all the way to the Euphrates River.
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Japan has been inhabited since the stone age, the early inhabitants were mainly hunters and gatherer`s, who in turn made Jomom pottery.
Beginning in the third and fourth century a new culture appeared from the Yayoi society, from this culture emerged the rulers of the Yamato plain in the southern part of Japan.
Th yamato were mainly mounted warriors with long iron sword and bows, even today one of Japan`s national treasures is th seven pronged sword the Shichishito.
The sixth century represented a decline in power of the Yamato and power passed over to many clans,these regional clans accumulated all the power , a leading clan was known as the Soga clan.
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The Shang dynasty is the true beginning of the Chinese history founded roughly in 1700BC succeeded the pre-historic Xia Dynasty and created a civilisation based on the use of the war chariot and bronze metalworking.
At the head of the state was a king ruling over an aristocracy and peasant communes.
As well as bronze arms and armour the Shang used also simple implements of bone and stone including jade axes of astonishing beauty.
The Shang created an empire that stretched at its height from Mongolia to the Yangzi valley. Their empire was based on magical practices using oracle bones or animal shells to foretell the future.
Using information from the oracle bones it is possible to piece together their history which included extraordinary military expeditions over many hundreds of miles against barbarian and native peoples. |
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Rome the Eternal city founded in legend by Romulus and Remus
From early times right down to the 3rd century A.D, the Roman army was based on its legions. A legion varied in strength from 4,000 to 6,000 men, and was subdivided onto ten cohorts. Its leader used the title of legatus. His staff officers were called tribuni. Senior non-commissioned officers were called centurions, who varied greatly in rank. The soldiers of the legion were picked men: They were all Roman citizens and received higher pay than the auxiliary troops - that is, foreigners who serve with the Roman army.
A legion consisted of heavily armoured infantry (foot soldiers). The Roman infantry became a feared force, well disciplined and well trained. Their weapons were two pila or javelins each and a short thrusting gladius or sword. Cavalry was supplied by the auxiliaries (second line troops) and was organised mainly in units 500 strong.
When it was on campaigns the army was accompanied by a number of specialists. One was the camp commandant, who was responsible for the organisation of the camp. The Romans were very careful about their camps - no Roman army halted for a single night without digging trenches and fortifying its camp. Each soldier took his share in establishing the camp and striking the camp the next day. Another specialist was the quaestor, whose duty was to look after all the money matter.
Then there were the engineers and all kinds of craftsmen and artisans. They were responsible for siege operations and for the Roman artillery, which consisted of big catapults and complicated machines a little like crossbows. These were mainly used for hurling big rocks and stones at the walls of a defence place. The engineers also had to build the moveable towers that were used in sieges - the Roman soldiers went up inside these towers so that they could see over the walls of a fortified place and shoot their stones and arrows into it. The engineers also made the scaling ladders that were used for getting over walls.
The Roman soldiers won their battles just as much from their staying - power as by their courage. They had to be strong and fit, for in addition to his weapons each soldier had to carry provisions for two weeks and tools for pitching camp.
When the soldiers went into line of battle to fight, the formation was called acies; when they were marching in column it was called agmen. If during a battle the legion were hard pressed the soldiers formed an orbis, which was very like the square that the British army formed in the 18th and 19th centuries if it was in difficulties. The standard of a legion was the Aquila, or eagle - made of silver or bronze and showing the bird with outstretched wings. It was the greatest disgrace if the eagle was captured.
Me old mate Julius..............
THE GREEKS
Hoplites were the heavy infantry of the Greek city-states and were recruited from the wealthy middling ranks of society, particularly the farmers.
They fought in the columnar formation of the phalanx. More radically, Hoplites crafted sophisticated weaponry and armour to meet the new realities of formalised shock warfare
The helmet, breastplate, and greaves were constructed entirely of bronze, reaching a thickness of about a half-inch, providing immunity from the attacks of most swords, missiles, and spears. An enormous three-foot shieldthe hoplon, from which the infantryman derived his namecovered half the infantryman's own body With an eight-foot long spear, a short sword, and a bronze-covered shield, the total weight of their equipment was therefore in the region of 60 to 70 lbs.: almost half their own bodyweight
Each hoplite depended on the man next to him to shield his own unprotected right side, a unique double grip allowed the oppressive weight to be held by the entire left arm, and the shield's concave shape permitted the rear ranks to rest it on their shoulders. Offensively, the hoplite depended on his nine-foot spear; should the shaft break, he might turn around what was left of its length to employ the reverse end, which was outfitted with a bronze spike, a reserve iron sword was carried in case the spear was lost altogether.
Columns eyed each other formally across flat plains, bronze glittering in the summer sun. The initial collision was horrific, as each side stumbled blindly ahead into the enemy mass, attempting to create some momentum that might shatter the opposing formation into fragments. Hearing was non-existent. Dust, the crowded conditions of the battlefield, and crested helmets made sight nearly impossible. After not much more than an hour, the pushing ceased as one side collapsed and exited the field, allowing the exhausted victors to return the stripped dead, to erect an ostentatious trophy as testament to their prowess, and to annex or retain the disputed territory.
For nearly two and a half centuries, no army in the Mediterranean could withstand the charge of a hoplite phalanx.
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