Ancient Weapons Study

[Ariovistus Maximus]

AWESOME NEWS FOR PEOPLE WITH TROUBLE DOWNLOADING!!! BOTH FINISHED CHAPTERS ARE NOW ON FILEFRONT! LINKS ARE GIVEN IN POST #2!

Hi all!

This is a study on Ancient Weapons. It's not all done yet, so here is the first chapter. It is an introduction to prominent cultures in the time period I am covering. Chapter 2 will be done on Friday at the latest, and Chapter 3 will hopefully be in a week or so.

Overview of chapters:
Chapter I is an overview of ancient history, primarily the fall of Persia, the rise of Macedon, the emergence of the Diadochi, and the Rise of Rome. I wanted to give this overview so you would understand the different cultures; knowing how long the akinakes was is not especially useful until you know who used it. ~:)

Chapter II is the study of weapons. It covers lots of Greek and Roman weapons, and a number of European and Middle Eastern weapons. ANY INPUT REGARDING EUROPEAN AND ASIAN WEAPONS IS ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED.

Chapter III will talk about the tactics. I figured its still not really valid to talk about cultures and their weapons without studying how the weapons were used in battle.

As noted, input is much sought after. Thanks guys!

I would very much appreciate feedback and criticism! All you guys give me feedback on the accuracy of my information, the quality of my writing and overall structure, and whatever else you come up with! So, hopefully (and especially when it is all revised with your help) it will be a handy resource for information on weapons of ancient times!

Big errors:
(1)Dieneces said "we will fight in the shade" not Leonidas. (2)Latins were not the senior class of ROMAN society. (3)Reference to Attila when it should have been Ghengis.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Here are the links for both finished chapters on FileFront!

1 - Chapter ONE (http://files.filefront.com/13830280)

2 - Chapter TWO (http://files.filefront.com/13830292)

[Ariovistus Maximus]

(This post is no longer needed thanks to filefront.) :)

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hey everybody! Glad to see the thread is getting some traffic.

Just wanted to note that you are welcome to post on this thread! Thanks! Chapter II coming... hopefully about Wed. :stupido:

:feedback:

[V.T. Marvin]

A very ambitious project :bow: I wish you a lot of good luck and endurance with it! :2thumbsup:

I would like to get to th FTP, but for some reason the login and PW you provided do not work for me...:sweatdrop:

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Thanks V.T. Marvin! I'm a little over 1/2 done, so I don't expect to cancel! :yes:

Hmmm; I don't know what your problem might be. I've noticed that people are having some problems though. My traffic monitor program-thingy keeps registring "password incorrect" all over the place. I hope its not spitting out half the people who try to get onto it. I've logged onto it a couple of times w/o problems, so I'm not sure what to do with it.

But my advice would be to try again later. :shrug: Not much advice, I confess. It's possible that too many people are accessing the site at once; I only set it for 10 users at a time. Although, with just 200 views, I don't see how THAT many people would be logging on at the same time.

In the meantime, do you (or ANYBODY) know another way that I can give people access to my file??? Is there another format that I could use, or another medium of getting it online other than an FTP? Cuz my ftp is bein' kind of obnoxious I think. :whip:

Well, I hope it will work out for you and everybody else! I will try and figure out what I can do to make it work a bit better. :stupido:

Good luck! Any advice on how to make it function properly would be appreciated. Oh, should I make the password a little simpler to avoid misstypes???

[etipac]

Can t view it.... maybe its cause I am at work though... (shhh):whip:

Etienne

[lenin96]

The code works for me, quite interesting, I will give a read soon.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Yeah; it seems to work for random people. Etienne, you are from Malta?

V.T Marvin, where are you from??? Maybe there is a connection... :inquisitive:

Anyways, I hope its working for most of y'all! For those its NOT working for, I will shortly be transferring the connection to a faster PC running small business server (2007 i think). My Dad is Senior Technician @ a computer place. :applause: It has certain advatages. ;)

So I would encourage people who have trouble to try again later; the pc it's on right now isn't especially fast, so too many people on it @ once is not so good. I'm doing my best to make the blasted thing function.

Also, I had some programs running on that pc :embarassed: so I shut them off; it should work better now. :rolleyes:

[etipac]

Yep sir.. For now same prob. as before, though ll try later on again.

Etienne

[Ariovistus Maximus]

well, is there another way I could send it to you? email attachment? ~:) Its driving me bonkers cuz I don't know what the problem is or how to fix. Sometimes it's workin' fine; sometime's it ain't. :shrug:

[etipac]

Sure if you want, but how big is it in MB?

ETIENNE

[Ariovistus Maximus]

The PDF is about 3.5 MB. :dizzy2: I was surprised it is so small, but it's mostly text. I've got some maps in there too.

Chapter II will have more img's and III will probably have lots.

Still can't imagine what's wrong with the FTP site though. (ur work pc probably isn't helping :saint: Do you have nightmares that ur boss is a mod? ~:shock:) If somebody would be so kind as to tell me other ways to post the PDF doc. on the .Org, I would be most appreciative. :bow:

So, shall I send the thingymabob to you?

[etipac]

No worries, shoot it towards etipac@vodafone.com.mt and ll give it a nice look later on.

Etienne

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Anybody else having problems? I can send you the paper via email if u want. Hopefully the FTP site will cooperate.

And I hope it works for all you lurkers out there. :bow: I sympathize with you, having been one for many moons. Here's a balloon for all the lurkers: :balloon2:

:P

[Ariovistus Maximus]

OK, I've taken a detailed look at my server activity record and it looks like the problem is with people logging on wrong!!! Logging on as anonymous or using a waaay too long password, stuff like that. All the people who have entered "History" and "aleaiactaest" have gotten in AFAIK.

Also note that you will be asked to login TWICE. Once to access the site, once to download the PDF.

Even so I will see about putting it on FileFront or something to make it more convenient.

Thanks everybody!

[V.T. Marvin]

O.K., I have it now - it was my faut, I was confused by the necessity to enter the login and pw twice and I thought I was doing something wrong.

Once I find some time to read it, I will give you my feedback.:2thumbsup:

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Awesome! Yeah, I didn't realize myself that there are two logins until my dad told me. :rolleyes:

Hope you like V.T Marvin!

[Vasiliyi]

I read about half of your weapon study so far and i found it to be quite informative yet simple. very cool keep it up.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hey guys!

Sorry I finished chapter II just after the .org died. ~:(

But it is up now!

And then I got stuck in debate on the .net...

so chapter 3 ain't ready. :laugh4:

But it's a'comin. I'm also seeing about putting it on filefront.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Great news everybody! My study is now on Filefront! Links are provided in post # 2.

I will soon be posting the fixes for chapters one and two. Thanks to everybody who gave criticism! Chapter 3 is coming. :deal:

Also note that I DO have a bibliography but I didn't think I'd post it untill the whole thing is done.

Thanks!

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hi guys!

I've finally planned out and gotten well into Chapter 3.

Sorry that it took me a while; I did the first to chapter in only a few sittings, which wore me out kinda fast. You know how that goes.

But Chapter 3 is coming. I hope that there are at least a FEW people following this...

Anyways I've gotten some EXCELLENT technical feedback (thanks contributors).

I'd especially like to thank the following for technical help and encouragement:

Shinseikhaan (.Org)

Centurion1 (.Org)

Entropy Judge (TWC)

Theudereiksgunthigg (TWC)


Now I'm curious what you guys think of the project overall. How did you like it? Did it help increase your overall knowledge?

[J.R.M]

Awesome work, thx very much for sharing it, i have been "iluminated" by this, from now on my respect for the ancient civs has increased more than ever (it was big, but now even more!). Cheers! Can´t wait for chapter 3!!

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hey guys! Sorry, I've been putting this off for a while. :embarassed:

Chapter 3 is kinda information-dense. But I'll keep on it.

I did start an AAR, but I will make sure to finish this first. :2thumbsup:

Thanks readers!

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hey guys. I know it's been... awhile. So sorry.

Anyways, there's been quite a bit on my plate lately, and I find it difficult to muster the initiative to finish this thing.

Why?

Well, for chapter 3 I'm writing about tactics. And of course a good way to demonstrate tactics is to tell about battles that show how and when given tactics were used.

So, as far as I've planned, I will be writing about the following battles:

1. Marathon
2. Guagamela
3. Cynoscephalae
4. Teutoberg
5. Carrhae

Cannae may also be on the list; we'll see.

So anyways, now you can perhaps understand my frustration a little better. :beam:

Nonetheless, I hope to be done shortly. I'm even postponing my AAR 'till this project is done.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Well everybody, I'm off for one week.

I'll be at Oshkosh Wisconsin for the EAA Airventure, the world's largest fly-in airshow (IIRC).

However my sister has a laptop so I think I'll write a bit during the (6 hr) trip. I'll probably have something for you when I get back.

[Megas Methuselah]

Well everybody, I'm off for one week.

I'll be at Oshkosh Wisconsin for the EAA Airventure, the world's largest fly-in airshow (IIRC).

However my sister has a laptop so I think I'll write a bit during the (6 hr) trip. I'll probably have something for you when I get back.

Enjoy yourself and keep us updated, bro. :2thumbsup:

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Many thanks! I'm leaving this morning.

Glad to see you're reading! :2thumbsup::2thumbsup:

[Vasiliyi]

Excellent work Ariovistus! I really enjoyed reading these, especially the weapons one. I even learned some stuff.

:balloon2: for your hard work. :bow:

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hey guys! I'm not home yet, but I'm in a library in Wisconsin close to where I'm staying, so I have a bit of internet.

Things are goin' good. My main trouble is that I have no internet access while I travel. Anyways, I think I can work around that problem.


Excellent work Ariovistus! I really enjoyed reading these, especially the weapons one. I even learned some stuff.

:balloon2: for your hard work. :bow:

Hey thanks! Really glad you liked it! And even learned some stuff. :beam:

Learnin' stuff is good. :2thumbsup:

And I am most honored by the balloon. :bow::bow::bow:

Also, congradulations for your own most EXCELLENT AAR and :2thumbsup::2thumbsup: from a fan!

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Hey guys. Another progress update.

I've made some encouraging headway; it's going well. Thanks for bearing with me. :beam:

In about a week I will be entering my local technical college, and ironically I will probably be less busy when I'm settled in there.

For the last several weeks I've been bogged down with a ton of preparations and preliminary junk. So yet another week and I shall have more time to devote to this project. :2thumbsup:

Thanks!

[gamegeek2]

In Chapter I, Parthia is far too large, should only be east of the Caspian at this period. Scythia is a bit misplaced; I'll make a more accurate example for you.

However, it is good work. A fine start to what is sure to be a great series.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Lol yeah that map is a ROUGH representation, and I mean ROUUUGGGHHHH. :laugh4:

I made it with MS-word actually. I'd love to make it into a decent map.

[Hakomar]

Not to nit-pick, but I recall the EB team said Lorica Segementata was not used too much, well not quite as much as thought. I also remember that roman helmet you displayed, I thought they didn't use that too much either. Or I am making it all up, I am not sure.

One thing I am relatively sure of, I thought the Xyston was used as a two handed lance by cavalry, whilst the one used by hoplites was called a doru, and I am not sure if these measurements are correct, but they were about 7-10 feet in length.
That is all, but remember the rest is very informative, I like it :)

[Ariovistus Maximus]

Wooo, resurrected. :beam:

Thanks mate! Yeah, there are quite a few alterations to be made. If I ever finish; this has been lying dormant for a long time.

I do have 2-3 weeks of vacation between semesters; p'raps I can nail chapter 3 during those. :smash:

[Centurion1]

heehee i say this when scrolling to the gameroom where i now make my lair.

you gotta finish now laddie buck you ensnared me with both your products and then left me out to dry. :bigcry:

[Hakomar]

Indeed, I apologise for the ressurection. I posted it, and then looked at the date. It was in your signature so I assumed it was alive. Again, my apologies.

[Ariovistus Maximus]

'Tis no problem; good to remind me that people still want this finished.

I will finish...

[Hakomar]

Necro #2
I found this quite useful, and was wondering what you are going to do with it.