Shadow

Interesting question.

I think you are right in one sense, it is highly unlikely that Spartans, Romans Egyptians etc used the F word, or any other modern curse words for that matter. But, I think it's very likely that they used their own curses.

Let's face it nothing sums up certain circumstances like an expletive e.g. 2000 enemy warriors crest the rise you and your 20 mates are heading towards, I think the F word sums up the situation nicely. Even in non-warlike scenarios it fits, imagine the saw slipping on the last cut of a job that has taken you a week, or the top of the ketchup bottle flying off when you shake the bottle.

So I would say that ancient warriors would've cursed like drunken marines, but marines of their day not ours.