Saturday, October 8, 2022

Slingshot 341 is with the printers ...

... and should be posted out to you all in the next few days!  Here is the cover picture, together with a list of the contents and a short summary of each article.
 

"So, er, is all this carnage about restoring New Rome or are we refighting  
Adrianople? Cos I'd just like to know what I'm risking life and limb for ."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

President’s Foreword

The view from the president's chair. 

Society of Ancients Conference

An update on the Society Conference that will take place over the last weekend in October. There is still plenty of room to attend, so please hurry and sign up through the Society website or contact Richard Lockwood directly at conference@soa.org.uk

The Goths (2): From Alaric to Theoderic the Great. By Michael Fredholm von Essen

Michael provides a brief overview of this, the second of two books that describe the Goths, their arms and armour, dress and equipment, army organisation, campaigns, battle tactics, and strategy. This second volume deals with the Goths after their entry into the Roman Empire. The emphasis lies on the Goths themselves, the kingdoms they established, and their military history, rather than their part in the Late Empire’s history

Restoring New Rome - the strategy and military of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-1100s. By David Harvey

The Byzantines identified as Romans living in Romania, the "Basileia tôn Rhōmaiōn", with their capital at Constantinople, the New Rome. In August 1167 the forces of the King of Hungary were decisively defeated by the Roman field army at Semlin (near modern Belgrade). Peace followed on the victor’s terms, confirming Roman dominance of the Balkans not seen since the sixth century. What was the strategic and military context of the mid-12th century Roman state? Who were the soldiers of Emperor Manual I Komnenos (1143-1180) at Semlin? How were they organised ? How did they fight?

Refighting Adrianople 378 AD with DBMM. By Jens Peter Kutz

After having dealt with the shape and size of the Gothic wagon laager in detail in Slingshot 334, Jens Peter now broadens the perspective to examine the Battle of Adrianople as a whole. In particular this article deals with the question of how this battle can be refought using Phil Barker’s rules "De Bellis Magistrorum Militum (Version 2.1).

LEGION II FAST PLAY EXPANSION By Philip Sabin

Legion, a hex-based simulation of ancient warfare, was first published by the Society in 1997 and followed in 2015 by a deluxe, full colour edition that is still available to purchase. Professor Sabin has now expanded the fast play version of the original rules to cover all 35 engagements originally modelled in Professor Sabin's book, Lost Battles. This expansion, termed Legion II, is the subject of this article.