Ep 250: Jeremy Armstrong on Ancient Rome’s Myths and Warfare

School of War

Jeremy Armstrong, Professor of Classics & Ancient History at the University of Auckland and author of ⁠Children of Mars: The Origins of Rome's Empire⁠,  joins the show to discuss the early history of Rome, the role of family and clan in the structure of its military, the transition from monarchy to republic, and the nature of warfare during this formative period. 

Jeremy Armstrong, Professor of Classics &amp; Ancient History at the University of Auckland and author of <a href="https://a.co/d/6itq4JX">Children of Mars: The Origins of Rome's Empire</a>,  joins the show to discuss the early history of Rome, the role of family and clan in the structure of its military, the transition from monarchy to republic, and the nature of warfare during this formative period. 
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Times
02:28 The Problems of Early History
06:05 Warfare in Early Rome: A Complex Picture
11:52 The Importance of Myths in Roman Identity
15:01 Aeneas and Romulus: Founding Figures of Rome
18:00 The Significance of Aeneas in Roman Culture
20:48 The Function of Rome
33:09 The Role of Land and Mobility in Early Rome
36:07 Understanding the Monarchy and Military Structure
42:32 Transition from Monarchy to Republic
53:26 The Impact of the Sack of Rome
1:01:27 Shifting Towards Imperial Ambitions
 
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This podcast seeks to learn what war teaches. There has been a steady decline in the study of military history and its associated theoretical discipline, strategy.This podcast seeks to fill that gap through in-depth interviews on military and diplomatic history.&nbsp;Our guests have included former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the Cold War historian John Lewis Gaddis, and former China Select Committee chairman Mike Gallagher. We discuss the battlefield commanders, diplomats, strategists, policymakers, and statesmen who have had to make wartime decisions in the ancient and modern eras. The subject of an episode may be an historical battle, campaign, or conflict; the conduct of policy in the course of a major international incident; the work of a famous strategist; the nature of a famous weapon; or the legacy of an important military commander or political leader.&nbsp;&nbsp; Aaron MacLean is a senior fellow at Hudson Institute. He has worked as a foreign policy advisor and legislative director to Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and spent seven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. <a href="https://schoolofwar.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Visit our Substack for episode transcripts</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/school.of.war/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Follow along on Instagram</a>