Answer: Vikings and Romans are worthy mentions but just don't fit into the top 10 according to my opinion. As for the shock weapon part, from what we understand, chariots were used as both weapon platforms and for the shock effect of course depending upon the culture and the terrain. There they form large bands, to ride across Iberia gathering riches through robbery, and they do this with the most complete disdain towards all. Their warriors were like the ninjas of America. And even more than two centuries before Caesars time, Hannibal made use of heavy Celtic cavalrymen who were instrumental in dismantling their Roman counterparts in the Battle of Cannae. The Maori are indigenous people of New Zealand. They are still legendary for their fierceness, relentlessness, and the hardship of their upbringing. There are two main groups of Elves: the Lios Alfar (Light Elves) and the Svart Alfar (Dark Elves). Their warrior society also followed a cult of the trim physique, with body slimness being rather accentuated by wearing wide yet tight belts around the waist! And when they came of age they would be called to join the other Benandanti. Fu Hao (d. c. 1200 BC) Lady Fu Hao was one of the 60 wives of Emperor Wu Ding of ancient China's Shang Dynasty. They were highly disciplined and masters with using the bow and arrow on horse back. updated November 23, 2019, 9:20 pm, by And yet they were ultimately victorious in the Second Punic War. The most iconic Scottish soldier of all, Sir William Wallace was a knight who became one of the first leaders of the Wars of Scottish Independence 700 years ago. The allies feared the kamikaze pilots as they did not fear death. And while this made the chariot more ponderous, it was compensated by the extra protection offered by a shield-bearer who guarded the other two armed with throwing spears and bow-and-arrows. They dominated Europe and Asia and were most famous for riding on horseback lead by one of the greatest military commanders in history, Genghis Kahn. Widely regarded to be no more than a myth, Greek tales of the Amazons are well known. But the practical superiority of the Akkadian (and Sumerian) warrior culture must have related to the use of wheels an invention that not only allowed for more complex logistical support but also heralded the development of chariots, the ponderous heavy shock weapons of the Bronze Age. In any case, thank you for your comment, and we will go through your book if we get a chance. The motto of the SAS unit is, Who Dares Wins.. There she sits; a wife for me. There they are, loads on their backs carrying food as my slaves. In essence, it can be rather compared to heavy cavalry (the latter was obviously more maneuverable and thus more mobile), like cataphracts, who purpose entailed psychological affliction of his foes as much as physical affliction. Dedicating most of their time in pursuit of martial activities, the Dacian elite provided the warriors who filled the role of tribal warlords, officers, and even reputable divisions within the army (often wearing Sarmatian style scale mail and hardy Thracian helmets, while being equipped with the deadly falx and smaller sica). The Celts even managed to plunder the sacred site of Delphi in Greece in 290 BC, on their way to Asia Minor. They fought in massive suits of armor, usually weighing 40-60 pounds, although some plate armor is estimated to have weighed more than 100 pounds! So objectively, from the numerical context, the Romans lost anywhere between 5-10 percent of their male population in their bloodiest encounter for a single day. Perhaps the most famous man from the Greek pantheon, Heracles is known for his 12 Labors. There are earlier references to groups of twelve deities in Greek mythology, Anatolian, Lycian, Hittite, Etruscan and Egyptian cultures. Achilles grew up to be one of Greece's finest warriors. 3. Intriguingly, beyond the weapons manufacturing scope of the Dacians, there was a social angle to the warrior society of these people, aptly represented by the aforementioned falx a scythe-like weapon that curved inwards sharply at the tip. However, beyond just cultural affiliations with the advanced Sumerians, the Akkadians also adopted (and loaned) many of the military systems and doctrines of their Mesopotamian brethren. The knights were the elite troops in a medieval army. One of the Iranian equestrian tribes that dominated the Eurasian steppes from 7th century BC till 3rd century BC (but continued well into the 4th century AD), the Scythians epitomized the rise of the semi-nomadic people that excelled both in unorthodox warfare and horsemanship. Question: Why aren't Vikings and Romans on this list of greatest warrior groups? Yes, we edited that typo about the 3rd millennium part. on "10 of the Greatest Ancient Warrior Cultures You Should Know About", 10 of the Greatest Ancient Warrior Cultures You Should Know About, The Akkadian Warrior (circa 24th century 22nd century BC), The Spartan Warrior (circa 9th century BC 192 BC), The Assyrian Warrior (Neo-Assyrian Empire 900 BC 612 BC), The Scythian Warrior (circa 7th century 3rd century BC), The Celtic Warrior (circa 6th century BC mid 1st millennium AD), The Dacian Warrior (513 BC first mentioned by Herodotus; early 2nd century AD, Trajans war with Dacians), The Roman Warrior (the ancient Roman Republic and Empire, 509 BC 395 AD), The Lusitanian Warrior (circa 2nd century BC), 2,800-year old Aramaic incantation mentions fire-producing devourer, The mysterious case of Tutankhamuns warrior armor, 12 Interesting Historical Inventions You Thought Were Modern, 15 Commonly Used English Words With Fascinating Mythological Origins, Archaeologists excavate (and reconstruct) a massive ritual bath inside Herods fortress of Machaerus, Medieval Sketchbook Showcases the Maverick Designs of Renaissance Italian Engineer, Archaeologists finally reveal Chinas largest Taoist temple-palace, an almost thousand-year-old structure, New study shows that the builders of Stonehenge indulged in sumptuous barbecue feasts, Mysterious 500-year old Samurai scroll mentions how to use blinding powder and fight in stealth, The Major Mayan Gods and Goddesses You Should Know About, Mamluks: The Incredible Islamic Slave-Warriors of Egypt, Knights Hospitaller: 10 Things You Should Know, 30 Interesting Ancient Roman Latin Phrases And Sayings, 10 Mythical Dragons from Different Cultures You Should Know About, The Ancient Egyptian Soldiers of the New Kingdom, 14 Exceptional Weapon Systems from History That Were Ahead of their Time. Nevertheless, as most history aficionados would know, the Romans to their greatest extent (circa 117 AD, the year of Emperor Trajans death) controlled the largest empire in the ancient world, stretching from Spain to Syria and Caucasus, and from North African coasts and Egypt to the northern confines of Britain. When several grenades fell near them, he proceeded to throw them back when one exploded in his hand. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'realmofhistory_com-banner-1','ezslot_3',157,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realmofhistory_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'realmofhistory_com-banner-1','ezslot_4',157,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realmofhistory_com-banner-1-0_1');.banner-1-multi-157{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. The word Spartan became synonymous with fearlessness and military prowess. High school girls waving farewell to a kamikaze pilot. Adriana John It is said that cities would surrender at the very sight of the Immortals. Donar (Teutonic): God of war with immense strength associated with thunder. Mercury - Ceres. 1. Around his neck a necklace of magatama and tigers' claws. In the actual mythology, the two characters aren't connected, in this season of history's most popular anime, they're two different incarnations of the same being. He . The Maori warriors were large and fearsome with tattoos all over their bodies. Unlike samurais who follow the code of honor and combat, the ninjas were not bound by any rules. 8. The Carts the Sumerians are seen on the Standard of UR with donkeys not horses. They were also masters of the yumi (bow) and were some of the best shots of the ancient world. Their warriors were feared and marveled at among all the Greek city-states of the time, including the Spartan women. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Home Blog Posts Military 10 of the Greatest Ancient Warrior Cultures You Should Know About. When she was born, she was left on a mountaintop to die, but a she-bear suckled and cared for her until hunters found and raised her. A dog-like or wolf-like creature that drinks the blood of goats and other livestock. Even their religion was about war and they believed when you died in battle you fought once again in a never-ending battle. The agogewas mandated for all male Spartans from the age of 6 or 7 when the child grew up to be a boy (paidon). This is an alphabetically ordered list of Greek mythological figures, including deities and other immortal beings . Babies who were weak or showed signs of deformity were left on Mt. The samurai were warriors from the land of the rising sun. All other special forces units from around the world are based on the SAS. The Amazon tribe is a thing of legends and myths. These attacks directly impacted the morale of the allies. Knights were great warriors clad in full body armor on horseback. The Immortals were a group of 10,000 heavily armed infantry of the Achaemenid Empire. 9. However, in most practical scenarios, the ruler probably donned his role as a commander and directed his troops from protected vantage points. Kay, that's good. An ancient warrior culture that has often been exaggerated in our popular media, the Spartans nevertheless espoused their brand of rigorous military institutions. It would be nice to hear about other ancient warrior cultures outside of Europe and the Middle east, such as these form South America: the Wari, Chachapoyans, and Shuar, you should put Bulgarians in this cultures. The Roman centurion was a battle-hardened officer who ensured the legions did not forget their . Boys were often trained to go without sleep, to sit for long periods of time without moving or making a sound. Siegfried. Livy [3] organizes the twelve deities into couples as follows: Jupiter - Juno. Horse riding and chariots came from the northern steppes. Carrying weapons such as arrows, javelins, and even darts, the hardiness, mobility, and unorthodox fighting methods espoused by these throngs of horsemen seemingly countered the more sedentary battle tactics of the wealthy Mesopotamian civilizations. Menu. It is believed that she creates hurricanes and tornadoes, and serves as guardian of the underworld. They featured heavily in Greek mythology - wars between the Amazons and the Greeks are depicted in many works of art and pottery from as early as the sixth century BC. Due to their violent habits, peasants soon rose up against them and the ninja was born. Killed accidentally by his brother Hod. Read on to find out about the top 10 fiercest warrior groups. Posted By: Dattatreya Mandal During the Viking Age, these "warrior-shamans" typically fell into two groups: the berserkers ( Old Norse berserkir, "bear-shirts") and lfhenar (pronounced "oolv-HETH-nahr" with a hard "th" as in "the;" Old Norse for "wolf-hides"). In terms of sheer numbers, the bloody day probably accounted for over 40,000 Roman deaths (the figure is put at 55,000 by Livy; 70,000 by Polybius), which equated to about 80 percent of the Roman army fielded in the battle! The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. Call upon history and mythology. Medb was a powerful mythical warrior queen in Ireland and an important character in the 'Ulster Cycle,' one of the most popular and enduring collections of Irish mythology. He launched a campaign to unify Kyushu, and tasted many victories. But my greenstone club overtook you! War Party. Apache earn the number 4 spot on the Top 10 Legendary Warrior Cultures of Ancient History list. But it can be hypothesized that like most nomadic societies, the majority of the adult population was liable for military service (including some of the younger women or Amazons). The Mongols armoury comprised of a variety of bows for reaching a multitude of targets with special howling arrows used to disorientate the enemy and cause panic. They were among the toughest soldiers in history to kill because of their armor. For example, in 1945, rifleman Lachhiman Gurung was in a trench with two other soldiers when 200 Japanese opened fire on them. After the war, the SAS participated in various anti-terrorist operations. Norse mythology and culture are fascinating to study. It was more powerful than the English longbow despite its small size. Pertaining to the latter scope, the ancient Celtic warrior had the reputation of fearlessness and ferocity qualities that were conducive to many close-combat scenarios. The Spartan city-state was without question one of the greatest warrior cultures in human history. Banshees: One of the most well known figures of Irish mythology is the banshee, a female spirit who can take many forms. It was also a common practice for the Maori to keep the heads of their fallen enemies as trophies. Honor was the cornerstone concept for knights of the medieval era. This partial list of warrior queens and other women warriors runs from the legendary Amazons who may have been real warriors from the Steppes to the Syrian queen of Palmyra, Zenobia. In fact, by the middle of the 3rd millennium BC, the Akkadians managed to create a culturally syncretic scope (that encompassed a melting pot of different ethnicity and city-states). In that regard, these scythes, with their ability to puncture both helmets and shields, probably had their origins in rudimentary agricultural tools used by the farmers. Trending pages Astolfo Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Mythology) Achilles Fionn mac Cumhaill Beowulf Gilgamesh (Mythology) Berserker Scthach All items (71) # A B C D E F G H I J K Suffice it to say, the Celts served as mercenaries in various parts of the known world, ranging from colonies in Anatolia to the service of the Ptolemaic Pharaohs of Egypt. Chupacabra. . Egyptian walls start showing horses around 1400 BC. The mere presence of these warriors on the battlefield had a major impact on the morale of troops. Here are 10 of the strongest warrior tribes in Africa. There are lots of heroic stories about Gurkhas. These actions were considered to be dishonorable by the samurai. Answer: That is very interesting. Thank you all for your time . Moreover, many Lusitani young warriors were known to be the desperados of ancient times because of their penchant for gathering riches through robberies. They were feared among their enemies and respected by their allies. They are known to be very strong, courageous, and have great flowing manes like the rays of the sun. Now a part of this legacy had to do with the incredible military campaigns conducted by the Scythians from the very beginning of their brush with the global stage. This is a wiki from a role-play, called Warriors Of Myth. Spartan culture was centered on loyalty to the state and military service. Young Apache warriors were tested almost to the point of destruction. Unlike the other ancient warrior cultures mentioned in this list, the Lusitani (Lusitanians) preferred special tactics used during protracted conflicts, which entailed the very concept of ancient guerrilla warfare. Emperor Ashoka Referred to as Chakravarti Samrat Ashoka, Ashoka belonged to the Maurya dynasty and was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the dynasty. One missionary is said to have watched a chieftain say the following words to the head of an enemy chieftain. 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