Units of History - War Chariots of Britannia DOCUMENTARY

Learn about the fierce War Chariots of Britannia! The first 100 people to download Endel by clicking the link below will get a free week of audio experiences! app.adjust.com/b8wxub6?campai...
In this Units of History Documentary we turn to the isles of Britannia and their War Chariots. To the Romans, these represented an exotic and ancient way of fighting which dated back to the Bronze Age and stories of the Trojan War. In this video we seek to shed light on their history.
The documentary begins with a discussion of the origins of the War Chariots of Brittania. This had its roots in the spread of chariots across the celtic world. Yet while this trend would die out in the mainland around the 3rd century BC, it would live on in the relative isolation of the British Isles. Thus it was that when Julius Caesar first launched an expedition onto the island he would be surprised to find hundreds of these war chariots bearing down upon him.
Based on the records of he and other historians, we are able to present a reconstruction of the equipment, training, and tactics of these war chariots. Even though the Romans saw them as relics of the past, they nonetheless feared and admired them for their ability to mix the mobility of cavalry with the staying power of infantry.
We then go on to cover the service history of these War Chariots of Britannia. This would begin with Julius Caesars invasion of Britain where they fought in both pitched and guerilla style battles. The largest of these encounters was the the Battle of the River Medway which lasted two days. Next the war chariots would be encountered during Claudius invasion of Britain and in the ensuing Boudicca's Rebellion. They helped run down the ninth legion and likely featured in the Battle of Watling street. The last major instance of war chariots taking the field would be in the Roman Invasion of Scotland where they were deployed en-masse at the Battle of Mons Graupius.
What Units of History should we cover next? You can learn more about the forces of other civilizations here :
THE AFRICANS
Nubian Archers : • Units of History - Nub...
The Carthaginian Navy : • Units of History - War...
The Sacred Band of Carthage : • Units of History - The...
Carthaginian War Elephants : • Units of History - Car...
The Numidian Cavalry : • Units of History - The...
THE NEAR EAST
The 10,000 Immortals : • Units of History - The...
Sassanid Horse Archers: • Units of History - Sas...
THE BYZANTINES
Byzantine Flamethrowers and Grenadiers : • Units of History - Byz...
The Varangian Guard : • Units of History - The...
THE HELLENISTIC WORLD
Macedonian Silver Shields : • Units of History - The...
Macedonian Companion Cavalry : • Units of History - The...
The Spartan Skiritai : • Units of History: The ...
The Spartan Royal Guard : • Units of History - The...
The Sacred Band of Thebes : • Units of History - The...
Mycenaean Chariots : • Units of History - Myc...
Balearic Slingers : • Units of History - The...
THE ROMANS
Roman Cataphracts : • Units of History - Rom...
Roman Army Spies : • Units of History - The...
Roman Army Scouts : • Units of History - The...
THE NORTHMEN
The Jomsvikings Mercenaries : • Units of History - The...
Viking Berserkers : • Units of History - Vik...
Early Germanic Warriors : • Units of History - Ear...
THE EASTERN EUROPEANS
The Druzhina : • Units of History: The ...
Credits:
Research = Eric TenWolde
Script = Eric TenWolde
Narration = Guy Michaels
Art = Penta Limited
Sources and Suggested Reading:
Wilcox, Peter, “Men-at-Arms 158: Rome’s Enemies (2) Gallic and British Celts”, Osprey Publishing, 1985
Cunliffe, Barry, “The Ancient Celts: Second Edition”, Oxford University Press, 2018
Edit. Penrose, Jane, “Rome And Her Enemies”, Osprey Publishing, 2005
Fields, Nic, “Campaign 353: Britannia AD 43”, Osprey Publishing, 2020
Fields, Nic, “Campaign 233: Boudicca’s Rebellion AD 60-61”, Osprey Publishing 2011
Campbell, Duncan B., “Campaign 224: Mons Graupius AD 83”, Osprey Publishing, 2010
#history
#documentary
#army

[@InvictaHistory]

Definitely inspired by my favorite scene from The Eagle. What Units should we cover next? (Thanks to Endel for sponsoring this video. The first 100 people to download Endel by clicking the link below will get a free week of audio experiences! app.adjust.com/b8wxub6?campaign=invicta_october2022&adgroup=youtube)

[@jonathanyes112]

Frank axemen perhaps, I’ve heard that they used axes that could bounce along the ground to imbed in shields or bodies

[@moonflowerviewing91]

Cretan archers would be nice to hear.

[@yourdadsotherfamily3530]

Have you done a video on Bronze Age chariot combat before? Or Assyrian heavy chariots?

[@InvictaHistory]

@@yourdadsotherfamily3530 We did actually: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4Xch5tuhdGhiZY

[@hamishsewell5990]

Love this channel! Japanese Ashigaru, Oliver Cromwell’s Ironsides or the Eagle and Jaguar Warriors would be interesting

[@curranlakhani]

Apparently during the Emperor Claudius's invasion, he brought cataphracts and war elephants. Imagine the clash between cataphracts and Brithonic war chariots, it must have been something to behold, the peak of Bronze age warfare Vs the closest thing to Armoured Knights in antiquity.

[@Imperator-vo4to]

I wish there was a total war video on the battle. That would be amazing to see.

[@Mirokuofnite]

I'm sure the ancient Britons horses went nuts at the sight of elephants.

[@nvmtt1403]

@@Mirokuofnite he did not actually use them in battle. it was just for show.

[@markfoster8110]

Agreed Claudius only brought them over for his victorious entry to the capital after all the fighting had finished and the Britons broken. The final siege was a mere formality for Claudius to achieve his triumph

[@thfkmnIII]

That's like a musket going up against a m1. Not even a contest

[@gandaberunda6267]

The animation and arts are getting better and better with every video.

[@IronWarrior86]

One interesting thing to note is that by the time the war chariot was adopted in Britannia it was already obsolete elsewhere notably in the near east where it was first used.

[@andrewwhelan7311]

Since there are no Celt's in Britain and the Briton's originated from the near East via the migration route's taking in Troy and Rome, they were the last of their kind using a warfare method that was ancient to them.

[@xedaslopes3975]

@@andrewwhelan7311 great theory there mate do you write made up history for star wars films as well

[@andrewwhelan7311]

@@xedaslopes3975 Try some grown up research, and not the rubbish you have been force fed on all your Life.

[@xedaslopes3975]

@@andrewwhelan7311 you prety sure of yourself then. but have you seen a map? going around from the areas where troy is to italy to britain is really what is clearly logical

[@sanderson9338]

@@andrewwhelan7311 there were indigenous people in britian they never all migrated from Europe

[@gianlucarossi5672]

The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Indo-European Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000 BC. The crucial invention that made the construction of light, horse-drawn chariots possible was the spoked wheel.

[@Ian-yf7uf]

Interestingly, all modern horses descend from Sintashta horses.

[@Mithraschosen]

Imagine being a charioteer; just chilling in the front, shirtless, wearing pajama pants, just driving on by as the rich dude behind you mows down swaths of enemies.

[@AnthroTsuneon]

I was pleasantly surprised to hear mention of the batavii, they're not the most major tribe or confederation of tribes, but they feel often forgotten despite their revolt against Rome and their place in Rome's armies

[@RedRocketthefirst]

The area what we now call the netherlands in general is overlooked.

[@AnthroTsuneon]

@@RedRocketthefirst Even with Waterloo the Dutch are hardly mentioned

[@stephenkenney8290]

I can imagine the initial confusion of cavalry auxiliaries from the eastern provinces at having to fight what in their minds must have been an antiquated unit type.

[@samwill7259]

Would have been a real throwback by the time Caesar showed up. Chariots were the war machine of the Bronze Age, back when Egypt, Assyria and Mycenean Greeks were the warmongers of their age.

[@jonathanyes112]

Celtic britain is something less well known but very interesting, go the Tin Islands

[@S4ngheli05]

Idk, I always feel like celts in Gaul and britain get all the spotlight while celts really originate more in the alps /southern bavaria / Austria as far as I am aware

[@S4ngheli05]

But obviously it has to be said that the spicy part is iron age celts / latene culture

[@bryanmccoy6527]

@@S4ngheli05 could be because Ireland wales and Scotland are the last remnant of celtic culture. Also because the Roman’s wrote more about the British celts than the Austrian and alpine ones.

[@celticdeamon567]

@@S4ngheli05 supposedly the continental Celts sent their Children to druids in England and Wales.. so very likely that the spiritual center of the Celts was viewed as the British isles by other continental tribes. The druids are the most important thing linking all of the Celts together and not discussed. The spiritual reality of these people. Everything is supposed and echo chambers formed and nothing seems to be actually known in a way I can actually use to feel like I understand things. The more videos I watch the more frustrating it is because nobody can agree on anything. Lack of evidence for everyone's theories.

[@spirosvelliniatis2165]

@@S4ngheli05 There were never celts mentioned in Britain nor Ireland,its a creation of the enlightenment!

[@gianlucarossi5672]

These Celtic warriors in their Chariots look so cool and dope. Invicta should make more vids with ancient Warriors from around the world. Would be much appreciated.

[@PeteV80]

Chariot was introduced long before the Celts, in the Bronze Age by corded ware/Beaker people/Yamnaya expansion from pontic Steppe. May have lingered culturally as ceremonial in Britain for some time, but it was always associated with military use.

[@hmp5718]

horses and wagons weren't used in the bronze age?

[@PeteV80]

@@hmp5718 yes they were. The Indo-Europeans introduced them to western Europe and Levant/Egypt. They're found from 3000 BC in Ukraine/Maykop cultural horizon.

[@AB-gk8cs]

I assume they mean that the celts took on the chariots around 500 bc. You are of course right, that these war machines are much older (even were used f. e. be the sumerian and of course as a key weapon in the armies of great bronce age empires like Egypt and the Hetiths).

[@PeteV80]

@@AB-gk8cs yes, Hittites were Indo-European. Chariots came from Pontic Steppe and their expansion in 4th millennium BC spread them around ancient world.

[@gianlucarossi5672]

@@PeteV80 I think the IE Sintashta culture from modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000 BC, had the oldest chariots.

[@deirdregibbons5609]

Interesting, and I learned a lot. The artwork was gorgeous. Horses are very hard to animate, and your team did a great job. I also liked the artists depicted the horses as small, as was accurate. I used to help a group of friends who had carts and ponies with harnessing driving and caring for the ponies. I was impressed how strong, fast and clever these Welsh ponies were. It made me realise ponies and smaller horses had some real advantages compared to larger horses. In your video I also liked the mention of the drivers. That was a person who really needed a lot of skill and courage.

[@mrKBSNNC]

which advantages did they have?

[@deirdregibbons5609]

@@mrKBSNNC Hello. Ponies are very strong, often stronger comparatively for their height than horses. For example, some pony breeds like Fjordings, Welsh ponies, Mongolian ponies and Icelandics are ridden by adults and comfortably carry them. In Iceland and Mongolia riders on trips will bring several mounts and switch between them through a day's ride so each pony can have a chance to be ridden and to rest. But being small ponies are also very agile. In driving competition obstacle courses our Welsh pony could neatly maneuver the cart around the course pylons and barricades quickly. Ponies are also very intelligent. They can figure things out and learn quickly. You can count on them to find the safest route over uneven terrain. What some people think is obstinacy or sneakiness is actually intelligence. They like riders or drivers who are firm and will often test riders or drivers at first. If you are firm and let them know what you expect from them and you kind but firm, they respect that. They will be very loyal to people they respect. You can also trust them to point out to you route hazards and the best way around them. A good pony and rider/driver team works well together. My friend who owned an amazing Welsh cart pony often said ponies were actually not for little kids and that they are best suited for grown ups.

[@wor53lg50]

But, but, but the welsh say the Romans never invaded or conquered wales??? Are you saying these charioteers are the ancestors of modern day native indigenous English?...

[@davidhughes8357]

The warrior on board must have had phenomenal balance. Not just to fight but to not be thrown off during sudden shifts in speed and direction. Any comments?

[@silverchairsg]

They definitely had training to get used to it. And probably also foot straps or something.

[@thfkmnIII]

@@silverchairsg foot straps are a stupid idea

[@silverchairsg]

@@thfkmnIII Why?

[@jackwhitehead5233]

There was usually a leather strap which the rider held, which enabled him to maintain balance and hurl javelins.

[@thfkmnIII]

@@silverchairsg lets say in the heat of battle you stumble over and fall out of your chariot. But instead of cleanly hitting the ground, your dumb foot strap is dangling you from the chariot at ~30mph. So now it's the equivalent of being dragged to death

[@troydodson9641]

I like to think that when a new tech/method comes to an area, there is a period of figuring out what works and what doesn't. For as much success the chariots may have brought to the early users, I bet it's brought colossal disaster to others. The nobility sent out to use this amazing new tactic just to get melted. Grand video, absolutely Capital! Hard work well shown by all those on your team

[@davidbocquelet-dbodesign]

Excellent ! One thing that struck me during a reconstitution with Mike Loades, was the suspension system of these chariots. The central platform was separate from the main chassis and connected by some strapping. This way, the warrior standing on it was completely disconnected to the terrain or oscillations of the chariot. it's was the first "fire stabilization system".

[@king1k463]

It’s interesting to see the evolution and the use of chariots throughout aincent antiquit

[@prestonyannotti7661]

Best history channel on KZbin! I really want to know how you guys make your animations

[@InvictaHistory]

The editors at Penta are definitely exceptionally skilled and they wow me every time!

[@ajithsidhu7183]

@@InvictaHistory people yelling like conor Mcgregor on chariots

[@ajithsidhu7183]

@@InvictaHistory please do king porus

[@dflt5th]

Definitely enjoyed this video, the contemporary description of a war chariot especially. It sounded very much like something Lady Gregory would have written in her books about Irish myths.

[@CraicDealer]

We're slowly moving west, getting closer to a video on ancient/Gaelic Ireland. There is so much there, would be great

[@sonofthebearking3335]

Nice username 😄

[@armymen7170]

You should make a video on the aztec jaguar warriors that would be awesome 😊

[@lionelhutz5137]

Don't forget the eagle warriors and the coyote priests.

[@nigelpalmer9248]

I saw a documentary where they made a chariot out of twisted hazel wicker It was strong as fk and light as a feather

[@ethanarnold4441]

This was a great video, Invicta! I'd love to see you cover the Agrianes, the Velites, or any Aztec unit in a future video.

[@thegreenmage6956]

It’s interesting to think; they were used almost exactly like cars in the driving combat of the Avalanche Mad Max game.

[@waynedawson8833]

Could you cover the Almogavars of Aragon next? They were light infantry that defeated European knights and Turkish horsemen and served as mercenaries in Sicily and then the Byzantine empire.

[@wor53lg50]

No such place as Turkey back then, do you mean Caucasian mountain Keltoi tribes people of Anatolia?..

[@jakecraftlawrance7206]

Yet again another great video!

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Allot Thanks Invicta Channel for sharing this interesting Video 🙏

[@gaufrid1956]

An excellent video! War chariots had a very long history, from the days of the Egyptians and Hittites right through the Celts and finally the Britons.

[@sanderson9338]

They are a fair bit older than that Mesopotamia had them in 3000bc and it appears on a Gobekli tepe carving dated to 12,500bc. Egypt and the Hittites were way later.

[@gaufrid1956]

@@sanderson9338 That is interesting information. It indicates that horses were domesticated as early as that, and one would think that if horses had been harnessed, they would have been ridden beforehand.

[@wor53lg50]

Hittites are a totally different line of the Indo Group of language, hittites and Egyptians are the Indo-Iranian line that split and that went east into slavic lands like balkans then down into The Middle east, the Indo-aryan line went western europe into celt lands of Scandinavia and Britain..

[@mena7942]

What a great subject while Caesar always says he won everything you have to look at results he invaded twice and retreated twice he lost

[@dansmith4077]

Good new video thank you.

[@daddypoil]

Thanks for this epic topic !

[@CrixusOfGaul]

Fascinating history!

[@drizzlejohn]

SOLDIER #1: You're using coconuts! ARTHUR: What? SOLDIER #1: You've got two empty halves of coconut and you're bangin' 'em together. 🥥🥥

[@mikemoreno4469]

Fascinating.

[@Blackhuskyy]

Man I'd love to see a turn based rpg with these animations and art style

[@brokenbridge6316]

Nicely informative video

[@hp-ut5lg]

always good content

[@Hillbilly001]

Excellent video. Cheers from Tennessee.

[@BobMossNanoTanks]

Love this series

[@chaseruss9053]

Love the units episodes

[@catherineladd5300]

Dan Davis does a series encompassing the taming of the horse and the rise of chariots by the early peoples of the Caucasus region. I highly recommend his historic videos.

[@wor53lg50]

Its wasn't the Caucasus who tamed them, it was the steppes region of Whats now Mongolia and Russian border...

[@robbabcock_]

Terrific video!⚔

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video it was good

[@callmepsycho]

Brilliant !

[@teeheeteeheeish]

I had a theory, completely unfounded, that chariots were first used as farm implements. Particularly scythed chariots. I could imagine commanders watching wheat get cut down and having an “ah hah” moment. Also, farmers would be adept at operating them.

[@jonathanalaniz2621]

Excellent video as always, I'd be interested to see a video specifically on the topic of Julius Cesar's famous mixed cavalry and roman legion tactics against war chariots. Please and thank you!!

[@MaximusOfTheMeadow]

Yes, Please and thank you

[@alejandrosakai1744]

It is interesting how the chariot became a war vehicle used in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and the Aegean during the Bronze age, but they were used for games in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Constantinople, this is very weird and awesome that the Celts used war Chariots!

[@wor53lg50]

The Romans and Egyptians used them for ceremonial occasions and to hunt wild antelope, the ancient Britons used them to Hunt people and soldiers..also the Romans copied the concept of war dogs from them to...

[@bryanduhart7218]

so basically Chariots were ancient Dragoons: quick movility, fire power and can fight on foot when necessary

[@ereynolds72]

Thank you so much, I love learning more about celts. It’s a shame so much of the history that survived seems to be warfare, I wanna know their culture and religion and daily lives.

[@melrichardson7709]

Plenty of text books out there. For their gods try books by Prof. Miranda Aldhouse-Green. 'Towns, Villages and Countryside of Celtic Europe' (1991.) By Francoise Audouze and Olivier Buchsenschutz might be still be available second hand. Then of course you've got 'The Ancient Celts,' 2nd edition. (2018.) By Prof. Barry Cunliffe, or Prof. Alice Roberts 's 'The Celts: Search for a Civilization.' (2016.) Even how "hillforts" were actually used is now being re-evaluated.

[@ereynolds72]

@@melrichardson7709 thank you so much 😊

[@melrichardson7709]

@@ereynolds72 lol, I forgot to add that dependent on how deep you want to look into the Celts and the Iron Age of Britain and Europe you can pick up the old Shire Archaeology books very cheaply. A bit dated now, but still useful for various subjects. Try looking for articles on the Atlantic facade, the Irish Sea, along with cross channel trade. Then there are the online academic sites where you can register and either read so many articles, or you can download them for free. Just type in what subject you're interested in and see what comes up. These are also likely to be more up to date than books and have the advantage of having references for you to look up even more articles. You could also look for back copies of British Archaeological Reports (BAR International Series), but these are usually specialized and can be a little expensive (depending on your budget), or hard to find. 👍

[@melrichardson7709]

@@ereynolds72 Just had this book arrive and started to read it. It will certainly fit the bill if you want details on settlement during the Iron Age along the Atlantic facade. Jon C. Henderson. 'The Atlantic Iron Age. Settlement and Identity in the First Millennium BC'. (2011 Paperback.) The bibliography takes up 39 pages, so plenty of pointers for further reading. 👍

[@thfkmnIII]

Human sacrifices

[@boredgunner]

Excellent video as usual. I hope to see you cover Landsknechts in this series one day.

[@wilyeshurun5675]

Now, all this makes so much sense

[@wor53lg50]

Yeah?, and why would that be?, could you explain please?....

[@hansgruber3064]

Wow KZbin actually told me there’s a new video😮

[@AB-gk8cs]

Nice video. I always wondered if one scene in Rosemary Sutcliffs "The Eagle of the Ninth" (i. m. o. one if not the best children book about roman britannia), when the britons used scythe chariots, was accurate...

[@wor53lg50]

My mistake i thought you ment scythians as in army like so many others do, its probably sythe that they are getting mixed up with...

[@FUNNY_MOMENTS_9696]

I really like videos about history I will also give you a lot of information

[@ZYXPQI]

I love ancient British history

[@SayGahTaah]

New here. Bin binging your vids perhaps one on Magellan vs Lapu Lapu?

[@steve8610]

As always, I feel like there should be an asterisk when calling the Britons and Gaels “Celts”

[@mrcyberfish1]

COOL

[@ktheterkuceder6825]

If you could do some norse bronze age I would appreciate it.

[@jimferry6539]

It was only last week that I was talking about war wagons on another channel

[@colbymclemore7642]

I refuse to believe there wasn’t at least one mad lad Briton who looked at his chariot and said “I want swords on my wheels”

[@souljahaden6184]

Can you do a video on thueros infantry there is little information on the internet or videos that talk about thueros and their role in ancient warfare.

[@dembro27]

I'm surprised chariots were able to operate on British terrain! Either Britain is more flat and dry than I thought, or chariots are more capable of navigating rough terrain than I thought. Either way, I like the idea of highly mobile, versatile troops that combine the speed of cavalry with the harassment of missile skirmishers and skilled heavy infantry (though it sounds like, when dismounted, they would more often fight individually than in formation).

[@andrewwhelan7311]

They had roads that were ancient long before Rome arrived

[@sanderson9338]

Britian has plains, hills and lots of topography it's not all hills and mountains

[@wor53lg50]

A ancient cart way made of wood was discovered in the fens of Cambridge leading to a village on stilts that had some how burnt to the Ground, it Pre-dated the Roman occupation by Hundreds of years..

[@theromanorder]

Please do a or a few videos on history of roman legions

[@DPR99-1]

You should cover Charlemagnes Paladins or the Teutonic Knights in a future video.

[@vitorpereira9515]

What about an episode about the chilvaric orders like the knight templars and the teutonics?

[@maxwellstevens9562]

can you do more ancient briton vids? Celts, romano british, MAYBE the saxon invasion?

[@DesertAres]

Thank you for a great video! I had understood from J.Caesar’s commentaries that the Briton chariots raced back and forth in front of the legions and was initially a problem for the Romans. Of course I wonder, even when watching American westerns, aren’t the horses a lot bigger target and seems a pilum or a bullet would immobilize a chariot or horseman.

[@wor53lg50]

You try aiming a cumbersome ballista on a tripod at a horse and cart zig zagging about at speed??, it would be a very lucky shot, and the tiny hand held ones wouldn't stop a horse straight away, those who bow hunt big game know this...also the horse would've had heavy woven wool flank jackets..

[@josephphoenix1376]

Excellent Episode... Interesting that instead of Spears? The Celts didn't use Bow and Arrows? That would put them in the mode of Pharoah Rameses at Kadesh.

[@andrewglines9561]

Would u guys ever cover units such as Janissaries or English Civil War Ironsides or is that too modern for this channel?

[@REALdavidmiscarriage]

can‘t wait to play rome 2 total war again ❤

[@Talosbug]

Petition to bring back the Celtic mustache as a cultural staple

[@georgianmihaicuta7124]

Please do videos about hoplites if you haven't made already

[@Harib_Al-Saq]

They already released videos talking about the Carthaginian Sacred Band and the Silver Shields.

[@milanamiljanic2188]

Can you make a video about 1300 corporals?

[@jakers2923]

As an English man i can confirm we still drive the same way 😅

[@diegomata1062]

Please please make a video about the Inca rise to power and their defeat at the hands of the spanish and theur allies

[@ktheterkuceder6825]

Okay here is something for you: witcher school training,weapons and magic potions.

[@barbiquearea]

I wonder if GRRM took inspiration from the British war chariots as some Wilding tribes employed war chariots that were made from walrus bones and pulled by ponies or dire wolves.

[@Ian-yf7uf]

For sure, much of his fantasy world is an amalgamation of British history and Spain.

[@aaronmeehan8161]

As an Indo-European ppl wouldn't it make more sense that the celts inherited war chariots from that nomadic Indo-European culture?

[@dragonlewis]

Can you please do Scottish Highlanders, Seleucid/ Successor Cataphracts, Samurai, Imitation Legionnaires of Seleucid Empire and Scythian Horse archers please

[@randomelite4562]

They ready did a video on imitation legionnaires

[@RemusKingOfRome]

Excellent .. but you forgot to emphasize the vibrations sent through the ground to unnerve the enemy, and even bring down city walls in the near east. Just like a earth quake, only crunchy.

[@titus7692]

maybe cover the trarii?

[@vitorpereira9515]

So chariots are more to harass the enemy with hit and run attacks. But can chariots break the enemy positions? In king's war i saw qin chariots with big spiked balls connected by a heavy and strong chain that clashed with infantry units breaking the enemy positions. But is that accurate?

[@jackwhitehead5233]

From what I've researched chariots, and even heavy cavalry don't tend to break heavy infantry formations with frontal attacks. This is simply due to the fact horses are intelligent, they see lines of spears and other pointy things and refuse to run into them.

[@westsidermetalhead4997]

The Britons, after loosing with their +100k army vs 10k Romans: We will never recover existentially from this exchange.

[@ilhamthegamer6115]

1:59 you wrote pacific ocean instead of atlantic on the map. Good video btw

[@lerneanlion]

If chariots were so effective, why people transferred to using horses by the Middle Ages instead? I know why already. The costs and the materials to make them were not cheap. And to maintain and repair them also quite a lot of money. I merely just wanted a video about it. That's all.

[@Harib_Al-Saq]

Chariotry reigned supreme during the bronze age. At that time horses were too small to carry an armored rider. It wasn't until the Neo Assyrians that chariots evolved into cavalry.

[@IronWarrior86]

In the Middle East domestication of horses had progressed to the point where better horses in ever growing numbers became available, thus cavalry took over and the war chariots fell out of use around 500BC, not by the Middle Ages. It was last used in the battle of Gaugamela 331BC by the Persians, and it was already outdated military technology by that time.

[@mrKBSNNC]

@@Harib_Al-Saq they werent 'too small', Sintashta horses already were above 140 cm high on average and up to 152 cm high, thats similar to the 19th century hussar horse size

[@ML-bw4yt]

They would have been an advantage towards the Celts even against Romans, especially because most Roman armies was mostly infantry. I wonder why they really stopped using them.

[@VentiVonOsterreich]

6:58 wheels on a shopping cart be like

[@Marinealver]

So sort of like early versions of Nepolianic Dragoons.

[@garvan1917]

My previous understanding was that Cavalry was introduced to Britain after Julius Caesar's two attempts at invasion around BC 55 and before the successful invasion in AD 43. At 13:44 the video states that Cavalry units were present during the first invasion. I think the ponies in use were too small for Cavalry at that time (55 BC) and larger horses were introduced from Spain later. What evidence do you have that Cavalry was present in BC 55?

[@marcbartuschka6372]

I think in Ceasars Report about the Gallic Wars he mentioned cavalry already during his first operation (4.24).

[@wor53lg50]

Why go spain when you can cross breed a suffolk punch shire, Scots Highland breed, Hebredian or even friesian , its more than likely how spain got theirs anyhow when the Knights came down from North west Europe to help with the Reconquista...

[@faramund9865]

I think it's interesting everyone depicts the driver kneeling. Even though I think on the coin it's quite clear they're just sitting on their bums. Kneeling on such a bumpy ride you wouldn't last for a few minutes.

[@sizanogreen9900]

Great content, though I long for the day when historic content in general uses maps accurate to the times they are depicting instead of just depicting inaccurate modern landshapes.

[@maxnetirtimon4121]

oh, c'mon you really should make a video about Acheamanids Scythed's chariot's

[@_draken_]

Can you guys do the Philippine Maharlika or the Philippine Karakoa ships?

[@greensoplenty6809]

i might have just thought of a crazy alexander inspired way to fight chariots... cover large strong shields in something sharp or something horses hate or uneven surface so when run over might break a horses ankle. (just toss them out or if large and strong enough might be able to put a guy under it. might help freak out the horses, could be screaming or something, whatever noises spook horses if alexanders guys could take a wagon without injury...

[@Bruce438]

If your talking about Alexander the great, he already had a way to counter chariots: macedonian phalanx

[@greensoplenty6809]

@@Bruce438 i think i said chariots just because it was a bigger prize than a horsemen when alexanders troops were having carts thrown down a hill at him phalanx wasnt too useful so he instructed them to lay down and put their shields on top of them and it apparently worked well. my idea is doing the same with shields that have big lumpy spots or whatever shapes are good at breaking horse ankles or making them lose balance maybe IF YOU DONT have a phalanx and have charging horses and you got large shields

[@greensoplenty6809]

im guessing its been tried before, maybe doesnt work well with riders on the horses, maybe too many of them would fall off not injured and start killing guys hiding under shields on the ground. but alexanders guys had crazy disciplined, have first 8 ranks or so do it have guys in back with spears standing maybe. might cause too much trouble in large battle formations but smaller groups might work

[@Bruce438]

@@greensoplenty6809 I can see how that would work, my issue with it is that if you throw your shield onto the ground infront of you like your initial comment said, you threw away your protection from missiles

[@greensoplenty6809]

@@Bruce438 yea im just trying to not have a long boring comment so leave out some details. i say if not large enough for a guy to be under. if small i would mean something like a large buckler size that you could probably carry a few. think large would work much better, and if your gonna toss em down it would have to be in a narrow space or something where you could easily replace them from baggage train, or when setting up camp, narrow trails when you cant use more than few at a time anyway, when you can easily pass them up to the front. not really in middle of a battle

[@54000biker]

2:00, did the Pacific Ocean move?

[@Jose-cx6hy]

Since we're in the perspective of Augustus saying that the trained every day they probably used the chariots for multiple things not just for military just like the Isle of Crete and there slingers

[@randomelite4562]

Crete was famous for its archers. You’re thinking either of Rhodes or the Balearic islands

[@oakiesmokie5991]

I wonderd why ceaser took elephants with him on his second campaign into England. I know it was to show the might of rome but always thaught there was more to it was it possibly to scare the English charriot horses to even the odds in battle.

[@54000biker]

Just as knights had jousts I expect that charioteers would have had competitions to see who was the most skilled.