Roman Historian Rates 10 Ancient Rome Battles In Movies And TV | How Real Is It? | Insider

[@gweilojohn]

"If you hit a guy with an arrow, his problem is that he has an arrow sticking out of him, not that the arrow is on fire." Glorious.

[@Timbo6669]

I was an explorer like you, until I took a flaming arrow to the knee…

[@Justin_Rose]

It was a glorious observation, but just to nitpick even further, I think the real problem might be that you have an arrow sticking into you.

[@datass666]

@@Justin_Rose 😆😆well said, good sir.

[@CrimsonA1]

And once that arrow was in you, chances are the metal barbs are designed to stay in there, and worse yet, cause MORE damage should you try and pull it out. One way I've heard to truly rid of an embedded arrow is to ram it RIGHT THROUGH and out the opposite end of your body! Yet, that also depends on the direction of the arrow barbs, and the infection you'll probably get afterwards will be the thing that does you in ☹

[@frankgesuele6298]

"If you disable his hand with an arrow he will not be able to use it." "Medic!" Centurion Zimperis

[@Gambit08]

Internet: How often do you all think about the Roman Empire? Michael Taylor: It’s literally my Job.

[@mrquirky3626]

I think of the Roman Empire every time the KZbin algorithm tells me I should, which seems to be at least once a day.

[@tuanoful]

Hahaha, I told my wife when she asked, every two days easy. And she couldn't believe it.

[@johnsmith-jq1uc]

ha

[@Juanito1124]

😂😂

[@hansegloff3651]

He forgot the basics! Digging ditches after having dug ditches. The only path to victory!

[@JustSomeCanuck]

My only thought at the beginning at this video: "Did the Romans commonly, I dunno, dig a ditch?"

[@elizabethmehling5717]

Funny because Dr. Roel actually got super excited when this video dropped and endorsed it on Twitter, lol

[@george6397]

And yeah they dug ditches around their camps, when on a march in enemy territory

[@saturnv2419]

As a matter of fact, they do, and not only that they build walls too.

[@meh7348]

And did they throw stones instead of pouting hot oil 😂

[@jarrodbright5231]

The Roman army were literally a bunch of engineers so... yes :)

[@siamak81]

He's very generous with scoring compared to other experts.

[@Canuck1000]

I had the same thoughts.

[@redhausser7492]

Yeah, but not necessarily a bad thing.

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

It's probably easy to get an A in his classes.

[@bunglewungle261]

This guy: *rips a scene apart* Also this guy to the scene he ripped apart: 8/10 😊

[@kaitlynnt.9927]

@@Unknown-jt1joyes but no 😪 he’s a great prof

[@nerdysniper6194]

Timestamps: 0:38 Indiana Jones (the one made for Disney+) 2:36 Risen 4:47 The Eagle 6:27 Gladiator 9:38 Spartacus 11:51 Ben-hur 13:51 Barbarians 15:29 Rome 17:53 King Arthur 19:28 Cleopatra

[@Maazzzo]

Thank you for this, I was just about to post a comment asking them to at least list the chapters and timestamps!

[@nerdysniper6194]

@@Maazzzo No problem! Saw people were wondering for timestamps, so wrote them down for others.

[@Maazzzo]

@@nerdysniper6194 Very kind, cheers!

[@hockeygrrlmuse]

There's.... time travel in Indiana Jones now...?

[@Maazzzo]

@@hockeygrrlmuse After the absurd Crystal Skull fiasco I haven't seen the new one. This makes me far less likely to.

[@luciusjulius8320]

I'm surprised the Professor didn't mention the absurdity of a cavalry charge through a dense forest in Gladiator.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

This and the total lack of Germanic cavalry. Or the total lack of armor and sword on the chieftain(s). And why all the trenches and barricades in a pitched battle ? If this was a Roman camp, where are the watch towers ? And why do the protagonists always loose their helmets ? And German sheperds weren't a thing back then either ... and why does Marcus Aurelius have long hair ? And I still consider Gladiator a top movie. 🙂

[@richardgalbavy7103]

well, did not Arminius attacked in Teutoburg forest also with cavalry? But maybe they had better ground there, some trees deny bushes near them so there is more chance of horses able to run throught that forest.

[@luciusjulius8320]

@@richardgalbavy7103 Cavalry are shock troops. They are used to smash an enemy with force. No Cavalry unit can maintain cohesion through a forest and it cannot provide a shock. Not to mention a large percentage of those horses would have fractured their legs. Arminius did not use cavalry to attack the Romans in the Teutoburg Forest. He trapped the Romans and used ground troops armed with javelins and swords to annihilate them.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

@@richardgalbavy7103 Indeed he did. But being Germanics, they were used to that terrain. And they mostly used mixed cavalry/infantry formations, where one rider "dragged" two infantymen along (they held onto the horse but were running on their own feet 🙂) Roman imperial cavalry INITIALLY also came from Germanic and Gallic tribes for most parts. Mix in some Thracians and Hispanics. In theory, they were also used to this kind of terrain. Arminius was able to get some of the Germanic auxiliary units on his side. You don't see many Germanic calvalry units in the Roman army after Teutoburger Wald, and they certainly were not stationed anywhere near the Rhein frontier.

[@Meitti]

Cavalry has always been the weak point of a roman army. Roman cavalry doing unsanctioned stupid sh*t is not unheard of. Part of the reason why Rome lost against Goths in Adrianople.

[@Taima]

Fun fact: If you want to guarantee my viewership here forever, keep bringing people to talk about Rome. Gets me every time.

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

all internet clicks lead you to Rome?

[@frankgesuele6298]

@@whoeveriam0iam14222 Ave Caesar!🦅

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

@@whoeveriam0iam14222 All clicks lead to Chrome.

[@goncalocarvalho5574]

@@whoeveriam0iam14222 🤣🤣🤣

[@Insider]

Thanks for watching!

[@vincentmalasawmkimajongte7489]

I like how the film that was trying to present itself more as a True Detective type of feel into the death and resurrection of Christ is one of the most accurate portrayals of Roman combat in the sense that most of them are attested.

[@Texasmade74]

what film was that?

[@Texasmade74]

as far as I know none of those movies is about some pro Christian nonsense and no credible scholars take Jesus resurrection as something that happened and even his crucifixion is dubious

[@MrDorryn]

@@Texasmade74 Risen

[@_senshi1_]

Roman anti air ballista is wild

[@orionh5535]

Same ballistas used in game of thrones

[@LillianSteele-u9v]

Yes it is.

[@itiswhatitis8160]

💀

[@Fallenfaefolk]

i like that they somehow had enough of a cant to the ballista base to be able to fire nearly directly upwards, based on the angle that the bolt shoved through the plane's hull

[@Fallenfaefolk]

very pragmatic, building them to account for dragons and the like

[@ducomaritiem7160]

At 16:42 Michael Taylor asks himself if the rotating system of the roman frontline can be done efficiently. I have been a reenactor for many years. When I was training for the Battle of Hastings event in 2006, the Dutch/Belgian/German combined group decided to exercise the rotation system for 6 days in the training camp in Goslar, Germany. It went unbelievably well, and after a several sessions we pulled it off smoothly, just as seen here with the Romans. We were kitted out like Normans with kite shields. At the Hastings reenactment we did that move during fights with the Saxon opponents. Nothing went wrong. Just hearing the call, whistling etc. , first row steps back, second row steps forward, holding sticking their shields sideways through the ranks forward, and swing their shields in front of you replacing you. Conclusion: It's really plausible to rotate front rows during a fight, works so much better than you think at first. Just get 10 men, give them shields and try it. Oh yeah, it helps when you get kicked in the butt everytime you make a mistake, like our german instructors did.

[@kevinc9065]

MVP comment

[@ThePawcios]

As a Roman reenactor, we have even ready command in the sources MVTA LOCVM...

[@felurfalas4427]

Is it possible to do? Sure. Is it possible to do with a large army in an actual battle (and not just reenactment)? Probably not as easily.

[@TheMorred]

@@felurfalas4427we rotate frontlines, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Iulios f. kenedios. A Roman Sensator 70 BC.

[@jennydany]

Also, he is wrong about the Navy Piracy. There was at least one Pirate Navy Fleet, under the command of the powerful Queen Teuta of Illyria. In 229 BC, Teuta’s reign of terror forced the Romans to intervene on behalf of their own merchants as well as their Greek allies. After inheriting her husband, King Agron's confederation of Illyrian kingdoms and city-states, she used the powerful navy he’d assembled and offered letters of the marque to local privateers in order to terrorize Greek & Roman shipping across the Adriatic, raiding as far south as Sicily. Her captains outmaneuvered the navies of Rome, Syracuse, and Corinth. A spectacular history, written in Polybius’s Histories Book 2, chapters 3-12. The Roman commerce badly suffered from piracy on the Adriatic, which was also facilitated by the natural conditions of Illyria: a winding coastline with numerous islands & convenient bays, which allowed local residents to raid the shores of the Balkan Peninsula & Italy, moving across the Adriatic & Ionian seas. On the basis of this, the local tribes began to unite into a single state that flourished under King Agron 230 B.C. captured part of Epirus, Epidamn, the islands of Far & Corfu and sought further north.

[@madaug4389]

I really enjoyed watching this, This guy is terrific. I could listen to him for hours. You should have him back.

[@mforcel]

If only he would say "cavalry" instead of "calvalry". Like come on man, you're an expert on this stuff.

[@solandri69]

It's important to remember that Spartacus and Ben-Hur were filmed before CGI. When those fire logs roll into the soldiers, it was real. When the chariot driver gets run over by horses, it was real (well, a dummy made to look like him). There's a later scene where Charton Heston's chariot drives over a broken chariot, and he's nearly thrown out. That was real. An accident, but real.

[@PilgrimBangs]

The chariot race in the movie Ben Hur took a full year to film just that race sequence.

[@WhenYouveGoneGuru]

And after over half a century it's still superior to that CGI monstrosity that bombed at the box office a few years ago.

[@michaelchallis4129]

Oh right, they were really in ancient rome.

[@richardcanedo1614]

@@PilgrimBangs It took a year to build the set and prepare the track surface; the actual filming of the race took about 5 weeks over the course of 3 months.

[@PilgrimBangs]

@@richardcanedo1614 Well I certainly wasn't implying they filmed it for an entire year. It took an entire year of work just for that scene.

[@patrickleonard4187]

This dude rocks. Very comprehensive, but quick and never droning. Awesome historical knowledge!

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

"Comprehensive" is a bit much. He makes a few remarks on every video.

[@davidviner5783]

Except he confuses 'calvary' with 'cavalry'!

[@tripsaplenty1227]

I wonder what Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history thinks about the Romans.

[@PilgrimBangs]

You mean the Gun Jesus?

[@viclange3826]

@@PilgrimBangs No, different guy. Though Gun Jesus might be more qualified to talk about Risen.

[@kev3d]

I suspect Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history thinks about the Romans primarily in terms of the weapons and tactics they used in war, and less so about their social, political, and economic makeup. After all, Jonathan Ferguson, the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history, is the keeper of firearms and artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, which houses a collection of thousands of iconic weapons from throughout history.

[@cattysplat]

"Their crossbows only shot 50 meters, catapults do rock though."

[@Ruthun92]

"this AK-47 is very authentic as we can see no rivets on the top receiver which leads me to believe it has a pressed steel manufacture that the Soviets perfected post-cold war. However I've never seen one in the hands of a 16th century samurai so I'll take 2 points off for that."

[@PookysPlace]

"The Eagle" was a really good movie. Storyline was unique and very different than typical Roman era style flicks. Watched in the hospital during a 7 week stay.

[@Kingdom_Of_Dreams]

I love how gritty it is, especially that last sequence when Marcus is wounded and he's trying to pull himself up and keep moving forward as Esca rushes to get help. I watch that scene and it's like I'm there with him, willing myself to survive in spite of the cold and the pain. It really sticks with me when I think back on the movie.

[@kuwanger12]

It was totally mid

[@Greenielid]

You might like centurion just a thought

[@Kingdom_Of_Dreams]

@@kuwanger12 lol this says more about you than it does about the film lol

[@donaldpratt2296]

One of my classics professors back in college agreed. A lot of dumb stuff in the movie, but it actually has a pretty decent depictions of Roman attitudes and how they might operate.

[@JpnhAbou]

Didn't need an expert to tell me that that last scene fencing with a gladius looked _ridiculous_

[@colinhunt4057]

Quite right, it was ridiculous. A Roman gladius was primarily a stabbing weapon. Roman infantry fought in close formations. This meant big shields for defense and scutii for stabbing. - no fencing. it's entirely possible the Roman gladius had no sharpened edges as only the point really mattered.

[@2serveand2protect]

"Spartacus" was one of those movies we're never gonna see again. No bs-CGI's - just lads marching in unison - that scene, where they deploy was fantastic.

[@johncartwright8154]

Same could be said of the film, 'Waterloo"

[@Derrrrpie]

Also, flaming corndogs.

[@1xeshm]

@@johncartwright8154War and peace too. They literally took several Soviet Army divisions, trained them in the Napoleonic war style of fighting and filmed it.

[@jcorbett9620]

It is indeed a well done visual effect. The troops in the front of shot were real. The ones at the rear were a matte painting. A common effect in the period.

[@KasumiRINA]

@@jcorbett9620 Chinese series for Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the one done in early 1990s, had real armies marching (the army dressed in ancient gear used as extras), that's a thing it's unlikely to show especially since they'll soon invade Taiwan and most soldiers in China are going to be under the sea.

[@lrx001]

Okay I get to brag I had this man as a professor several times in graduate school and he is so smart and kind. I am so thrilled he got this platform to show off his knowledge!! You're the best professor Taylor!

[@piggyback8367]

that guy from cleopatra literally going fencing not battle xD

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

I remember having seen in an old magazine that in those times (50s-60s of 20th century), fencing was part of acting training. Fencing like a Shakespeare character or a musketeer, I guess. 😁

[@KasumiRINA]

@@MariaMartinez-researcher theater would have fencing scenes usually, yeah. They were taught to safely fence and hit swords not bodies too so that's why all movie fencing for so long looked like pro wrestling equivalent of a sword fight.

[@annkelly0072]

When your Legions are walking through the forest and the trees start singing Heilung. Poor Publius Quinctilius Varus.

[@danielmcbriel1192]

Heilung? ~ cure

[@p-lemon]

"Varus give me back my legions"

[@SmokeBloody]

"Ioannes, they are in the trees!"

[@eloquentsarcasm]

Heilung, we have a man of class here!

[@thomaswillard6267]

🎶I'm in the trees🎶 🎶I'm in the breeze🎶 🎶No footsteps on the ground🎶 🎶You can pray🎶 🎶You can fight🎶 🎶But you'll not leave us now🎶

[@maxdrago7056]

Where r the ditches?

[@travisinthetrunk]

Beat me to it.

[@StarRider253]

"You've got to dig a ditch!"

[@Cleeon]

We're still digging it😊

[@Thickcurves]

You have to dig a ditch and when you finish that one, dig another one.... fraggin love the ditch guy

[@TheRealDuckofDeath]

Cyrus had overslept that day, so they didn't have anyone to coordinate the digging. Can you dig it?

[@XouXin]

This guy is great. He contextualizes the questions to give a relevant answer. Even if the Romans didn't have something, he explains what they did have. Very patient and informative.

[@ives3572]

“War may be the game of kings, but, like the games at ancient Rome, it is generally exhibited to please and pacify the people.” - Arthur Helps

[@jyotirvakyananda]

You mean, football, soccer, and other team sports, right?

[@TheIfifi]

@@jyotirvakyananda He means warfare, it is frequently quite beloved by the people.

[@jyotirvakyananda]

@@TheIfifi All team sports are derived from the tactics used in warfare. All. And to put a finer point on it all modern team sport viewed by millions every weekend are the equivalent of gladiatorial games. Polo, to use just one example, was a game that originated to teach people how to use a Calvary sword from a horse. Now what do you think is beloved by the public? Oh yeah, one more example: what kinds of games do soldiers play during basic training? Where do you think the “games” capture the flag and “flag football” come from? Just sayin’.

[@4rnnr_as]

Great job! You found a true expert and gave him actual good scenes from media that makes an actual effort to be authentic. Awesome video!

[@MaxSluiman]

Expert in ancient military: Calvary? Cavalry!

[@robertx8020]

TBH he is a professor in HISTORY not in English 😉

[@davidviner5783]

'Cavalry' is a HISTORICAL term...and he is a professor of history. Why do many people say calvary when they mean cavalry? Cavalry are the traditional soldiers on horseback trained in the art of cavalry charges and fighting in horseback. Calvary is the name of the hill upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. The two words, while they have very different meanings, look and sound very similar, so Calvary is often mistaken for Cavalry.

[@robertx8020]

@@davidviner5783 And why do some ppl care at all? We all know what ppl mean in that context

[@chivitogomez9877]

Lost all credibility and stopped watching. Sad, it looked like an interesting topic.

[@robertx8020]

@@chivitogomez9877 wow

[@Appleinyoureye]

OMG, Michael!!!!! He was a GSI (Graduate Student Instructor) when I was at Berkeley in the Ancient History department! Was lucky to have him for a semester, he’s awesome. So good to see him here sharing what he knows best!

[@dameanvil]

0:36 Indiana Jones (2023) .. 3/10 2:36 Risen (2016) .......... 8/10 (best) 4:46 The Eagle (2011) ...... 9/10 6:27 Gladiator (2000) ...... 7/10 9:38 Spartacus (1960) ...... 7/10 11:51 Ben-Hur (1959) ....... 5/10 13:51 Barbarians S1 (2020) . 8/10 15:28 Rome S1 (2005) ....... 8/10 17:51 King Arthur (2004) ... 1/10 19:28 Cleopatra (1963) ..... 2/10

[@WhenYouveGoneGuru]

Why'd Risen get an 8 and The Eagle a 9? He didn't point out any inaccuracies about Risen but noted The Eagle completely misused the testudo. And then in the end he said Risen was the most accurate. Also why is he saying King Arthur is a cataphract? That's not cataphract armor its a breastplate and a completely unarmored horse. Roman cataphracts had horse armor. This is established by sculpture and a surviving example from Dura Europos that I've personally seen many times. As far as I can tell Arthur's equipped as a equite (probably not accurately equipped since in the late period he'd be wearing maille not a breastplate). Did he just want to mention cataphracts because they're more analogous to knights than equites?

[@AlizeColligan]

It's always intriguing to see how accurately these productions depict historical battles and events

[@bstayings]

Regarding the Rome scene, I wonder what he thought about mandible switches. I get there are no sources explaining how they happened, and that in the post Julian civil war they were essentially throwing untrained recruits at each other. However how do you account for the relatively low casualty before that in the gaulic war and civil war between Cesar and Pompey? I assume after 30 mins of fighting even the best legionaries would get gasses and then killed if they never took breaks from fighting.

[@aceshotz5051]

Mandible switches would be very tough in battle given how, the man behind the legionnaire in combat has to come forward while the man in front has to rotate in the back at the same time. If a legionnaire died during that, or the legion got pushed back, that would disrupt the formation. If I could guess I’d probably say that if the Romans did switch then it was probably when they weren’t fighting maybe if the enemy pulled back to regroup, then the tired legionnaires would move to the back to recover

[@Salted_Fysh]

I'm not familiar with the term 'mandible' switches but if you are referring to maniples, as far we know, they did indeed switch out during combat. The later cohorts (what we saw see in "Rome") would have also likely done this, as Taylor alludes to when he talks about it. What he's criticizing is not the idea of switching out, it's the individual switching out inside a century itself. The unit could switch out as a whole but organizing a complicated rotating system that everyone has to pay attention to while also fighting the enemy would have been difficult to pull off and opened up weaknesses in the line to be exploited. So the unit can switch out as a whole or they stay in formation. It's also not quite clear how long an individual engagement would last but it's probably safe to say that with the heavy emphasis on mobility in the Roman army, they would have engaged and disengaged in waves rather than protracted combat for each individual. Note that this is all conjecture.

[@ducomaritiem7160]

I made a comment somewhere in this section about that. As a reenactor we did that switching/rotation system when training as Norman infantry for the Hastings 2006 event. We had large blocks of Dutch/Belgian/German reenactors and after only several days of training we were able to perform this rotating a several rows deep every time. It was a great help the German instructors yelled and kicked everyone hard in the butt when making mistakes. During the Hastings event itself we made a great impression with your skills, being the only massive block of about 500 men doing this trick.

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

*Maniple. Mandibles are your jaws.

[@Darling137]

I agree, I think there would have to be some sort of organized rotation system from the front ranks. I don't think the expectation of "fight until you die" is realistic and not great for morale. Even 30 minutes would be an eternity, I suspect. Heavy shield, throwing pila, constant swing of the gladius. Takes a toll and soon a legionnaire would hit a point of severely diminishing returns.

[@paleologue]

I liked this guy. He seems like a fun professor.

[@Tapiola666]

Why does he not mention any ditches? I'm confused

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

Partly because they show pitched battles already in progress. The Ditch Guy was commenting on sieges, pre-battle preparations, etc.

[@McNuggetsOrElse]

@@Unknown-jt1jo“the ditch guy“ lol

[@2serveand2protect]

PS. It's true! "RISEN" was a fantastic movie - with excellent actors and a great storyline. Fiennes, Felton and Cliff Curtis nailed their roles 100%. I have a feeling it was also very underrated ...but don't know why...

[@leifnelson6244]

Is it just me, or does his use of the word "Calvary" vs. "Cavalry" bother anyone else?

[@chevalierdupapillon]

It's very much not only you! and all the more so since it is clearly not just a slip of a tongue but something he does each time he says that word.

[@annamariaisland1960]

I wouldn't mind it so much if "Calvary" was not also a real word, indeed a place name. So that makes it worse for me than people who for instance say "nucular" rather than "nuclear."

[@kspringerrw]

The Romans actually were in Britain in the 5th century. The final withdrawal was in 410 which is pretty much concurrent with a Saxon invasion. So the plot with a group of Roman soldiers who stay behind instead of leaving with their army and helping the natives fight Saxons is timed really well. King Arthur still deserves a 1 of 10 for having trebuchets at least 500 years before they were invented and because the depicted climactic battle is dated to about 500CE or a hundred years after the other events of the movie.

[@Mesozoic_mammal]

Yes, I was confused by that statement, as well.

[@MarkelMathurin]

@@Mesozoic_mammal why

[@anthonyjones8160]

I haven't seen the movie, but many historians talk about how Britons so admired the Roman way of... well, everything, that minor nobles and local warlords copied them to the best of their abilities for decades, if not centuries.

[@colinhunt4057]

There's no surprise here. The Romans evacuated Britain because: 1. the island had become too costly to defend with the increasing raids across the North and Irish Seas; and 2. Emperor Honorius needed the Roman army in Britain for more important tasks like fending off the waves of German barbarians flooding over the frontiers starting about 400 AD. The military crisis of the Empire was acute, and Rome itself would be attacked and sacked bythe Visigoths in 410 AD. Worse, the Roman army in Britain had supported three attempts to overthrow the Emperor in the late 4th Century. Isolated and difficult to control and occasionally full of mutineers, it was an easy decision for Honorius to withdraw the army and abandon the province.

[@kspringerrw]

@colinhunt4057 Was this intended for me? I know that the Romans had good reasons for pulling out. The plot of King Arthur isn't the entire Roman army against the Saxons. It's about a small group of Roman soldiers who decided to stay behind. Which is plausible. Soldiers often get attached to the places they are deployed.

[@karelmarkvart1517]

My friend does Roman reenactment and they practice this Switching of front line and even with not much practice its perfectly doable. Thing is, when ordered, front row of men does step to side into gap and man behind him immediately makes step forward, so now theres double of men in front row. Then, man in the gap steps backward and continues to rear line. Thing is, doubling shocks opponent and also soldier whos being switched doesnt produce his back towards enemy, hes actually backing rearwards until hes deep in formation.

[@ohdubwest7533]

The Eagle was a surprisingly good movie. I don’t see it come up in conversation too often.

[@leoperidot482]

There were other Roman battle movies were skipped. ATTILA. BOUDICA. CARTHAGE IN FLAMES. CENTURION. DRUIDS. THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. HERO OF ROME. THE LAST LEGION. MASADA. REVENGE OF THE BARBARIANS. SIGN OF ROME. WARRIOR QUEEN.

[@Bob-lw5gs]

RIP Titus Pullo

[@AhJong0]

THIRTEEN!

[@jarrodbright5231]

Given the real Titus Pullo turned coat and died fighting for Magnus against Caesar at Pharsalus... you sure about that?

[@Salted_Fysh]

'Turned coat' is a strong word. Caesar's campaign against Pompey was a civil war that ended with Caesar declaring himself dictator. So technically speaking, Gaius Antonius from whom he mutinied and Caesar were the traitors since they were marching against the Roman Republic.

[@viclange3826]

@@jarrodbright5231 I'm pretty sure he's talking about how the actor, Ray Stephenson, died this past year.

[@C.Y.123]

​@@viclange3826really???

[@seandailey2942]

I personally love risen too. One the most important and accurate stories ever told.

[@stoundingresults]

"THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE A SCAR!!!"

[@tobias3070]

These videos keep me alive

[@mckiller45]

Stay alive

[@Shinyboy29]

Julius Caesar, though not undefeated in battles, emulated Alexander the Great’s tactics, even calling out his own soldiers by their names to boost their morale

[@droopy992001]

It sounds like he keeps saying 'calvary' when I feel he means 'cavalry'.... could be my ears though.

[@chevalierdupapillon]

No, heard that too. Pretty illiterate thing to do for someone who teaches at a university.

[@mikeinla6922]

He definitely is mangling that one word. Odd

[@Dwagginz]

And he says "scythed" as "skythed" What.

[@hrotha]

It's a widespread variant, metathesis is a common and legitimate linguistic process

[@chevalierdupapillon]

​@@hrotha Yes, I guess it's pure coincidence that all the thousands of times I've seen the word cavalry written in history books and academic articles (inclduing the one I write myself), it's always spelled cavalry, even though for laid-back linguists calvary would be equally legit. It's also undoubtedly immaterial that 'calvary' is already a different word, or that those naive people who go to study at university level (and who have to pay atrocious amounts of money for it in your country) will childishly assume that they can rely on their teachers using the correct form of technical terms.

[@badweetabix]

I'm surprised he did not mention that the chariots used in Ben-Hur were incorrect. The Romans used racing chariots in the Circus Maximus, not war chariots. Those racing chariots were very much like those used in modern day harness racing, The Roman racing chariots were made to be as lightweight as possible and since wood was the only lightweight material, it was a common sight for the racing chariots to catch fire.

[@touhoutrash2436]

A new insider video on ancient Roman weaponry my bois!

[@4rchim]

I can smell how much this guy love these stuff. He said it's bad with explanation then rated it 7/10. Watching a guy who talks about what he love is fun tho xD

[@technofilejr3401]

0:15 Exactly this leading from the front is often done in movies. It makes no sense but it looks epic.

[@brabhamF1]

An interesting sidepoint on the Pilum. The tip was made to pierce and get stuck in shield and to bend, as to make the weapon hard to remove and render the shield essentially useless. I got to hold a replica of a Pilum at a historical festival and they were incredibly heavy.

[@vexxd2277]

Can't wait for Metatron to react to this

[@danielmcelroy8533]

Not sure if I should watch this outright or just wait for the reaction video.

[@songbird5842]

if he can ever stop complaining about inane culture war bullshit and go back to talking about interesting history

[@EAfirstlast]

Why? Dr Taylor is one of the authorities of Roman history. Metatron is... some guy

[@danielmcelroy8533]

@@EAfirstlast Mostly because for being just a guy, he tends to know a lot about the subject at hand. Dr. Taylor was really good. There have been some awesome experts and a few, frankly, less informed, more pop history oriented (pretty rare fortunately). The more problematic ones are people who are not really experts in the subject the movie clips are from. One of the more recent ones involved Game of Thrones and they had a couple of experts on 17-19th century history reviewing clips from a show that's a weird hodgepodge of ancient to early renaissance, and their commentary was barely fitting, or in one case, pretty wrong.

[@blarfroer8066]

@@EAfirstlast some guy with a PhD, supported by Dr Gioal Canestrelli, who's an expert in ancient European history. Dr. Taylor was good, but some of the other "experts" on this channel were pushing an agenda instead of portraying the truth.

[@snorpenbass4196]

An amusing thing about the Cleopatra naval fight in the deck battle - the two commanders fencing with a gladius is totally inaccurate...but the soldier in the foreground slamming an enemy with a shield and then stabbing with his gladius is totally accurate. So the soldier extras are more true to history than the main characters. 🤣

[@LordWyatt]

Mythbusters tested mirrors against a ship and though it was hot it wasn’t enough to start a fire. They’d need a magnifying glass for that effect, not mirrors. That being said the mirrors would make a great surprise if the enemy marched in front of the sun (possibly hoping the light will be in their enemies’ eyes) then the polished shield could be turned and blind their opponents for a few moments. Risky maneuver though

[@WBtimhawk]

That episode was pretty good ! My pet theory is that the modern story is based on a historical rumor. Like the Syracusans probably used both mirrors (to blind roman artillery crews for instance) and incendiary weapons at the same time and some roman soldiers/observers must have thought the mirrors caused the fire. After all, it's not like many Syracusans survived the siege to correct the record. In fact, even Archimedes was killed during the sack.

[@LordWyatt]

@@WBtimhawkbruh, you probably just nailed it right on the head👌

[@KasumiRINA]

Yeah mirrors on ships seem to be the same thing as mirror lights on bicycles, you make light seen from afar, either for navigation or, in this case, maybe to make boarding harder?

[@Aspen7780]

What bothered me about the opening scene of Gladiator is that when the infantry finally is engaged with the German mic warriors 1) there are no Roman Pilum thrown 2) the Roman ranks break completely at first contact and 3) the infantry doesn’t show any of the Discipline as exemplified in the hbo TV series Rome once the first sword hits a shield. Once ranks and cohesion fall apart and it becomes an individual on individual melee the fight is essentially lost. In gladiator it gives up the Roman advantage completely and ends up fighting the kind of fight the Germans wanted.

[@iluvtacos1231]

Starting the list of movies about Romans in battle with an Indian Jones movie is a bold choice lol

[@KasumiRINA]

That's because it's most likely the only one people actually seen, outside of cultured people whose mom made them watch Cleopatra as a kid to see how gorgeous Liz Taylor looked... that's basically the extent of average (not online) person's knowledge of Romans: cameos in actually popular series and MAYBE that old Cleo movie. Other than that, everything average person knows about Rome is: PIZZA MACARONI MAMMA MIA FETTUCINI BUENO VISTA FRICCATINI DOLCE VITA MUAH!

[@ronti2492]

Dr Taylor: love your commentary and your subject matter! Roman military history-very cool. I read Latin up to early university and I am 120% positive you do too. Reading Roman militatry gravestones was fascinating, especially at Chester ( =Deva) where there is a large collection in thier museum. Ave ataque vale!

[@JoeyGumbo]

If your about to advance into battle, you wouldn’t want to set it on fire first. As a concept, That’s more of a life lesson.

[@IvanKala]

3:21 - One legionary carried two javelins, but both of them weren't heavy, only one was heavy. One heavy pilum and one light verutum. Before charge they would throw first light one flowed with heavy one, then they would charge.

[@HankCarver]

I do have a minor quibble with the Gladiator scene in the Coliseum. The people on chariots are supposed to be Carthaginian not Roman.

[@TesterAnimal1]

No. It was supposed to be Scipio Africanus defeating Hannibal at Zama. Maximus and his men were supposed to lose. They were cast as the Carthaginians.

[@HankCarver]

@@TesterAnimal1 You're right! I knew one side was Carthage but I thought it was them for some reason.

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

@@HankCarver Regardless, the chariots are still wrong. The Carthaginians didn't use them either. The Romans mostly faced chariots when they fought in the Hellenistic east (famously against Mithridates VI). They also faced them during Caesar's invasion of Britain.

[@KasumiRINA]

@@Unknown-jt1jo complaining about inaccuracy of a Roman equivalent of pro wrestling's take on then-already-historical events is a choice tho... would they tell 'em Yokozuna wasn't a real sumo and never even became a rikishi, and not just because they're cousins? Gladiators were showmen, movies downplayed that removing sponsorships and other commercialization of the bloodsports.

[@erikmacleod9934]

One major flaw with the battle in 'Risen' is that the 'Romans' are shown equipped as legionnaires, with oblong shields, plate armour & red cloaks. In first century Judea however the 'Romans' were auxiliaries with oval shields, chain armour & white cloaks.

[@robertthebruce7176]

well, even uf that is true, its not really the point of the video. Besides, how many people have actually seen risen, I have and i think its a good film, but how many people know what it is or where it is set.

[@KasumiRINA]

They always put the cartoon Romans from Asterix in the films lol. With their turtle soup armor and formations, probably because they're funnier that way.

[@nickmcharnley]

Had him as a professor! He's great, super smart and engaging

[@bongbongGAMING7878]

Maximus: I'm a general in name only but I'm a sarge by heart. 🤣

[@patrickb1303]

Me sitting here naming off all the correct names right before the Professor does like I don’t work in sales. 😂

[@tuanoful]

That Rome scene where they cycle through the first line looked awesome the first time I saw it, and I totally thought it was true. I can't imagine how exhausting it must be to hack at people for a few minutes straight without a break, and fearing for your life.

[@PilgrimBangs]

I've read about it, and it makes sense too. In heavy combat how long before a given legionnaire would gas out? What other purpose would a maniple serve if the men behind the 2nd line did nothing but stand there?? Of course they rotated, and I also recall they did use whistles.

[@Salted_Fysh]

First of all, it's important to note that we do not know how the romans fought. We only have theories and guesses based on an interpretation of sources. Anyone who tells you otherwise either doesn't know what they are talking about or is lying to you. With that established, the issue with rotating like what you see here is that you create a source of disturbance in the cohesion of the unit and battle line, one that your enemies *will* exploit. In order to individually switch out, you need to withdraw your shield to a certain degree and that's a prime spot for a very pointy stick to penetrate through. It also destabilizes your posture and you tripping and falling while trying to move backwards will be a far bigger issue to everyone around you than you being exhausted. It's not that it's completely impossible to switch out, it's just that it is unlikely to be this kind of dance like affair. It's an unnecessary risk. When you're in a battle line, you want everything to be dead simple and easy to execute instead of people being distracted. What you can however do is to have your cohort split into multiple tiered lines that advance with a gap through which you can retreat and switch out as coordinated groups. That way an exhausted front line (or section) can be switched out for a fresh and more experienced second group in one go rather than trying to mix and match in a chaotic mess and you also retain the flexibility of responding to battlefield developments. It also allows for an increased forward pressure because you are essentially hitting the enemy line with wave after wave of renewed charges. That being said, not every battle will be the same. In fact most won't. What made the Roman armies stand out over the many centuries was the flexibility and willingness to adapt. If the battle called for it, the would form a solid line. If it called for something else, they could do that. That's what the major advantage of having centuries and cohorts allowed for.

[@Salted_Fysh]

PS:. Note how this is also what he says. What he is criticizing is not the switching out of units, it's the switching out of men inside a single century or cohort in some extremely complicated and coordinated movement. Either the whole unit retreats or none of them do.

[@stsk1061]

@@Salted_Fysh Formations weren't totally closed. It's likely that the standard Roman formation had about 1m between each man, leaving enough space to retreat or advance. Greeks equally had 1, 2 or 3 cubits.

[@PilgrimBangs]

@@Salted_Fysh So the ranks behind the first line in a maniple just stand there until the guy in front dies? How utterly useless would the maniple be then? Whats the purpose of a maniple in contact with the enemy if the majority of your manpower is idle? Makes absolutely no tactile sense. He has nothing to base that upon other than lack of specific writings. He’s a general military history academic so I’ll wait for an academic who is specific to Roman history.

[@thePIRjA]

I like that he is not too strict in scoring as other guys take out all the fun in bringing history to screen with their "I'm gonna subtract 80% for this minor inaccuracy" approach.

[@Lorangebeatrice]

I wonder how many times a month THIS GUY thinks about the Roman Empire.

[@TheInfidel_SlavaUA]

using a concave parabolic mirror to set a fire even over a considerable distance is physically not only possible but has been done numerous times. Its simply optics and only dependant on scale. Btw a sun thermal power plant does nothing much different. The focussed beam of heliostats reaches 550 C in the solar flux over a vast distance of over hundred meters or more. And these are planar mirrors that bundle their rays into a focal point. Concave reflectors are able to bundle their rays as well doing it up to 10 times more powerful than a planar reflector. It takes about 5 of them roughly the size of a coffee table for distance of 30 feet to ignite wood. A human sailor standing in that beam for more than a second will start to roast like a bbq on the spot.

[@VodKaVK]

The way he pronounced scythed hurt my soul

[@Nihoolious]

Pronouncing the C in words with a K sound is valid and is how you pronounce those words in Latin

[@VodKaVK]

@@Nihoolious idk where you got that from. Very much depends on the word mate. Plus, scythe doesn't come from Latin.

[@pityumityu14]

@@Nihoolious If he really wanted to use latin words instead of English then he probably shouldn't say "Mark Antony" and "Ocavian" instead of Marcus Aurelius and Octavianus either.

[@Kackpuh]

@@pityumityu14 *Marcus Antonius If you correct someone, do it right. Aurelius was an emperor that lived a few hundred years later.

[@pityumityu14]

@@Kackpuh Ah right, brainfart... Wanted to type Antonius, no idea what made do that.

[@erickondratieff4770]

Nice job, Michael! I would have scored these pretty similarly, but taken another full point off the forest battle in Gladiator because Maximus shouts "Roma Victa" (i.e, Roma the defeated) instead of "Roma Victrix" (Roma the Conqueror)... and maybe another for setting the forest on fire in an uncontrolled burn that would have caused MORE Roman casualties... but then added back a point for the Zulu-like war cry that Germans are supposed to have done (according to Tacitus in his Germania). Anyway, fun vid, well done!

[@marlonmoncrieffe0728]

☹️ Aw, no analysis for 'Centurion' (2010) by Neil Marshall and starring Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Ulrich Thomsen, and Olga Kurylenko?

[@gojospeed8056]

Had this prof last year! Very amazing lecturer and charismatic guy :D

[@pacoramon9468]

This guy thinks about the Roman Empire all the time.

[@bogdanstan5792]

So do I, 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Kawalajin]

I would have enjoyed an uncut version of this. I get why they had to cut at times, but damn, guy is obviously passionate, and a lot of us like Roman history. XD

[@Violent_Ultimatum]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@AnnieBugWilliams]

I find it fascinating that one of the things that Roman soldiers were taught in basic training was how to swim. It makes sense though and Julius Ceasar got out of a tight spot in Alexandria by swimming for it.

[@jimpepper7148]

Romans in Britain in the fifth century is ridiculous? The Roman magistrates didn’t leave Britain until 410 (the fifth century). Look up the Rescript of Honorius of 411AD when the Emperor Honorius (emperor of the Western Empire) told Romans In Britain to defend themselves as his forces were tied up in Gaul.

[@pilarthomasp]

9:50 Regarding several cohorts in seperate formations in the roman army instead of a singular compact one. From a historical perspective of why Romans have been rather hesitant of compacting their army into an single dense formation would probably stem from the battle of canae in the 2nd punic war where the Romans faced the most devastating defeat when their entire army was so compacted that when Hannibal's cavalry chased away the Roman cavalry he simply spread out his army on the front flank, left flank and the right flank finally cutting off escape when Hannibal's cavalry returned from behind and commenced the most impressive encirclement mannouver in history yet the most bloodiest onsided battle where Romans had the numbers and homesoil yet lost.

[@manricobianchini5276]

Cavalry, my friend, not calvary.😊 The Romans were awesome!

[@Freestylemayo]

In defense of the channing tatum scene (cant believe i wrote it either) they pushed in testudo in an attempt to rescue their fellow soldiers. That being said, im definitely not pulling 45 dudes from behing a wall to save 5, especially in a foreign campaign

[@hangmanjangojames8146]

Cant have omeletes with leaving a few captured eggs

[@Blair338RUM]

Excellent and extremely accurate commentary

[@davidviner5783]

Except for cavalry and calvary .

[@jasonfarrell00]

Came for the ditches…stayed FOR ROME ✊

[@suriil9875]

I really like this guy more, than the 'oxford expertou'' 'You dont really want to set it in fire before your forces moved in it'' - killed me...so once friendlies are in - feel free to barbecue them ? Joooooking.

[@taylorbolduc1763]

Nails on a chalkboard whenever this guy says calvary instead of cavalry

[@frankjames7272]

he is starting a new trend. like nook yo lar and nook li yar. nuclear 😎

[@Captain_Insano_nomercy]

A lot of Americans pronounce it this way, but I don't think he believes it is pronounced that way consciously, if you keep my meaning

[@ThisHandleWasTheOnly1Available]

I personally liked Braveheart a lot. What a great movie!

[@jeremyrussell5980]

I like how hes a college professor (and beyond that) and still says "calvary"

[@DrMichaelLauren]

I Know!🤣

[@Chamomileable]

We have evidence of Roman whistles made of bronze from the 1st-3rd centuries AD but I genuinely have no idea if they were used for military applications.

[@Jarlemoore1]

Probably in smaller formations or a special forces kind of unit.

[@OleksandrKhreptyk]

Yeah this is cool but I think it would be interesting to see him talk about daily life and politics and all that stuff that’s misrepresented in movies

[@KasumiRINA]

Booooooooooooring, Italians is either: gladiators or pizza & macaroni. Anything else won't get clicks.

[@rishabhtiwari5530]

Mandatory shoutout to Mike Duncan for his legendary history of rome podcast everytime Roman history is mentioned

[@jennydany]

About the Navy Piracy... There was at least one Pirate Navy Fleet, under the command of the powerful Queen Teuta of Illyria. In 229 BC, Teuta’s reign of terror forced the Romans to intervene on behalf of their own merchants as well as their Greek allies. After inheriting her husband, King Agron's confederation of Illyrian Kingdoms and city-states, she used the powerful Navy he’d assembled and offered letters of the marque to local privateers in order to terrorize Greek & Roman shipping across the Adriatic, raiding as far south as Sicily. Her captains outmaneuvered the navies of Rome, Syracuse, and Corinth. This fascinating history is part of The Illyrian Wars, and written by Polybius in his Histories Book 2, chapters 3-12. The Roman commerce badly suffered from piracy on the Adriatic, which was also facilitated by the natural conditions of Illyria: a winding coastline with numerous islands & convenient bays, which allowed local residents to raid the shores of the Balkan Peninsula & Italy, moving across the Adriatic & Ionian seas. On the basis of this, the local Tribes began to unite into a single state that flourished under King Agron 230 B.C. captured part of Epirus, Epidamn, the islands of Far & Corfu and sought further north.

[@HaquinusDeGothia]

I was about to raise this point too, but now I don't have to. Thanks 👍👍

[@jennydany]

@@HaquinusDeGothia You're welcome!

[@IkmelAAA]

Risen is an excellent underrated movie.

[@brianjtarr]

As much as I like this guy and this video, the word is “cavalry”, not “Calvary”. I expect scholars of ancient history to know enough about languages to make the distinction.

[@bobmetcalfe9640]

Funny, Risen is the only Roman film I've ever seen where pilae are actually thrown. I always thought it was maybe too hard to show on film - but there you go.

[@Jarlemoore1]

They throw them in the Spartacus serious many times, in the last battle when Spartacus is battling that general he get's impapled a few times by thrown spears.

[@CP-hn1zy]

It’s inaccurate to say that Roman generals almost never charged with the cavalry. Especially prevalent in the Early-Mid Republic was the Devotio. Devotio was a form of sacrifice where a Roman general would charge into the enemy lines with the intent of dying to earn the gods’ favor for the battle. A general successfully performing Devotio would paradoxically boost the morale of his troops and most times it happened in Roman history, the Romans went on to win the battle and the general’s family was honored for the sacrifice he made.

[@Salted_Fysh]

I wouldn't say it was necessarily 'prevalent'. There are recorded instances or inferences of it happening but it's unlikely to have been a common practice and with some exceptions could also have been a form of ritualistic suicide to die in honour. It's important to note that once you swore an oath like devotio, you were obliged to carry out it because it was sworn before the gods. If this was a common military tactic, the Republic would have very quickly run out of Generals. 😅

[@CP-hn1zy]

@@Salted_Fysh true, prevalent was the wrong word. I should say a notable exception.

[@ryant1506]

Risen is an underrated movie

[@BenGroebe]

This is the second of these videos where a historical military expert pronounces "cavalry" as "calvary." Is it just me or is that weird?

[@Salted_Fysh]

It's a common pronunciation discrepancy and not particularly significant. It mostly depends on individual speech patterns. The 'correct' form is cavalry because the 'val' refers to the horse but it really isn't that big of a deal. Human speech is messy and these sorts of things simply develop over time. It doesn't help that English is an incredibly inconsistent language when it comes to pronunciation conventions. You can compare it to how some people will say 'weapontry' instead of 'weaponry'. It's not that they don't know how to spell the words correctly, it's just that they pronounce them differently. And I included to examples for why this might be the case in the previous sentence so see if you can spot the reason why someone might develop this habit. ;)

[@thomaswillard6267]

That's just you, it is a common linguistic trait to slightly shift sounds. The most famous case of this is the vowel shift. Let me 'Ax' you a question, have you ever worn an 'Irish Wristwatch' or taken a ride in an 'Ambalance'? 'Prabably' you have. As a Canadian, we even have our own vowel shift, hence why I know what I'm talking 'aboot'. It's just accents, bro

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@Salted_Fysh"Cavalry" from "Cavaliere" ultimately from Latin "Caballus" meaning horse. It is unrelated to Latin 'Valus" meaning "Valiant" and to Norse "Vjel" meaning "Choice" (conjugated 'Val' eg 'Valhol' and 'Valkyrja')

[@Salted_Fysh]

@@thomaswillard6267 true

[@BenGroebe]

@@thomaswillard6267 I understand that language and pronunciation changes over time and place, but the unusual thing here is that Calvary already means something (the hill on which Jesus was crucified) and most people I've heard say the word "cavalry" pronounce it as it is spelled. That seems like a weird shift, especially when we're talking about someone who studied Roman history. If there's any context in which you would encounter both the words cavalry and Calvary, it seems like Roman history would be it.

[@CharredTuna]

My one and only gripe with this video is “Cavalry” being mistaken with “Calvary”. Otherwise, it’s very concise for each movie. Comprehensive enough while remaining brief

[@jasonmonday3556]

He kept saying "calvary." That's the spot where Jesus was crucified. The guys on horses are "cavalry." That's extremely distracting.

[@GodSmackRRC]

Great clip, an expert that actually knows his stuff. Rare these days.

[@maddranners4111]

Cavalry not Calvary

[@melaskan7286]

I'd absolutely love a video with him, Jonathan Ferguson and Roel Konijnendijk on basically anything

[@aglioeolio7730]

Nothing but respect for an academic who can't pronounce any of the terms used in his field

[@brittking3990]

🤣

[@jennydany]

Also, for his lack of knowledge about the Piracy back then... There was at least one Pirate Navy Fleet, under the command of the powerful Queen Teuta of Illyria. In 229 BC, Teuta’s reign of terror forced the Romans to intervene on behalf of their own merchants as well as their Greek allies. After inheriting her husband, King Agron's confederation of Illyrian kingdoms and city-states, she used the powerful navy he’d assembled and offered letters of the marque to local privateers in order to terrorize Greek & Roman shipping across the Adriatic, raiding as far south as Sicily. Her captains outmaneuvered the navies of Rome, Syracuse, and Corinth. A spectacular history, written in Polybius’s Histories Book 2, chapters 3-12. The Roman commerce badly suffered from piracy on the Adriatic, which was also facilitated by the natural conditions of Illyria: a winding coastline with numerous islands & convenient bays, which allowed local residents to raid the shores of the Balkan Peninsula & Italy, moving across the Adriatic & Ionian seas. On the basis of this, the local tribes began to unite into a single state that flourished under King Agron 230 B.C. captured part of Epirus, Epidamn, the islands of Far & Corfu and sought further north. King Agron died at the beginning of the First Illyrian War, 229 B.C.

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

@@jennydany ​ I'm afraid you're the one lacking in knowledge. "Ben-Hur" takes place during the Empire, 250 years after the events you mention. By that time, Rome had long since suppressed the major pirate enclaves of the Mediterranean, most famously under Pompey's expedition in 67 BC. The Dr. Taylor is exactly right in his comments.

[@Light-Machine-Gun]

Quinquiremes forever! I always thought how difficult could be to manage the quantity of rowers.

[@Redacted-one]

This guy is pretty good at rating things. Most experts will come on here and be like "there was overcast this day not a blue sky so 1/10"

[@Lion718]

😂so true

[@Unknown-jt1jo]

They're experts. They bring them in specifically to comment on historical authenticity, which is usually poor in Hollywood.

[@KasumiRINA]

@@Unknown-jt1jo there's a difference between pointing out inconsistencies and nitpicking, like one even had a good take on why 13th warrior had armor not proper for the period (but like obsolete older helmets): in visual media like movies, it helps to tell a story and let you tell characters apart. It's important to know when some break from history (especially in loosely historical-based FANTASY) are for the benefit of the product, instead of just because they didn't care.