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Ancient and modern

Ukraine, the Roman army and why morale matters

23 April 2022

9:00 AM

23 April 2022

9:00 AM

Commentators talk much about the morale of the Ukrainian troops and the edge that this has given them over the Russians, even in a technology-dominated conflict. Ancient warfare was a matter of hand-to-hand fighting, where morale is absolutely crucial – ‘defeat in battle always starts with the eyes’, said Tacitus – and the imperial Roman army offers a masterclass in how to generate it.

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