AW396 - Revolutions in Warfare

What counts as a true revolution in warfare? In this episode, the panel tackles the idea of sudden and radical change on the ancient battlefield. Rather than slow evolution, they ask which developments transformed how wars were fought almost overnight. From the emergence of the phalanx and the impact of the trireme at sea, to the spread of cavalry, chariots, and new ways of organising troops, the discussion ranges across the ancient world. The panel also considers technological shifts, including the move from copper to bronze and later to iron, and whether these really changed warfare in a single moment or over longer periods. Is there such a thing as an ancient equivalent to modern drone warfare, or are even the most dramatic changes the result of adaptation and learning? As ever, the panel bring different perspectives to a lively debate about what really counts as a revolution in warfare. Join us on Patreon patreon.com/ancientwarfarepodcast

You can listen to AW396 - Revolutions in Warfare online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

AW396 - Revolutions in Warfare is an episode from Ancient Warfare Podcast by The History Network.

This episode is 45:23 long.

This episode was published on Feb 13, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Ancient Warfare Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.