Spartan Upbringing
Posted by MRL on Dec 31st 2006
Well consider this- training started at the tender age of 5 providing you passed physical scrutiny upon birth as a prime specimen of a boy without defect. There were no fond farewells, boys were simply taken upon reaching this age to live in barracks as a pack or unit and encouraged from the start with competitive play against other packs.
By age 10 they had been taught to read and write and their physical exercise was increased. An import...
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Siege of Malta 1565
Posted by MRL on Dec 31st 2006
In 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan of Turkey and Emperor of the Ottoman Empire, launched a flotilla of 200 Turkish ships carrying 40,000 fighting men with the intention of further domination of the Mediterranean Sea. In May of that year they laid siege to the small, vitally strategic island of Malta. The Christians consisted knights, local peasant soldiers and a few thousand Maltese soldiers. Jean de Valette was in command of the defense,...
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Viking Ships
Posted by MRL on Dec 31st 2006
The Viking was a terror on land but maybe more known for the trouble caused from their now famous long ships (801300). Any coastal European town that could be reached in the high prowed, low draft ships was fair game. Even amongst themselves, wars were fought frequently from the decks of these large warships....