Nobody seriously believes in Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mithra, Hera and some guides to the afterlife, nums. The last emperor, the young Romulus Augustulus, was sent into exile by the rebellious barbarian commander Odoacer. Little is known about the further fate of Romulus, except that perhaps this boy became a Christian monk. Although Odoacer ruled over the remnants of Western Rome by formal permission from the monarch of the Eastern Empire, AD 476 historians are officially considered the last milestone of Antiquity.
…In the youth of Rome, (5th-2nd century BC), slaves are quite rare. As a rule, they have the status of family members. The second-first centuries BC and the beginning of the new era are marked by a significant increase in the number of prisoners of war. Over time, the ratio of the number of free people to slaves in Italy reaches 2.5: 1, in the provinces 10: 1. The situation of the slaves deteriorates sharply. Nevertheless, they cherish not an illusory hope of raising their status, free literacy, the generic name of the master in addition, and unlimited promotion up the social ladder. At least two emperors of Rome were originally slaves.
The price of a slave in the first century BC is 4—400 denarii, depending on the degree of success of the last war. The daily salary of a legionnaire is 1 denarius, (4 sestertius or 16 aces), including bonuses. For this amount, you can buy 20 loaves of bread of your choice, 4 liters of regular or a liter of fine Falernian wine. If we count in terms of gold, the price of which remains unchanged as an opportunity to acquire basic material goods, a soldier earns 40 thousand rubles a month.
Gladiator games last until the reign of the last ruler of the Empire – Flavius Theodosius (370—395). The institution of slavery comes to naught with a general softening of morals, as well as at the behest of lawyers, who usually take the side of the oppressed. Serfdom is taking over the baton of this phenomenon. Emperor Diocletian (284—305) issues a law attaching peasants – both tenants and owners of land, as well as artisans to their place of residence, or to a profession inherited by inheritance.
Roman legion in battle formation
…The Roman legion (legionis – military collection) consists of 5—7 thousand, later 4.5 thousand infantry and auxiliary units. Heavy cavalry (equits) – 300 people. Archers – 200 people. The latter act from the flanks, firing arrows along the line of raised shields. Velites – «Swift» – irregular infantry, recruited from local allied tribes or young legionnaires. Armament – a round shield with a diameter of 90 cm, a helmet, several darts «gasta velitaris», 120 cm long and a short, 50 cm. Roman sword – «gladius». In a free formation, dodging projectiles by jumping, the velites throw spears at the enemy and retreat behind the ranks of the heavily armed infantry.
The first line of the legion lined up for battle is the ghastats (spearmen), warriors 20—25 years old, who really need combat experience. Armament – chain mail, or, in the era of the Empire – plate armor, rectangular shield scutum, gladius and two one and a half meter darts – pilum.
The second line is the principles («First»). These are warriors in their prime, 25—35 years old. They give the young men experience, let the hastats pass between the maniples and continue the fight.
On the third line are the triarii («Third») warriors 40—45 years old, veterans, the reserve of the legion. Among other things, they are armed with long shock spears.
The army is ruled by six tribunes (people’s representatives) and a representative of the clan aristocracy – a legate.
In the era of the Republic, the legion consists of 30 maniples («handful» or «hand»), two centuria («hundred») in each. The centuria has 60 to 120 fighters. The manipulators are united in ten cohorts («enclosure») of 360 legionnaires. One of the cohorts (First) is considered elite and has a doubled membership.
Roman legionaries. Historical reconstruction
In the days of the Empire, the maniple disappears as a tactical unit. There remains a cohort consisting of 6 centuries.
The legion deployed from the marching column follows to the place of battle with maniples or centuria, located in a checkerboard pattern. This makes it easier to move around rough terrain. Then the squares made up of fighters are rearranged into three solid lines. «Brothers» hurl pilums, sometimes putting the enemy to flight with this one volley, close shields and draw swords.
Ancient Latin America
Inca city, Machu Picchu, territory of modern Peru. Height 2.5 km. Architects fit stones of various shapes to each other, like puzzles. The Incas also erected pyramids, but these temples never reached the splendor of Mayan structures.
The Incas. State of Tahuantisuyu. The western coast of South America, starting from the northern territories of modern Chile and Colombia. Another smear in memory – one thousand two hundred years BC. – the first ruler of Manco Capaca. The last, who led the revolt against the Spaniards, the Great Indian – Tupac Omaru (1570—1572).
There is no monetary system. The benefits are distributed according to the order established by the leader.
Aztecs. The self-name of the people is Meshika, hence the well-known toponym «Mexico». These Indians are to the south of Mexico from the north, in the thirteenth century AD. e. The Aztecs rebuild the city of Tenochtitlan, the future Mexico City on an island in the middle of a lake, and in a short time become the rulers of local tribes. But in 1519 the Aztecs meet even more ambitious Spaniards. After just six years, the huge, by the standards of Europe in the Middle Ages, the Aztec empire ceases to exist. Presumably, by this time the Indians were already 95% mowed down by smallpox and chickenpox, introduced by Columbus in 1492, and spread to both continents. The world, equal in culture to Ancient Egypt during its heyday, moves into the realm of legends.
One of the Mayan pyramids in modern Mexico is the pyramid of Kukulkan. Initially, these structures are not intended for performing bloody rituals. However, the Aztecs who came to these lands use them for mass executions of prisoners of war.
For a warrior and a priest, it is considered permissible to write poetry. Let's listen to excerpts from the author's hymns of the Aztecs:
May our land be forever!
Yes, the mountains are indestructible!
So says Ayokuan Kuezpaltsin
Here in Tlaxcale, in Huesocinco
Let them feed everyone without exception
And ruddy maize and cocoa
May the Earth be forever!
(A. Kuezpaltsyn)
We got drunk in Michuacan
We were called to a feast, we went for the booty
We came and were completely drunk from the fight
…And they saw how our soldiers fled
How the gold quivered and the quetzal feather banners faded
If only the soldiers did not become prisoners
Hurry up – so that this does not happen to you
If the
