Greeks and Romans at War

Course Description

This course will provide an overview of many ways Greeks, Romans, and neighbouring peoples waged war. There will be a special emphasis on war experiences of soldiers, civilian and military families. The topics covered include:

Warfare in Archaic and Classical Greece, 600-404 BCE.

• look at famed Greek hoplite and phalanx
• the use of DNA to learn more about who fought in ancient conflicts.

Fourth Century Greece to the Wars of the Diadochi, 404-275 BCE.

• Achaemenid Persian army
• what motivated Greek soldiers to fight
• rise of Macedon, Alexander the Great, and Thebes.

The Hellenistic Age and the Punic Wars 300-200 BCE.

• the rise of military science
• Roman naval combat
• Hannibal’s march across the Alps
• Roman infantry

From Warlords to Emperors, 200 BCE – 117 CE.

• Rome’s remarkable manpower potential
• Roman defeat at Kalkriese (Varus and his men
• victories over Boudicca in Britain

The Roman Empire, 117-284 CE

• Rome at war with Persia
• remarkable finds at Dura Europos
• conflict with the Palmyrene queen Zenobia.

The End of Antiquity and the Birth of the Medieval World, 284-641 CE.

• shift from a predominantly infantry army to a cavalry one
• impact of the Huns on Roman combat

Biography of Instructor

Conor Whately is Professor of Classics at the University of Winnipeg. He got his BA (honours) and MA from McMaster (Hamilton) and PhD from Warwick (UK).  He’s published widely on topics ranging from early Byzantine history writing to the Roman army in the Balkans and Jordan. He has also written books for a more general audience, including an introduction to the Roman Army published by Wiley, and a short sensory history of ancient combat published by Pen & Sword.

Dates and time                                                                               Location

Winter 2025 Term 2                                                                            Axworthy Health and RecPlex   

Tue Feb 25                               1:30 to 3:30 pm                                  Multipurpose Room

Tue March 4                            1:30 to 3:30 pm                                  Multipurpose Room

Tue March 11                          1:30 to 3:30 pm                                  Multipurpose Room

Tue March 18                          1:30 to 3:30 pm                                  Multipurpose Room

Tue March 25                          1:30 to 3:30 pm                                  Multipurpose Room

Tue April 1                               1:30 to 3:30 pm                                  Multipurpose Room

If you are experiencing difficulty with the online registration process, please call (204) 988-7650 to register by phone.

To learn more about the University of Winnipeg’s 55+ program, please click here.

To view a University of Winnipeg campus map, parking map or accessibility map, please click here.

If you have any questions about this course, or would like to be added to a waitlist, please email b.doran@uwinnipeg.ca.