AGreatDivorce

ACOUP - Fortification, Part III: Castling

Moving from Rome to the middle ages, Bret looks at the transition from frontier defenses to point defenses. Specifically, castles (that is, fortified private residences). He tracks the social and cultural forces that led to the development of point defenses in the transition from Rome’s “big state” to the medieval “small states.” Then, he draws out the specific features of both motte and bailey style fortified settlements and the classic stone castle itself.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2021/12/10/collections-fortification-part-iii-castling/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3zwNuzu8_w&ab_channel=AGreatDivorce
Narrations on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0QwqosVQjvXWKovUxdSGpQ
 
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ACOUP - Fortification, Part II: Romans Playing Cards

With the early history of fortification established using Assyria as an example, Bret skips forward to Rome to discuss specifically the evolution of Rome’s famous marching forts. These defensive camps show the impact that different strategic needs have on the designs of standardized fortification systems, with Rome’s marching forts starting as a way to slow down surprise attacks on troops in the field before becoming a point defense system on a vast border.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2021/11/12/collections-fortification-part-ii-roman-playing-cards/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtn9XhC8xCw&ab_channel=AGreatDivorce
Narrations on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0QwqosVQjvXWKovUxdSGpQ
 
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ACOUP - Fortification, Part I: The Besieger’s Playbook

This time, I will be covering Bret’s series on fortifications, in which he looks at the military significance and influences on foritifications through history. To begin, Bret first outlines the problem faced by the attacking army, using the Neo-Assyrian Empire as his example. What are the strategic goals for the attacker that determine if a city needs to be attacked and what are the physical problems the attacker has to overcome to pull off a successful siege? 
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2021/10/29/collections-fortification-part-i-the-besiegers-playbook/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6Ne9LJ5PTc&ab_channel=AGreatDivorce
Narrations on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0QwqosVQjvXWKovUxdSGpQ
 
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ACOUP - Michael Taylor on John Keegan, Part II: The Mask of Command

Guest-poster Michael Taylor returned to the blog to offer a follow-up to his first John Keegan analysis. This time, he is taking a look at Keegan’s Mask of Command and the view of military generalship, its types and its influences, that it offers. I wanted to go ahead and get this up since it acts as a second part to Michael’s first post
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2023/05/19/michael-taylor-on-john-keegan-part-ii-the-mask-of-command/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Michael’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/drmichaeljtayl1
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbbTf7-RTA4
 
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ACOUP - A Trip Through Bertran de Born (Martial Values in the 12th Century Occitan Nobility)

To close out the (current) Trip Through series, this time Bret takes a look at the poetry of Bertran de Born. Bertran serves as something of a companion piece to his look at Dhuoda of Uzès and ‘Antarah ibn Shaddad. As a military aristocrat troubadour, Bertran’s poems extol the uncomplicated delight for and value of war, which Bret examines as not a mere social act but as an earnest, personal expression created by the circumstances of a military aristocracy like the one Bertran was a part of.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2020/04/16/collections-a-trip-through-bertran-de-born-martial-values-in-the-12th-century-occitan-nobility/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BccxyhPViQM
 
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ACOUP - A Trip Through ‘Antarah Ibn Shaddad (Victory Songs)

Stepping back in time a couple of centuries, Bret this time examines the poetry of Ethiopian-Arab warrior-poet ‘Antarah ibn Shaddad. In particular, Bret uses ‘Antarah’s victory songs to examine the martial values celebrated by ‘Antarah (and, consequently, his listeners). Values that serve as a useful contrast to our modern views of war by examining the values shaped by a different time, a different place, and different circumstances. 
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2020/04/10/collections-antarah-ibn-shaddad-victory-songs/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wma3iFQEoL0
 
And if you wish to support me, please like, share, and subscribe!
 
 

ACOUP - A Trip Through Dhuoda of Uzès (Carolingian Values)

In this post, Bret looks at the work of Dhuoda of Uzès, a mother and wife of Carolingian aristocracy. Specifically, his passage highlights the values which Dhuoda expressed in her handbook to her son as those most important to a Carolingian warrior-aristocrat, and he further looks at how exemplary these values were for the typical aristocrat of the time.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2020/03/27/a-trip-through-dhuoda-of-uzes-carolingian-values/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFMm8_u76g4
 
And if you wish to support me, please like, share, and subscribe!

ACOUP - A Trip Through Cicero (Natural Law)

Next, Bret takes a look at the idea of natural law in Cicero. He uses a passage from De legibus to outline Cicero’s reasoning on the existence of natural law and what it means for human laws and codes of conduct. Bret then examines the important significance this formulation has had on the liberal concept of human rights all the way up to our time.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2019/12/12/collections-a-trip-through-cicero-natural-law/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyhECWZPZcQ
 
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ACOUP - A Trip Through Thucydides (Fear, Honor and Interest)

This time, I’m tackling Bret’s “A Trip Through” series of posts, a format in which Bret takes a look at passages from various historical authors in order to highlight key or important ideas set forward in their writing. To begin, Bret pulls a passage from Thucydides’ history of the Peloponnesian War, specifically the arguments by Athenian envoys against Sparta’s decision to go to war, to examine Thucydides’ formulation of a theory of international relations. And how that formulation remains relevant today.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2019/12/05/collections-a-trip-through-thucydides-fear-honor-and-interest/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kvMQATTtRU
 
And if you wish to support me, please like, share, and subscribe!

ACOUP - Teaching Paradox, Crusader Kings III, Part IV: Emperors, Soldiers and Peasants

To close out his analysis of Crusader Kings III, Bret takes a look at several different systems of the game and their relationship to the reality of medieval polities. How well does the game’s systems handle polities that don’t fit the standard “medieval European” model, such as the Byzantines, or non-state polities like towns. How does the game reflect the place of non-elites within the ruler’s decision-making process. And ultimately, where does CKIII stand as a tool for reflecting on historical accuracies for the student and teacher.
 
Anyone wishing to engage with Bret, check out these links:
 
Original post for this recording - https://acoup.blog/2022/10/14/collections-teaching-paradox-crusader-kings-iii-part-iv-emperors-soldiers-and-peasants/
Dr. Devereaux’s blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry - https://acoup.blog
Dr. Devereaux’s Twitter - https://twitter.com/BretDevereaux
Dr. Devereaux’s Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/user?u=20122096
Episode on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA9Rl-5rJLQ
 
And if you wish to support me, please like, share, and subscribe!