Humanity has been at war throughout its history, with the oldest known military conflict occurring 14,340 years ago. Its evidence is the excavated ‘Cemetery 117’ in Egypt, containing the remains of 59 people.
Most of them were killed with spears. The oldest spear found is about 200,000 years old. Imagine how many battles and glorious heroes we’ll never know about.
However, history has preserved many such names, some of which will remain in our memory forever.
9 greatest warriors who will remain in history forever
1. Alaric the Westgoth
The barbarian leader or king of the Visigoths was engaged in the sacking of Italy and Greece from 382 to 410. He played no small part in the division of the Roman Empire and, as a consequence, in its rapid decline.
He had recently been an honorable citizen and ‘master of the army’ of Rome, but the Visigoths loyal to him were unwilling to assume the roles of peaceful plowmen and shepherds.
The existing treaty was fragile; only a small excuse was needed, and it soon presented itself. The Emperor cut the supply to the mercenary army and provoked them into action.
In fact, Alaric became the first Christian monarch, laying the foundation for the development of medieval Europe.
2. Achilles
One of the main heroes or villains of the Trojan War, it’s a matter of which side you look at. Regardless of his position and views, however, Achilles remains the greatest warrior in history.
His name has traveled for more than three thousand years, still generating vivid images in literature, film, and games. His popularity and heroisation rest not only on his fighting prowess; his unruly disposition is equally important.
Achilles serves no one, fighting only out of personal interest. He does not care much about political games or the fate of individual kingdoms and peoples. No mortal can defeat Achilles, and therefore, Apollo himself aimed the arrow fired by Paris at his only vulnerable spot.
3. Alexander the Great
Alexander is widely regarded as one of the greatest warriors and generals in history. His conquests expanded the small kingdom of Macedon into a giant empire that stretched from Greece to India. At the time, it was a large part of the known world. Alexander himself held many titles, and one can only guess how much this influenced his decisions.
Imagine that at the age of 25, you own a world empire that you created yourself. In one part of it, you are called the King of Asia, and in another part, you are called a god – Pharaoh.
The Macedonian Empire did not fully have time to form and strengthen itself through state institutions. Therefore, his empire was torn to pieces immediately after Alexander’s death. His main achievement can be considered the penetration of Greek culture far beyond Greece.
4. Gaius Julius Caesar
On 10 January 49 BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon, the river separating the Umbria region from the Gaul province. ‘To cross the Rubicon’ means to take a courageous and irrevocable action that would have serious consequences.
In this case, the consequence was a four-year civil war between troops loyal to Caesar and Pompey in 44 B.C. Caesar became dictator for life, which seemed unthinkable for the Roman Republic.
That same year, his dictatorship ended with the words, ‘And you, Brutus?’ A conspiracy within his inner circle was maturing against the dictator for life.
Nevertheless, this did not save the republic, and an empire was proclaimed as early as 27 B.C.
5. Hannibal Barca
The name of Hannibal Barca was used to scare Roman children, and the Roman general Cato ended every public speech with the words, ‘Besides, I believe that Carthage must be destroyed.’
The fact is that we now know Rome as a militarily and culturally dominant empire, but in the 3rd century B.C., such a great future was not at all obvious.
On the opposite side of the Mediterranean Sea, the older and, at that time, larger Carthaginian state flourished. Hannibal had developed the tactic of outflanking, which allowed him to defeat the Roman legions.
Military historian Theodore Dodge considered Barca the father of strategy. Hannibal’s most remarkable campaign is considered to be the crossing of the Pyrenees through the Alps with a force of 46,000 soldiers and 37 war elephants. This had previously been considered impossible and Rome believed it was perfectly safe.
6. Pyrrhus
Pyrrhus of Epirus was Alexander the Great’s third cousin. According to Hannibal Barca, he is the greatest general in history, with Hannibal himself in second place and Scipio Africanus in third. Pyrrhus is the only commander who regularly routed Roman armies.
Unlike the others, his victories cannot be written off as luck. On the other hand, these victories eventually led to defeat. We now know the winged phrase – ‘Pyrrhic victory’, which means a victory achieved at a cost that is too high.
According to Greek sources, in 279 BC, Pyrrhus won the Battle of Auscula. The Roman forces were defeated, but in response to congratulations, the king remarked, ‘If we gain another such victory over the Romans, I will not have a single soldier left.’
7. Richard the Lionheart King
Richard I, the Lionheart of England, is considered the greatest crusader in medieval Europe’s history. The king had a lesser-known nickname, Richard Da-i-neth, which emphasised his brevity.
After spending three years on the Crusade and then two more in captivity, Richard was close to losing his throne. In some early ballads about Robin Hood, the thief is credited with loyalty to Richard, and his confrontation with the Sheriff of Nottingham is attributed, among other things, to the latter’s encroachment on the throne.
8. Spartacus
Gladiator, slave, thief, murderer, hero and villain, noble defender and treacherous traitor. Your attitude towards Spartacus depends on who you are. If you own slaves, then the name of Spartacus should inspire fear and hatred; if they own you, then Spartacus becomes an example and encourages action.
Not much is known about his early biography; at one point, Spartacus is enslaved, but his outstanding fighting skills make him a gladiator. In 73 B.C., he escaped from a gladiatorial school in Capua, where he took 70 supporters with him.
A year later, he is followed by an army of tens of thousands of runaway slaves. The rebellion lasted three years, and Rome had to bring in a third of its regular army to suppress it.
9. Yue Fei
For China, Yue Fei’s name is synonymous with loyalty and patriotism. ‘Give back my rivers and mountains!’ – This was the demand made by the young warlord to the invading troops of the Jurchens, who wanted to take over the whole of China, establishing the rule of their Jin dynasty.
In 25 years, Yue Fei went from ordinary soldier to commander-in-chief. During this time, he participated in 126 battles and was never defeated. In 1141, Yue Fei ignored the Emperor’s orders and did not send his troops into battle because they were unprepared and tired from a lengthy military campaign.
For this, he was tried on charges of preparing a rebellion. The verdict was guilty, but the commander was granted the right to commit suicide. Yue Fei’s good name was restored after his final victory over the Jurchens in 1163.
