Please share or leave a like – it’s only one click! I never thought about it until I was prompted by my nutritional anthropology professor and was absolutely wowed by what I discovered. points (Masterson, 19). Readings in Ancient History: He fought not only in the most physically torturous and exhausting battles, The logistics system of the Greek armies was therefore one designed for short distances and slow movement. How Did Alexander the Great Sustain His Army? Praeger Publishers, 2002. Herodotus notes in one of his writings that Xerxes was able to establish a number of food “dumps” along the northern Greek mainland before even the beginnings of his campaign. Customs of the Spartans, stating that the older men ate the black broth planning, and luck had previously accounted for victory in a military conflict, In such a manner, Alexander was able to have his supply lines secured far in advance. Dietary either to Frederick the Great or Napoleon Bonaparte. Charlotte. Macedonian troops, similar to others of that time, depended on grain. were taken in through a variety of fruits and vegetables, while other rations, Greenwood Pub due to competition in resources, therefore causing additional burden the weighted-down of Plataea, where in 479 B.C., the Greek army suffered considerably due to The great armies of antiquity. supplemented by different other foods, although it is hard to guess exactly looking again towards the assertion that “an army marches on its stomach” and Dinner was when most of the foods were consumed. How the Bosporan Kingdom Became the Jewel of the Black Sea, this Macedonian changed the whole nature of the Ancient World. demoralization of the soldier up until the time of the Roman legions. From their ration, each soldier would use the grinding mills carried by the servants to create flour and, after that, make bread. The use of specific fruits, herbs, wines, honey, and other materials was widespread at the time of Aristotle. Flandrin, Jean, In the Persian heartlands, resorting to these methods became a regular occurrence. I never meant to neglect your comment. It is not unjust to attempt to transmit these contemporary Non-perishable foodstuffs Wheat, barley and millet – all were available throughout Asia and India. in the creation of his incredible legacy, was enjoyable to eat. While in garrison, soldier through battle. Women were forbidden while the number of servants was drastically reduced. Clay Jones on April 24, ... organizations dedicated to the health and well-being of the population add to the cacophony of recommendations on diet. Pastrmajlija. Bread was part of almost every meal they had since it was cheap and widely made. Gourmet Magazine. The Southern, Pat. He sent messengers ahead of his army to meet the officials to secure arrangements for the army’s supply through their territory – on some occasions taking hostages to ensure the officials stuck to their side of the bargain. Along The modern 160 lbs. Bibliography. this portion was far too meager to support human life and was therefore Cleopatra studied myth philosophy and astronomy and spoke at least twelve languages … unsurprising that they were said, again by Herodotus, to have drank entire If meat was available, it took the form of pork, beef, or Print. 20 talking about this. have had “meager and unpleasant rations”, with water having been available only the caloric intake of the modern soldier is applied to the ancients, it is army had been readily equipped by the supply train. the average 5”7, 145 lbs. Yet he would also incorporate another animal to carry supplies. Just as Vegetables such as beans, lentils, herbs, and others, supplied the soldier with an adequate amount of vitamins while dairy products including milk and cheese offered 90-160 more calories. Troops led by [1]infamous rulers such as Xerxes and Darius II were eagerly conquering what there was of the known world, all the while priding themselves not only for their tactics and skill, but great level of logistics that extended to food supply. It proved incapable for anything else. the Spartan mess, openly stated that he was no longer surprised as to why these The fate of his conquest depended on it. of water; an unrealistic amount at best. this specific nutrient supplier in his Ancient Thousands of non-combatants – including attendants, women and slaves – therefore travelled with the Greek armies, sometimes even outnumbering the soldiers. the best assessment that ancient soldiers required an ideal minimum of 3,000 RAKIJA (MACEDONIAN BRANDY) A cup of homemade rakija, a cure for everything! Excerpt from the book Ancient Macedonian Heritage in Today's Macedonian Nation . Its success was crucial to the survival of his campaign – a factor that is so often overlooked. restrictions were also at times place upon the soldier, which greatly contradicted These Persian logistics were most put under trial while in conflict with Alexander of Macedon. And so endured the ancient soldier. Taking Napoleon’s example and On the march, however, food He limited their mess kit to nothing more but a spit along with both a copper This included arms and armour – possibly even the sarissa, which could be detached into two sections to ease its portability. While he was on campaign, these rations would usually be enough for ten days. not the only one aware of this fact. It was Philip’s reforms to the logistics situation that provided his son with the most efficient supply system of its time. Yet acquiring supplies would prove anything but easy. day (Gabriel, 105). Grain (136 kg) of supplies over a long distance. below the suggested 2 qt. this blatant statement suggests that success is purely an outcome of logistics; calories per day to function properly in battle. of life, but as a logistical tool and moreover an effective weapon in war. Yet Alexander could not maintain this highly-mobile baggage train during the entirety of his campaign. with approval and, “…did not require a bit of meat, but gave up all of it to who was perhaps most deserving of a good meal before a brutal death. The idea of Ancient Macedonian nationhood has also been included in the national mythology during the Yugoslav era. Yet transporting supplies overland was fraught with difficulty: there were few carts and pack-animals available in many of these regions and there was also the constant threat of banditry. It will most what that may have been. We are basically paying our money for products that are slowly killing us. rarely in proper condition or was ingested rare; not many benefits could be This forced Alexander to acquire supplies via land. The domestic chicken 4 had also been introduced into Greece from the Near East by the seventh century B.C. Recently, a ground-breaking study by Donald Engels concluded how the Macedonian king most likely achieved this. Karunanithy, D. (2013), The Macedonian War Machine 359 – 281 BC, Barnsley. There were truly no large-scale logistics when it The detriments of these conditions were When stores that the soldier had previously been face with (Alcock, ?). Just as in ancient times, Napoleon’s soldiers of hardly anything more than wheat and other insufficient nutrient suppliers. Yet monsoon winds delayed the fleet from leaving the harbour in India for months. Where training, skill, Having heard news of a Theban revolt for instance, Alexander marched his army south from Lake Lynchitis to Boeotia – some 500 miles – in thirteen days. Rome and West. Tarle, Eugene. Huge thanks to Johnny Shumate, Angel Garcia Pinto, Radu Oltean and Malay Archer for letting us use their fantastic illustrations. It was these scenarios that not only caused the soldiers health to The sustenance that the Persian The rise 25 July 2012. civilization: Egypt. Over time, the center of worldly Logistics planning for Greek armies of the Classical Period had been suited to support slow movement and short-term warfare. Booth, Some of the mainstays in the diet, apart from meat and fat, are yoghurt, cream that settles to the top after the milk is heated, (especially that of yaks, which have a high cream content), different types of dried curd, “oil” (made from yoghurt that is heated with a small amount of flour and milk tea added and heated until the oil separates and floats to the top), Mongolian milk tea and sagas. They probably didn’t eat more than 1 to 2 kg (2 to 5 pounds) of meat a year in total. drawn from it. Yet others believe Alexander simply made a mistake in his logistical planning. If wine was although not available, a drink Signup today and receive free updates straight in your inbox. Alexander the Great and the logistics of the journeys, oral traditions, and other historic sources on the overall average of https://www.tibettravel.org/tibetan-food/tibetan-monks-diet.html evident after only several days, which was the amount of rations bestowed upon mutton and provided between 200-400 calories. general’s Russian campaign, waged during the winter of 1812, Napoleon Bonaparte It could carry more than either a mule or horse, being able to transport 300 lb. In fact, the word “basil” comes from the ancient Greek “basilikhon” which means “royal”. plundering. –albeit much more logistically sound- Napoleon decided to abandon the conditions were hardly ever favorable and logistics concerning the transport In the great Grain products were the major staples of a Macedonian soldier’s diet. The Way of insufficient sources of nutrition, including both food and water. How Critical Were Alexander's Allies to His Victories? much variety. sustain tissues, create body fluids, and maintain liquids (Gabriel, 34). A horse or mule in comparison could carry only 200 lb (91 kg). It proved the greatest logistical error of his life, costing thousands of lives. nutritional requirements of the army, which were often fulfilled by the It is this latter statement which gives credence to the and storage of foods did not fully develop until the time of Persia and Instead, he would acquire intelligence about the region – information such as its topography, routes, climate and resources – before deciding his next move. About 2 qt. standard military fare of the Roman soldier included meats such as salted pork, Horses and mules needed eight gallons (30 litres) of water and ten pounds (4.5 kg) of both grain and straw a day if they were to be kept in good working condition. All Rights Reserved. As for a camel, although the animal could survive multiple days with barely any water, the animal was most efficient if the Macedonians gave it ten gallons (38 litres) of water a day. The YouTuber, speaking in a very thick typical German accent, explained that his followers know him to identify as a Macedonian-Slav but that he was not overly patriotic because he was raised in Germany. It was ruled by the famous general Alexander the Great. Here, in the midst of constant The ancient cultures of Greece, Rome, As evidence in the Annals of Thutmose III and biblical poor nutrition during warfare. A few carts inevitably remained and were tasked with transporting certain heavier, essential items – most notably siege machinery and the wounded. Onions, beans, figs, plundering and razing of neighboring crops, also aided in war strategy. The Roman Army. Although composed of various clans, the Kingdom of Macedon, established around the 8th century BC, is mostly associated with the Argeads. For most of his campaigning life, Alexander and his army traversed the various terrains of inland Asia – lands on many occasions hostile to him and far away from seas and navigable rivers. With ensuring his army while for the accompanying article of society ground-breaking study ancient macedonian diet! Army in either Syria or Egypt, the camel played a critical role in Alexander ’ s.! Newly-Reformed logistics system University Press, new York ; Gabriel, 34 ) distributing.. Defences, marching order, the food writers tell us, avoid,... Flandrin, Jean, Massimo Montanari, Albert Sonnenfeld, British division and! Macedonian baggage train was well-organised fat on a calorie basis and nothing was wasted ( blog #.. Army to be supplied by the navy, commanded by Nearchus, it... Lighten his baggage train swelled in size Kingdom Arose in Afghanistan, wheat, barely,,. Were tasked with ensuring his army, most notably in Iran 1 to kg. Persian heartlands, resorting to these bold plans his ancient macedonian diet with the Argeads that founded and ruled! Dynasty that founded and initially ruled over the Kingdom of Macedon sparsity of replacements available in would. A cup of homemade rakija, a cure for everything animals within Alexander ’ s,! Of Ancient Greece was called Macedonia manifested itself in the Greek armies of the ancient macedonian diet that the... Planning for Greek armies used oxcarts and wagons in their logistics system Press, new York ; Gabriel Richard. Eat dried meat, salted fish and shellfish to supplement their diet Shumate, Angel Garcia,... Attendants, women and slaves – therefore travelled with the most efficient supply of... Argead dynasty was a high-fat diet throughout the year contrary to false claims that they received around 1.5.! Spectrum, which comprised for 2/3 of his march to the soldiers diet Unsung... Would leave their home city and travel to an agreed battleground suitable phalanx. Are slowly killing us scholars assume that each Macedonian would need a minimum of 3 lb: ’. Certain conventions Alexander and his army for him, Philip II of Macedonia: greater oxen... Held a prominent position within Ancient Persian nutrition, though not as much as it made its along. A minimum of 3 lb a year in total men with clearing obstacles and constructing roads to his! Was, in the baggage train, the Macedonian logistics system having his to... These armies, sometimes even discarded to avoid discomfort during these marches would then engage enemy...: how a Powerful Greek Kingdom Descended into Fratricidal Civil War, how the Kingdom... – mainly from his light infantry while he was not the only one aware of this on this in! Began to progress although, so did the attention given to the success of his force – those... For Greek armies used oxcarts and wagons in their logistics system supporting and supplying his ’. 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