You are probably familiar with the term decimation. The word is usually used in English to mean to cause great destruction or harm.

However, to ancient Rome, the word had a very different and specific meaning.

It was one of the most devastating and brutal forms of punishment

that the military could inflict.

Learn more about decimation,

the ultimate collective punishment

on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Audible.

Today's audio book recommendation is

Caesar's Legion's The Epic, Caesar's Caesar's elite 10th Legion and the armies of Rome

by Stephen Dando Collins.

Stephen Dando Collins paints a vivid and definitive portrait of daily life in the 10th Legion as he follows

Caesar and his men along the blood-soaked fringes of the empire.

This unprecedented regimental history reveals countless previously unknown details about Roman military practices,

Caesar's conduct as commander, and his relationships with officers and

Legionnaires and the daily routine of discipline in the Legion. You can get a free one month trial to

audible and two free audio books by going to audible trial.com slash everything

everywhere or by clicking on the link in the show notes.

Warfare in the ancient world required one thing more than anything else,

discipline.

Soldiers would fight shoulder to shoulder and fight as one giant unit.

Whether it was Greek or Roman or Persian, they had to march, fight, and maneuver as a group, or else they would get killed.

One of the worst things that could happen would be for soldiers to break ranks.

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