Janissaries
Recruited from Christian populations of the Balkans and trained in the Muslim faith and culture of the Turks, the Janissaries formed a warrior caste, distinguished by military skill and unequivocal loyalty to the sultan.Huns
Though the Huns are popularly imagined as mere bloodthirsty wildmen, every detail of Hun battle was a finely ordered drill.
Knights of the Templar
Essentially Christian warrior-monks, the Knights' mission was to rid the Holy Land of Muslims. Usually of noble birth, the knights adhered to a strict moral code of poverty, chastity and obedience.
Vikings
The Vikings were remembered by their contemporaries as fierce, pagan raiders who threatened the Christian world.
HighlandersOn Midsummer Day, 1314, the exiled Scottish king led an army against an English force three times as large. Pikemen in dense formation routed the English, restoring Scotland to the kingdoms of Europe.
Irish: Warriors of the Emerald Isle
The ancient Irish were a highly sophisticated society divided into three dominant groups: druids, farmers and warriors. Warlike and dangerous, their coasts were protected from invading Celts and Vikings by huge stone forts.
Maurya: Warriors of the Elephant
The vastness of the Mauryan army of India was a sight to behold. Enlisting every source of manpower, the army was composed of 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry and 9,000 elephants.
