Agent-Based Simulation of Morale in Ancient Infantry Battles

The Agent-Based NetLogo Simulation of Morale in Ancient Infantry Battles is a significantly simplified, but surprisingly powerful model for investigating the assumptions about the psychology and emergent behaviour of ancient armies in brutal hand-to-hand combat on a massive scale that we can no longer properly relate to. The observations in the results section support many commonly told stories of ancient warfare. Breaking ranks is often the beginning of the end, training should focus equal parts on skills and mental toughness, and strategic formations give a competitive edge, while stretching too thin is detrimental.

Skilled mercenaries can be highly effective, but they can be overcome by a group of truly dedicated fighters whose morale exceeds their skills, provided they have some base ability and the mercenaries are not highly motivated. Furthermore, sufficiently intimidating the opponent force in the very beginning can win the battle already before any physical contact. The mental aspect of ancient warfare can thus be just as strong of a determinant of the outcomes of battles as any other.

See the code on GitHub.