The Society of Ancients is a long-established international amateur society for the promotion of the study of ancient and medieval military history and wargaming the period 3000 BC to 1500 AD. It is run by volunteers for the benefit of its worldwide membership.
The Society publishes a bi-monthly journal, Slingshot, containing a wide range of items related to Ancient and Medieval military history and wargaming contributed by Society members. It organises various events, including an annual games day and members' conference, and runs a wargames championship. The Society also publishes a number of games and booklets which are available from our web store.
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Membership is open to all, and lasts for 6 issues of Slingshot.
“When Hasdrubal, who was aroused by the shouts of the horsemen, sprang out of his tent and saw the uproar outside his earthwork and the excitement among his men, and in the distance the gleaming standards of the legions and the plain filled with the enemy, he forthwith sent out all his cavalry against the horsemen. As for himself, he marched out of the camp with the infantry column, and in drawing up his line made no change from the customary order…”
Livy, 28.14
The SOA 2024 Battle Day will recreate the Battle of Ilipa and will be held on Sunday 24th March. We have 12 games planned, using a total of 10 different rules sets, and five different figure scales. There are plenty of spots available for people to turn up on the day and join in; no booking is necessary.
Location. Hermitage Village Hall, Pinewood Crescent, Hermitage, Thatcham RG18 9WL. There is ample parking on site.
Refreshments. Tea and coffee will be provided, but there is no café or shop on site, so please come with your packed lunches in hand.
Cost. The cost of the Battle Day will be £10 per person for all attendees. Payment will be collected on the day (cash only) so please come prepared; there are no cash machines within walking distance!
The membership subscription has remained at the current level of £27.00 for 6 issues since 2016.
We have been fortunate in that printing costs remained unchanged for a long time and commercial postage costs were relatively stable. However, from 2021 printing costs have increased substantially and we are now in a position where membership subscription fees do not cover the cost of producing Slingshot.
The Committee has therefore decided that, regrettably, from 1st January 2024 that the subscription fee for 6 issues should increase from £27.00 to £36.00. We recognise that this is a substantial increase of 33%, but in the period since the last subscription increase the retail price index has increased by 38%.
We appreciated that any increase to the cost of membership could be burdensome to some members. Therefore, the Society is making a special offer to any existing members to extend their subscription for a further 6 issues at the existing subscription fee of £27. This offer will expire on 31st December 2023. To take advantage of it, either use the JOIN page on Society website or send the Treasurer a £27 cheque payable to “The Society of Ancients”.
Committee members volunteer their time without payment to promote the Society’s aims regarding ancient and medieval history and wargaming. The Society has published Slingshot continuously since Issue 1 was sent out in September 1966. One of the best ways of keeping the Society subscription fee down is to promote the Society or to volunteer. Further details may be found on the Forum.
If any member would like to see the Society accounts or get a more detailed understanding of the Society financial position, please contact the Treasurer.
Those of you who have avidly consumed your Slingshots, rather than savouring them to last the whole month, may have already seen that we are running a survey to gather feedback from you. To save you having to type in the URL again from Slingshot, here is a link to it so that you can fill it out directly.
Many traders offer discounts to SOA members. Please show your card or quote your membership number when ordering. If you are a Trader and would like to offer a discount to our members, please contact the Webmaster via the contact page.
| vendor | website | discount | conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Corps | www.1stcorps.co.uk | 10% | Now product and sell the former Curtey's and Kingmaker Miniatures ranges. |
| Acheson Creations | www.achesoncreations.com | 10% | |
| Baggage Train | www.the-baggagetrain.com | 10% | |
| Boydell & Brewer Ltd | www.boydell.co.uk | 25% | |
| Columbia Games | www.columbiagames.com | 20% | Direct purchases through website |
| Donnington Miniatures | www.donnington-mins.co.uk | 10% | Direct purchases through website only – registration required (via email to |
| Eureka Miniatures | www.feroniafigurepainting.co.uk | 10% | |
| Fireforge Games | www.fireforge-games.com | 15-20% |
20% on each plastic figures box set. 15% on each resin blister pack. Not in conjunction with any other special offer (except shipping special offers). Contact Fireforge via their website before placing the order, quoting your membership number. |
| Gorgon Studios | www.gorgon-studios.com | 10% | Direct sales from website only |
| Gripping Beast | www.grippingbeast.com | 10% | Except Battle Packs, and other items which are already discounted |
| Hinchliffe | www.hinchliffe.co.uk | 10% | Not in conjunction with other offers |
| Hinds Figures | www.hindsfiguresltd.com | 10% | Not in conjunction with other offers |
| Irregular Miniatures | www.irregularminiatures.co.uk | 5% | Only payments by cash and cheque |
| Karwansaray Publishers | www.karwansaraypublishers.com/shop/ | 10% | Publishers of Ancient Warfare, Medieval Warfare and Wargames Soldiers & Strategy. Orders through website only. Requires a code (available from membership secretary or on forums) |
| Lancashire Games | www.lancashiregames.com | 10% | |
| Mick Yarrow Miniatures | http://www.spanglefish.com/mickyarrowminiatures/ | 10% | |
| Musketeer | www.musketeer-miniatures.com | 10% | Except Battle Packs, and other items which are already discounted |
| Newline Designs | www.newlinedesigns.co.uk | 10% | Excluding packs that are already discounted e.g. unit packs, bargain packs and army packs |
| Outland | www.outlandgames.net | 10% | |
| Outpost Wargame Services | www.outpostwargameservices.co.uk | 10% | |
| Pendraken | www.pendraken.co.uk | 10% | Orders over £50 |
| The Assault Group | www.theassaultgroup.co.uk | 5% | |
| Tumbling Dice | www.tumblingdiceuk.com | 10% | |
| Veni Vidi Vici | www.3vwargames.co.uk | 10% | All website orders |
| Warlord Games | www.warlordgames.co.uk | 10% | Orders through website only. Requires a code (available from membership secretary or on forums). Warlord games now produce and sell the ranges that were formerly Immortal Miniatures. |
| Xyston Miniatures | www.xyston.com | 10% | Mail order only |
The Society of Ancients Forums are an exciting and vibrant place to discuss all aspects of ancient history and warfare. Access to view some of the forums is open to non-members, but in order to view all the forums and to post or reply to discussions on the forums, you much be a member of the Society of Ancients. You can easily join the Society of Ancients via this website.
Members gain access to all of the forums. In order to gain access to the forums, please email the webmaster with your name, email address and membership number, requesting an invitation to join the forum. You will then be sent an invitation that will allow you to select a username and join the forums. Your membership number will have been emailed to you when you joined, or will be on the envelope of your most recent issue of Slingshot.
The subset of forums that are available for viewing by non-members is subject to change without notice. The best way to ensure that you always have access is to join the Society of Ancients. Access to the forums will also be withdrawn if you allow your membership to lapse, so remember to renew your membership to keep your access.
You can access the forums using the button below:
Contact UsPick the "message topic" in the form, and messages will be forwarded automatically to the appropriate party, as follows:
For "who's who" - see the Committee page. |
Contact UsPlease fill in the following form. Direct contact details for individual members of the committee are available in the latest Slingshot.
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The Society of Ancients is a volunteer organisation, and relies on its members. It's very easy to join -– just click on the button below, or for more details, go to the join page, add a membership to your cart and check out using Paypal. You can alternatively download a postal membership form. Membership costs £36 for 6 issues of Slingshot (normally a year), plus access to the forum.
The Society of Ancients respects the privacy of its Members and only retains such personal data as is needed to meet its contractual obligations or for which it has a legitimate purpose.