Across its eight-season run, Game of Thrones became part of modern culture, a must-see show that blends striking characters and twisting plots with big-money special effects and spectacular scenes. Based on author George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice books, one of the elements that has made both the show and its source material memorable is large battles, in which fantastic feats and imaginative locations feature strongly.

Much of Martin’s inspiration for his work came from his knowledge of medieval history, and, as you will find out below, numerous real life battles from the past could well have stemmed from the pen of the author himself.

1. Battle of Lake Peipus
2. Battle of Cajamarca
3. Battle of Hastings
4. Battle of Cannae
5. Great Siege of Malta
6. Battle of Thermopylae 
7. Siege of Orléans 

Battle of Lake Peipus

Winter is coming, but put aside thoughts of White Walkers, because here we have a medieval battle that was literally fought on ice. On April 5, 1242, two armies took to the frozen waters of the great Lake Peipus which lies on the modern-day border between Estonia and Russia.

On one side stood the combined forces of the city-state Republic of Novgorod and the Grand Principality of Vladimir. Opposing them were the Livonian Order of Catholic Teutonic knights and Bishopric of Dorpat. Following two hours of fierce fighting on the slippery surface, the exhausted knights finally retreated in panic before the onslaught of a fresh contingent of Novgorod cavalry.

Battle of Cajamarca

In November 1532, following months of diplomacy and espionage between Spain and the Inca empire of Peru, conflict finally erupted between a tiny force of Spaniards and an enormous army of natives. The Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro was in charge of 180 men camped in the Peruvian town of Cajamarca.

In an act of betrayal that rivals the red wedding, he hatched a plot to capture the Incan ruler Atahualpa by inviting him inside for talks. Atahualpa arrived with 80,000 warriors but brought only 7,000 unarmed men into the town. At a prearranged signal, the concealed Spanish soldiers let fire with their guns, throwing the Inca’s into a mass of confusion. Atahualpa was captured, and his remaining army, dismayed and terrified, scattered and fled. 

Battle of Hastings

An invasion of an ancient land, two mighty rulers, and deadly sibling rivalry.  The Battle of Hastings is certainly the best-known medieval battle in English history. It took place in October 1066, near the town of Hastings on the south coast and was fought between the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson and the invading forces of William, Duke of Normandy.

Harold had been camping out, ready to meet his foe, when news came that his own brother, Tostig, had teamed with Norwegian King Harald Hardrada, and landed hostile forces in the north. Harold marched his forces up to Stamford Bridge, winning a decisive encounter and killing both Hardrada and Tostig, but leaving his own forces tired and weakened. When the Normans arrived, Harold army was soon beaten, with Harold himself slain on the field of battle.

Battle of Cannae

In August 216 BC, near the village of Cannae in Italy, the Carthaginian general Hannibal achieved what has come to be regarded as one of the greatest tactical victories in the history of warfare, annihilating a larger Roman force and shocking an empire.

This contest took place during the second of three Punic Wars between the two great superpowers of the time. Hannibal had already achieved the impossible, leading his army, which including a contingent of African war elephants, across the Alps—a task previously considered impossible. At Cannae, his 50,000 warriors, drawn from a wide variety of locales, expertly used terrain and weather conditions to their advantage, enveloping an estimated 86,000 Roman legionaries, and putting between 55,000-70,000 of them to the sword.

Great Siege of Malta

A sweeping tale of brave knights withstanding a vastly superior force. For this conflict, we journey to the historic island of Malta, which is situated between Sicily and North Africa. In 1565 the Knights Hospitaller, an order of Catholic crusaders, numbering 500 and led by the 70-year-old Grand Master de Valette, had been based there for 25 years. Along with 6,000-foot soldiers, this comparatively small force faced some 40,000 invaders from the Ottoman Empire, whose fleet of nearly 200 ships blockaded the island.

The knights successfully held out for close to four months, enduring incredible privations, and enacting acts of astounding bravery that have since passed almost into legend.

Battle of Thermopylae 

This is Sparta! The Battle of Thermopylae has been popularized by the entertaining and visually spectacular 2006 movie, 300. Zack Snyder’s film is a fictionalized account, with many elements exaggerated, but the truth is just as amazing.

The battle was fought in 480 BC between the Persians led by Darius I and an alliance of Greek city-states led by Sparta under their King, Leonidas I. An estimated Greek army of 7,000, including around 300 Spartans, blocked the pass of Thermopylae between the mountain and the sea. Facing a Persian force of at least 120,000 men, the Greeks held their ground for seven days, with the Spartans leading a famous rearguard and fighting to the death.

Siege of Orléans 

Game of Thrones features strong female characters who can be seen at the forefront of the battle, and that’s exactly what we have here. The Siege of Orléans occurred between October 1428 and May 1429 and marked a turning point in the Hundred Years War between England and France. The ancient city was of central strategic importance to both sides. The English forces with their Burgundian allies laid siege for eight brutal months. Just when it looked like Orléans would fall, the arrival of Joan of Arc, a young woman said to possess prophetic powers, swayed the battle in Frances’ favor.

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