The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical GreeceThe Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics—that the power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens—but also the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, or combat between individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century B.C. devised a ferocious, brief, and destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold, original study, Victor Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government—an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute. Linking this new style of fighting to the rise of constitutional government, Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions about the history of war. A new preface addresses recent scholarship on Greek warfare. |
Other editions - View all
The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece Victor Davis Hanson Limited preview - 2009 |
The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece Victor Davis Hanson Limited preview - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
advance Aeschylus Agesilaos ancient Greek Ancient Greek Battle Archilochos Aristophanes arms and armor army Athenian Athens attack battlefield blows body armor Brasidas breastplate bronze casualties cavalry century B.c. charge chest city-states clash Classical Greece collapse collision combat commander Corinthian helmet corpses dead death defeat Delion Diod enemy entire Epameinondas equipment example face fear fifth century fighters fighting final force formation fought fourth century greaves Greek hoplite Greek literature Greek warfare Hanson hear Hell helmet Herodotus Homer hoplite battle hoplite's infantry battle infantrymen initial killing Koroneia lanx later Leuktra lite Mantineia Marathon mass military modern nearly once panoply Peloponnesian Peloponnesian War perhaps Persian phalanx Plut Plutarch poet Polyb Polybius prebattle protection push Pylos rear remarked Roman shield side soldiers Spartan spear thrust suggests sword tactics Theban Thermopylai Thuc Thucydides troops Tyrtaios vase paintings victory warrior weapons Western wounds Xenophon