Land Battles in 5th Century BC Greece: A History and Analysis of 173 EngagementsIn the 5th century B.C., Greece was a patchwork country of small, independent city-states whose tendency to fight each other was offset only by strong ties to common cultural elements such as language and a unique style of warfare. While surviving myths emphasize heroics and honor, the reality of ancient Greek warfare was that of regular men dealing with everyday problems. Relying heavily on primary sources such as Herodotus, Thucydides and Plutarch, this volume provides the first-ever tactical level survey of all 173 Greek land engagements which occurred during the 5th century B.C., a seminal period in the history of western warfare. Using carefully researched logical probabilities to extend surviving records, the author places each battle within its historical context and analyzes it with a view to documenting significant overall patterns of action. The result is not only a detailed study of each battle complete with maps and battlefield diagrams, but also an overview of general trends in 5th century Greek warfare. |
Contents
Preface | 1 |
Introduction | 5 |
Greek Hoplite Warfare 500401 BC | 7 |
Territorial Disputes the Ionian Revolt and the Rise of Sparta and Gela 500481 BC | 21 |
Marathon Himera and the Invasion of Greece | 59 |
The Pentacontaetia 478432 BC | 109 |
The Archidamian War 431422 BC | 150 |
The Peace of Nicias and the Sicilian Invasion 421413 BC | 199 |
Conclusion | 287 |
Combat Factors in Greek Pitched Battles 500401 BC | 289 |
Decisive Factors in Greek Pitched Battles 500401 BC | 293 |
Pitched Battle Record of Major Combatants 500401 BC | 298 |
Hoplite Losses and PointCause of Formation Failure for Greek Pitched Battles 500401 BC | 301 |
Bibliography | 307 |
313 | |
The DeceleanIonian War to the End of the 5th Century 413401 BC | 237 |
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Land Battles in 5th Century B.C. Greece: A History and Analysis of 173 ... Fred Eugene Ray No preview available - 2009 |