Land battles in 5th century B.C. Greece : a history and analysis of 173 engagements

In the 5th century BC, 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 Greek land engagements which occurred during the 5th century BC, a seminal period in the history of western warfare.These 173 battles range from the Ionian Revolt to the Persian Invasion to the Great Peloponnesian War which dominated much of 5th century Greece. 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 any 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. In 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. Land Battles in 5th Century B.C. Greece 1 Table of Contents 8 Preface 10 Introduction 14 I. The Spearmen 16 II. Arguing with Socrates 30 III. The Strength of Lions 68 IV. Prelude to Collision 118 V. Danger and Glory 159 VI. Daring and Destruction 208 VII. A World at Spear’s Length 246 Conclusion 296 Table 1 298 Table 2 302 Table 3 307 Table 4 310 Bibliography 316 Index 322 Relying Heavily On Primary Sources Such As Herodotus, Thucydides And Plutarch, This Volume Provides The First-ever Tactical Level Survey Of All Greek Land Engagements Which Occurred During The 5th Century Bc, A Seminal Period In The History Of Western Warfare--provided By Publisher. Fred Eugene Ray, Jr. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 307-311) And Index. Provides an overview of the general trends in 5th century Greek warfare. Relying on primary sources such as Herodotus, Thucydides and Plutarch, this volume provides the tactical level survey of various Greek land engagements which occurred during the 5th century BC, a seminal period in the history of western warfare.