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......Page 1 Table of Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 14 I. The Spearmen......Page 16 II. Arguing with Socrates......Page 30 III. The Strength of Lions......Page 68 IV. Prelude to Collision......Page 118 V. Danger and Glory......Page 159 VI. Daring and Destruction......Page 208 VII. A World at Spear’s Length......Page 246 Conclusion......Page 296 Table 1......Page 298 Table 2......Page 302 Table 3......Page 307 Table 4......Page 310 Bibliography......Page 316 Index......Page 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.