The Classical Art of Command : Eight Greek Generals Who Shaped the History of Warfare

The Classical Age of Greece produced some of history's best-known generals and commanders. They include the Spartan king Leonidas, who embodied his countrymen's heroic ethos in the battle of Thermopylae; the Athenian leader Themistocles, credited as the architect of Athens' naval power and of the Greek victory over the Persians; the famous democratic leader, Pericles, who prepared Athens and directed its conflict with Sparta, known as the Peloponnesian War; the Athenian general Demosthenes, who deviated from contemporary conventions of warfare with his innovative approach; the Spartan general Lysander, who won the Peloponnesian War for Sparta; Dionysius I of Syracuse, arguably the most innovative and best skilled of the eight generals discussed in this book; and Epaminondas and Pelopidas who together transformed their city, Thebes, into an hegemonic power. __The Classical Art of Command__ gives readers a unique opportunity to examine the variegated nature of Greek generalship through the individual careers of eight prominent commanders. It describes the attributes of these leaders' command, the many facets of their individual careers and stratagems, and the mark they left on Greek history and warfare. It draws attention to the important role that personality played in their leadership. Joseph Roisman investigates how these generals designed and executed military campaigns and strategy, and to what degree they were responsible for the results. The volume also looks at how the Greek art of command changed during the Classical Age, and how adaptable it was to different military challenges. Other questions involve the extent to which a general was a mere leader of the charge, a battle director, or a strategist, and what made both ancient and modern authorities regard these eight generals as outstanding shapers of military history. Filled with original analyses and accessible accounts of legendary battles, The Classical Art of Command will appeal to all readers with an interest in ancient warfare and generalship. Cover 1 The Classical Art of Command 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Maps and Illustrations 12 Preface 14 List of Abbreviations 16 Introduction: Greek Generals and Warfare in the Classical Age 20 Eight Greek Generals 20 Two Generals in Action 23 Greek Generals: Responsibilities and Personality 26 What Generals Did, Their Qualifications, and Their Offices 28 Land Warfare 33 The Armies of Sparta, Athens, Boeotia, Syracuse, Persia, and Carthage 37 Greek Battleships and Navies 41 1 Leonidas of Sparta: The Lion at the Gates 44 Leonidas’ Sparta and His Military Challenges 44 The Threat of War 47 Preliminaries to the Battle of Thermopylae 51 Leonidas in Thermopylae 55 The Aftermath 71 Conclusion 74 2 Themistocles of Athens: The Clever Counselor 76 Themistocles, His City, and His Military Challenges 76 Themistocles and the Athenian Navy 79 Themistocles and the Persian War Till the Battle of Artemisium 82 Themistocles in Artemisium 86 The Battle of Salamis 91 Themistocles after Salamis 110 Conclusion 118 3 Pericles of Athens: The Magisterial Commander 120 Pericles, Athenian Democracy, and His Military Challenges 120 Pericles’ Generalship Prior to the War Against Samos (463/​2–​441) 122 The Samian Revolt 130 Pericles’ Strategy of the Peloponnesian War 140 Pericles and the Peloponnesian War: The Limits of His Strategy 144 Conclusion 160 4 Demosthenes of Athens: The Master of Surprise 164 Demosthenes and His Military Challenges 164 Defeat and Victories in Western Greece 167 Astonishing Success in Pylos 171 Sneak Attack on Megara 182 Coming Out Empty-​Handed in Boeotia 187 Disaster in Sicily 192 Conclusion 203 5 Lysander of Sparta: The Lion and the Fox 206 Lysander and His Military Challenges 206 Lysander’s First Admiralship and the Battle of Notium 208 Victory at Aegospotami 216 Lysander and the Spartan Empire 225 The Fall of a Hero 234 Conclusion 244 6 Dionysius I of Syracuse: The Evolution of a General 246 Dionysius’ Syracuse and His Military Challenges 246 Dionysius’ Early Career Up to the Battle of Gela (405) 249 The Buildup of Syracuse’s Power 257 Preparations for the Second Carthaginian War (397–​392) 260 The Siege of Motya 265 Besieged in Syracuse 271 Campaigns in Southern Italy (ca. 396–​383) 278 The Third and Fourth Carthaginian Wars (383–​367) 286 Conclusion 290 7 Epaminondas and Pelopidas of Thebes: The Double-​Edged Returns of Daring 294 Epaminondas and Pelopidas, Their Military Challenges and Their City 294 Revolution in Thebes 296 The Sacred Band and the Battle of Tegyra (375) 300 The Battle of Leuctra (371) 305 Theban Supremacy and the First Invasion of the Peloponnese 317 The Second Invasion of the Peloponnese 324 Pelopidas’ Missteps in Thessaly 328 The Third Invasion of the Peloponnese and the Naval Bill 332 Pelopidas’ Last Battle 336 Epaminondas’ Last Battle 341 Conclusion 356 Conclusion 360 The Art of Command: Planning, Management, and Tactics 361 The Art of Command: Personality 364 Bibliography 368 A. The Main Ancient Sources 368 B. Modern Sources 372 Index 394 The Classical Age of Greece produced some of history's best-known generals and commanders. They include the Spartan king Leonidas, who embodied his countrymen's heroic ethos in the battle of Thermopylae; the Athenian leader Themistocles, credited as the architect of Athens' naval power and of the Greek victory over the Persians; the famous democratic leader, Pericles, who prepared Athens and directed its conflict with Sparta, known as the Peloponnesian War; the Athenian general Demosthenes, who deviated from contemporary conventions of warfare with his innovative approach; the Spartan general Lysander, who won the Peloponnesian War for Sparta; Dionysius I of Syracuse, arguably the most innovative and best skilled of the eight generals discussed in this book; and Epaminondas and Pelopidas who together transformed their city, Thebes, into an hegemonic power.The Classical Art of Command gives readers a unique opportunity to examine the variegated nature of Greek generalship through the individual careers of eight prominent commanders. It describes the attributes of these leaders' command, the many facets of their individual careers and stratagems, and the mark they left on Greek history and warfare. It draws attention to the important role that personality played in their leadership. Joseph Roisman investigates how these generals designed and executed military campaigns and strategy, and to what degree they were responsible for the results. The volume also looks at how the Greek art of command changed during the Classical Age, and how adaptable it was to different military challenges. Other questions involve the extent to which a general was a mere leader of the charge, a battle director, or a strategist, and what made both ancient and modern authorities regard these eight generals as outstanding shapers of military history. Filled with original analyses and accessible accounts of legendary battles, The Classical Art of Command will appeal to all readers with an interest in ancient warfare and generalship. This book examines the many facets of Greek leadership during the Classical Age through the unique perspective of eight generals regarded as outstanding shapers of Greek military history. The work also draws attention to the important role that the general's personality played in his command.