The Origins Of Western Warfare: Militarism And Morality In The Ancient World (History & Warfare)

What is the source of the uniquely Western way of war, the persistent militarism that has made Europe the site of bloodshed throughout history and secured the dominance of the West over the rest of the world? The answer, Doyne Dawson persuasively argues in this groundbreaking new book, is to be found in the very bedrock of Western civilization: ancient Greece and Rome. The Origins of Western Warfare begins with an overview of primitive warfare, showing how the main motivations of prehistoric combat-revenge and honor-set the tone for Greek thinking about questions of war and morality. These ideas, especially as later developed by the Romans, ensured the emergence of a distinctive Western tradition of warfare: dynamic, aggressive, and devastatingly successful when turned against non-Western cultures.Dawson identifies key factors that led Western culture down this particular path. First, the Greeks argued that war could be justified as an instrument of human and divine justice, securing the social and cosmic order. Second, war was seen as a rational instrument of foreign policy. This, probably the most original contribution of the Greeks to military thought, was articulated as early as the fifth century b.c. Finally, Greek military thought was dominated by the principle of 'civic militarism,' in which the ideal state is based upon self-governing citizens trained and armed for war.The Roman version of civic militarism became thoroughly imperial in spirit, and in general, the Romans successfully modified these Greek ideas to serve their expansionist policies. At the end of antiquity, these traditions were passed on to medieval Europe, forming the basis for the just war doctrines of the Church. Later, in early modern Europe, they were fully revived, systematized, and given a basis in natural law-to the benefit of absolute monarchs. For centuries this neoclassical synthesis served the needs of European elites, and echoes of it are still heard in contemporary justifications for war.Providing a careful reconsideration of what the classical sources tell us about Western thinking on fundamental questions of war and peace, The Origins of Western Warfare makes a lasting contribution to our understanding of one of the most persistent and troubling aspects of Western culture. What is the source of the uniquely Western way of war, the persistent militarism that has made Europe the site of bloodshed throughout history and secured the dominance of the West over the rest of the world? The answer, Doyne Dawson persuasively argues in this groundbreaking new book, is to be found in the very bedrock of Western civilization: ancient Greece and Rome. The Origins of Western Warfare begins with an overview of primitive warfare, showing how the main motivations of prehistoric combat--revenge and honor--set the tone for Greek thinking about questions of war and morality. These ideas, especially as later developed by the Romans, ensured the emergence of a distinctive Western tradition of warfare: dynamic, aggressive, and devastatingly successful when turned against non-Western cultures. Dawson identifies key factors that led Western culture down this particular path. First, the Greeks argued that war could be justified as an instrument of human and divine justice, securing the social and cosmic order. Second, war was seen as a rational instrument of foreign policy. This, probably the most original contribution of the Greeks to military thought, was articulated as early as the fifth century B.C. Finally, Greek military thought was dominated by the principle of "civic militarism," in which the ideal state is based upon self-governing citizens trained and armed for war. The Roman version of civic militarism became thoroughly imperial in spirit, and in general, the Romans successfully modified these Greek ideas to serve their expansionist policies. At the end of antiquity, these traditions were passed on to medieval Europe, forming the basis for the just war doctrines of the Church. Later, in early modern Europe, they were fully revived, systematized, and given a basis in natural law--to the benefit of absolute monarchs. For centuries this neoclassical synthesis served the needs of European elites, and echoes of it are still heard in contemporary justifications for war. Providing a careful reconsideration of what the classical sources tell us about Western thinking on fundamental questions of war and peace, The Origins of Western Warfare makes a lasting contribution to our understanding of one of the most persistent and troubling aspects of Western culture.--Publisher description 081333392X......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 PART ONE: IN THE BEGINNING......Page 22 1 Primitive Warfare......Page 24 2 Chiefdoms, States, and Empires......Page 46 PART TWO: GREEK WARFARE......Page 56 3 The Greek Way of War......Page 58 4 The Ethics of Greek Warfare......Page 76 5 The Greeks and Raison d'Etat......Page 90 6 Warfare and the Greek Constitution......Page 112 PART THREE: ROMAN WARFARE......Page 120 7 The Roman Way of War......Page 122 8 The Ethics of Roman Warfare......Page 134 9 The Romans and Raison d'Etat......Page 154 10 Warfare and the Roman Constitution......Page 170 PART FOUR: THE CLASSICAL LEGACY......Page 178 11 Warfare in Medieval Thought......Page 180 12 Warfare in Renaissance Thought......Page 190 13 Conclusion......Page 200 Bibliography......Page 204 About the Book and Author......Page 208 C......Page 210 H......Page 211 P......Page 212 T......Page 213 Z......Page 214 ISBN-13: 9780813333922 081333392X 1 Contents 8 Introduction 12 PART ONE: IN THE BEGINNING 22 1 Primitive Warfare 24 2 Chiefdoms, States, and Empires 46 PART TWO: GREEK WARFARE 56 3 The Greek Way of War 58 4 The Ethics of Greek Warfare 76 5 The Greeks and Raison d'Etat 90 6 Warfare and the Greek Constitution 112 PART THREE: ROMAN WARFARE 120 7 The Roman Way of War 122 8 The Ethics of Roman Warfare 134 9 The Romans and Raison d'Etat 154 10 Warfare and the Roman Constitution 170 PART FOUR: THE CLASSICAL LEGACY 178 11 Warfare in Medieval Thought 180 12 Warfare in Renaissance Thought 190 13 Conclusion 200 Bibliography 204 About the Book and Author 208 Index 210 A 210 B 210 C 210 D 211 E 211 F 211 G 211 H 211 I 212 J 212 K 212 L 212 M 212 N 212 O 212 P 212 Q 213 R 213 S 213 T 213 V 214 W 214 X 214 Z 214 This book provides an overview of primitive Western warfare, showing how the main motivations of prehistoric combat-revenge and honor-set the tone for Greek thinking about questions of war and morality. It offers a short account of classical theories of war and imperialism. In its basic meaning, " " (polemos, bellum, guerra, guerre, Krieg, and so on) is understood to be a specific institutionalized form of human conflict, whose outlines are so familiar that premodern writers on the subject rarely bothered to define it.