Greek And Macedonian Land Battles Of The 4th Century B C

With its mixture of famous battles and storied commanders, warfare in 4th century B.C. Greece has long held a fascination for military enthusiasts and the general public alike. Histories, biographies, and popular culture have turned the exploits of noted generals like Xenophon and Iphicrates of Athens, Epaminondas of Thebes, and the father-son team of Philip II and Alexander the Great of Macedonia into the stuff of legend. Drawing from ancient accounts along with suitable analogs, this detailed work offers meticulous reconstructions of 187 of the 4th century's most significant land engagements, considering tactical patterns, evolving trends, and the lasting impact of the era's most influential military minds. By separating myth from reality, these recreations provide incredible insight into past ways of war that continue to influence the course of combat today.

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 Greek land engagements which occurred during the 5th century B.C., 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.

"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.

This informal history traces battle tactics and military strategy from the time of the city-states' phalanxes of spearmen to the far-reaching combined operations of specialized land and sea forces in the Hellenistic Age. The author first describes the attitude of the Greek city-state toward war, and shows the military conventions and strategies associated with it. He then recounts how the art of war gradually evolved into new forms through the contributions of such men as the great commander Epaminondas, Philip of Macedon, his son Alexander the Great, and others. He also discusses the independence of land and sea power, describes the first use of calvary, and tells of the ingenious Greek devices of siegecraft, including the "fifth column."

“Exciting and vivid . . . an excellent single-volume reference for classical battles” from the author of Greek & Roman Warfare (HistoryNet.com). This comprehensive reference book on the battles of the ancient world covers events from the eighth century BC down to 31BC, when Octavian defeated Antony and Cleopatra at the battle of Actium. The author presents, in an exciting and vivid style, complete with battle plans and maps, all of the land and sea battles of the Greek and Roman worlds, based on the accounts by historians of the time. “A chronology of ancient battles from earliest recorded Greek history to the end of the Roman Republic . . . This is a unique resource for which there are no comparable works. It will be useful to students, scholars, and enthusiasts of war gaming.” —Booklist “If you are interested in warfare of Greek and/or Roman times . . . this book should be your first port of call to decide on your next ancients project.” —Avon Napoleonic Fellowship “A magnificent compilation of ancient battles from the dawn of recorded history to 31 BC . . . remarkable . . . Ancient buffs need this book.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

The Hellenistic Period (323-31 BCE) saw the Grecian phalanx--long dominant in Mediterranean warfare--challenged by legionary formations from the rising city-state of Rome. The Roman way of war would come to eclipse phalanx-based combat by the 160s yet this was not evident at the time. Rome suffered numerous defeats against the phalanxes of Pyrrhus and Hannibal, its overseas campaign against the brilliant Spartan mercenary Xanthippus met disaster, and several Roman victories over Hellenistic foes were not decisive. The story of combat in this pivotal era is not well documented. This book for the first time provides detailed tactical analyses for all 130 significant land engagements of Hellenistic armies 300-167 BCE.

“[A] splendid and scholarly work . . . an essential guide for all serious students of military history and warfare in the age of Alexander.”—Professor Waldemar Heckel, University of Calgary The army that emerged from the reforms of Philip II of Macedon proved to be one of the most successful in the whole of the ancient period. Much has been written on aspects of Macedonian warfare, particularly the generalship of its most famous proponent, Alexander the Great, yet many studies retread the same paths and draw conclusion on the same narrow evidential base, while leaving important aspects and sources of information untouched. David Karunanithy concentrates on filling the gaps in existing studies, presenting and studying evidence frequently overlooked or ignored. The book is divided into four sections, each presenting a wealth of detail on various aspects: Preparation (including chapters on training techniques, various aspects of arms and armor production and supply and the provision and management of cavalry mounts); Support (eg noncombatant specialists, bridge building, field engineering, construction of field camps and little-known combat units in Asia); Dress and Battle Equipment (drawing on much neglected evidence and including such details as officers’ plumes, wreaths and finger rings); Alexander’s Veterans and Life on Campaign (the Silver Shields; baggage trains and personal kit, servants and families, camp life and recreation). “Karunanithy’s achievement is to draw together all the available evidence—artistic, numeristic, archaeological and literary—producing a thoroughly readable and coherent work . . . it should be a mandatory acquisition for anyone with an interest in the history of ancient Macedonia and its military.”—Ancient 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.