The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece

The Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics-that the power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens-but also the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, or combat between individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century B.C. devised a ferocious, brief, and destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold, original study, Victor Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government-an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute. Linking this new style of fighting to the rise of constitutional government, Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions about the history of war. A new preface addresses recent scholarship on Greek warfare.

Author: Victor Davis Hanson
Publisher: University of California Press
Published: 04/01/2009
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 0.90d
ISBN13: 9780520260092
ISBN10: 0520260090
BISAC Categories:
- History | Military | General
- History | Ancient | Greece

About the Author
Victor Davis Hanson is Professor of Classics at California State University, Fresno, and author and coauthor of many books, including The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War.