Greek Warfare beyond the Polis

A. Blome David

Description

Greek Warfare beyond the Polis assesses the nature and broader significance of warfare in the mountains of classical Greece. Based on detailed reconstructions of four unconventional military encounters, David A. Blome argues that the upland Greeks of the classical mainland developed defensive strategies to guard against external aggression. These strategies enabled wide-scale, sophisticated actions in response to invasions, but they did not require the direction of a central, federal government. Blome brings these strategies to the forefront by driving ancient Greek military history and ancient Greek scholarship "beyond the polis" into dialogue with each other. As he contends, beyond-the-polis scholarship has done much to expand and refine our understanding of the ancient Greek world, but it has overemphasized the importance of political institutions in emergent federal states and has yet to treat warfare involving upland Greeks systematically or in depth. In contrast, Greek Warfare beyond the Polis scrutinizes the sociopolitical roots of warfare from beyond the polis, which are often neglected in military histories of the Greek city-state.By focusing on the significance of warfare vis-a-vis the sociopolitical development of upland polities, Blome shows that although the more powerful states of the classical Greek world were dismissive or ignorant of the military capabilities of upland Greeks, the reverse was not the case. The Phocians, Aetolians, Acarnanians, and Arcadians in circa 490-362 BCE were well aware of the arrogant attitudes of their aggressive neighbors, and as highly efficient political entities, they exploited these attitudes to great effect.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Military history
• Ancient Greece
• Ancient history
• History of Europe

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 avril 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781501747625
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 11 Mo

Extrait

GREEK WARFARE BEYOND THE POLïS

GREEK WARFARE BEYONDTHEPOLïS

DE F E NSE , ST RAT EGY, AND T HE MAKI NG OF ANCI E NT F E DE RAL STAT ES

D av i d A . B lo m e

CORNELL UNïVERSïTY PRESS Ithaca and London

Copyrîght © 2020 by Corne Unîversîty

A rîghts reserved. Except or brîe quotatîons în a revîew, thîs book, or parts thereo, must not be reproduced în any orm wîthout permîssîon în wrîtîng rom the pubîsher. For înormatîon, address Corne Unîversîty Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, ïthaca, New York 14850. Vîsît our websîte at cornepress.corne.edu.

Fîrst pubîshed 2020 by Corne Unîversîty Press

Lîbrary o Congress Cataogîng-în-Pubîcatîon Data

Names: Bome, Davîd A., 1981– author. Tîte: Greek warare beyond the poîs : deense, strategy,  and the makîng o ancîent edera states / Davîd A.  Bome. Descrîptîon: Fîrst edîtîon. | ïthaca : Corne Unîversîty  Press, 2020. | ïncudes bîbîographîca reerences and  îndex. ïdentîIers: LCCN 2019019459 (prînt) | LCCN 2019980516  (ebook) | ïSBN 9781501747526 (coth) |  ïSBN 9781501747618 (epub) | ïSBN 9781501747625 (pd ) Subjects: LCSH: Greece—Hîstory, Mîîtary—To 146 B.C. |  Greece—Poîtîcs and government—To 146 B.C. |  Mîîtary art and scîence—Greece—Hîstory—To 1500. |  Poîtîcs and war—Greece—Hîstory—To 1500. | War  and socîety—Greece—Hîstory—To 1500. | Federa  government—Greece—Hîstory—To 1500. CassîIcatîon: LCC DF89 .B65 2020 (prînt) | LCC DF89  (ebook) | DDC 355.40938—dc23 LC record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov/2019019459 LC ebook record avaîabe at https://ccn.oc.gov/2019980516

For Athena, Gabrîe, and Tora

Co n t e n t s

Preace: Theïîadîn Iraq

 ïntroductîon  1. The Phocîan Chak Raîd o the Thessaîan Camp Cîrca 490  2. The Aetoîan Rout o the Athenîans în 426  3. The Deense o Acarnanîa în 389  4. The Deense o Arcadîa în 370  Concusîon

Notes107 Reerences135 Index153

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P r e f a c e : Th eI l i a dI r a qi n

At îts core, thîs book îs about ancîent batte. ï wrote ît as a combat veteran o modern warare who earned ancîent Greek and earned a PhD în ancîent Greek hîstory. The book combînes my academîc expertîse and mîîtary experîence, but în a pecuîar way. ïn 2004, ï chanced upon theIîad whîe servîng as a US Marîne în ïraq. Earîer în the year, a group o us saw Wogang Petersen’sTroy, and someone who reay enjoyed the Im decîded to read the book. He bought the Sîgnet Cassîcs edîtîon, brought ît wîth hîm to ïraq, but unortunatey dîd not make ît past book 1. TheIîadceary dîd not îve up to hîs expectatîons. ïn contrast, ï reay dîd not enjoy the Im and at the tîme had no înterest în theIîadîtse. But ï dîd know Homer’s pace în the Western canon, and the back cover to the Sîgnet Cassîcs edîtîon saîd that theIîadwas “The Word’s Greatest War Nove.” So wîth nothîng to ose, and nothîng better to do, ï started readîng. To be honest, ï was not overy împressed, nor were my eyes suddeny opened to the marves o cassîca îterature. Yet ï was struck by the amîîar- îty o certaîn themes în the text. For înstance, eary în book 1, ï coud reate to Achîes when Agamemnon strîpped hîm o hîs war prîze. Frustrated and u- rîous, Achîes saîd to hîs commander, în so many words, “ï run the rîsks, you get the rewards, and you stî want more rom me!” Then there was the work o “WîdIre” Rumor wreakîng havoc over the Achaean army în book 2. (Anyone who has spent a day în any sort o mîîtary organîzatîon knows the power o the rumor mî.) As a young man în ove, ï coud îdentîy wîth Hec- tor’s dîemma between amîy and Ightîng în book 6. ïn act, ï stî hear ver- sîons o thîs dîemma în conversatîons wîth rîends. ï aso knew the eeîng o hepessness at the oss o a dear rîend. And much îke Achîes at the oss o Patrocus, ï et the very rea desîre or revenge. ï remember thînkîng that Homer reay knew what he was takîng about, and ï made a note to earn more about hîm and the ancîent Greeks shoud ï ever have a chance. That chance came în 2005 when ï started my undergraduate studîes at the Unîversîty o Pennsyvanîa. ï took întroductory courses în ancîent hîstory

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