Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction-Fast Shipping

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Title: Ancient Warfare: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Harry Sidebottom

ISBN: 9780192804709

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2005

Binding: Paperback

Language: English

Edition: 1

Condition Note: Moderate edge wear. Binding good. May have marking in text. We sometimes source from libraries. We ship in recyclable American-made mailers. 100% money-back guarantee on all orders.

Publisher : Greek and Roman warfare was unlike that of any other culture before or since. The key difference is often held to be that the Greeks and Romans practiced a “Western Way of War,” in which the aim is an open, decisive battle–won by courage instilled, in part, by discipline. Here, Harry Sidebottom looks at how this Western Way of War was constructed and maintained by the Greeks and Romans and why this concept is so prevalent today. All aspects of ancient warfare are thoroughly examined–from philosophy and strategy to the technical skills needed to fight. Sidebottom examines war in the wider context, showing how wars were able to shape classical society, and how an individual’s identity was sometimes constructed by war, as in the case of the Christian soldier fighting in God’s name. He also explores the ways in which ancient society thought about conflict: Can a war be just? Why was siege warfare particularly bloody? What role did divine intervention play in the outcome of a battle? Taking fascinating examples from the iliad, Tacitus, and the Persian Wars, Sidebottom uses arresting anecdotes and striking visual images to show that any understanding of ancient war is an ongoing process of interpretation.