BMCR 2009.02.45, Philip Sabin, The Cambridge History of Greek

Philip Sabin, Michael Whitby, Hans  van Wees (ed.), The Cambridge
History of Greek and Roman Warfare. Volume 1, Greece, The Hellenistic
World and the Rise of Rome.  Cambridge/New York:  Cambridge University
Press, 2007.  Pp. xxx, 663.  ISBN 9780521782739.  $240.00.

Reviewed by Peter C. Nadig, DFG-Projekt Antike Kriegskosten
Universitaet Erfurt ([email protected])
Word count:  1798 words
-------------------------------
To read a print-formatted version of this review, see
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/2009/2009-02-45.html
To comment on this review, see
http://www.bmcreview.org/2009/02/20090245.html
-------------------------------

Table of Contents
(http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0808/2008271025-t.html)

The Cambridge history of Greek and Roman warfare covers Archaic and
Classical Greece, the Hellenistic period and also the Roman Republic
until around 100 BC (Volume Two deals with the Late Republic and
Imperial period till Late Antiquity) and contains fifteen chapters by
various contributors. Apart from the three introductory chapters in the
present volume all other parts of Greek and Roman Warfare are
structured the same way: international relations, military forces, war,
battle, warfare and the state, and war and society. The military forces
and battle chapters are sometimes divided into an A and B portion
dealing with the forces/battles on land and at sea respectively. The
book is very comprehensive and a welcome starting point in approaching
ancient military studies. The editors as well as the authors can be
congratulated on their efforts in producing this important reference
work.

This handbook aims to be a comprehensive overview of war in antiquity
encompassing new research and recent discoveries, and therefore offers
a refreshing contrast to earlier standard works by Delbrueck or
Kromayer and Veith, for example.[[1]] It is not intended to be a
narrative account of numerous wars and battles but rather "a thematic
analysis of the main aspects of warfare in the ancient world" (XV). Yet
it is teeming with numerous fascinating details that can only be
touched upon in the following summary.

The first introductory chapter by Victor Davis Hanson discusses the
modern scholarship on ancient warfare, primarily from the 19th-century
to the present (pp. 3-21). "The Paradox of War" is the subtitle of
Simon Hornblower's interesting chapter on warfare in ancient literature
(pp. 22-53). He investigates the paradox that the ancient writers
profess a dislike of war while being fascinated by it and that the
prominence of war is in disproportion to its frequency and practical
significance. Hornblower examines the historical reality and the
trustworthiness of ancient historiography on war. The reconstruction of
ancient warfare is the theme of Michael Whitby's contribution (pp.
54-81).

Part I is on "Archaic and Classical Greece". Jonathan M. Hall's chapter
(pp. 85-107) provides an introduction to the agonistic age and covers
the mechanics of international relations, supracivic leagues and
amphictyonies, and hegemonic alliances. It closes with a summary of the
new world order after the Peloponnesian War. Peter Hunt (pp. 108-146)
outlines the various types of military forces the Greeks employed and
their hierarchy: hoplites and their armoury, cavalry -- which played a
minor role in southern Greece in this era -- peltasts, archers,
slingers, and the navy. In further sections he explains military units
and officers, training, and the manpower of Greek armies (citizens,
metics, slaves, mercenaries, and elite units). Chapter 6 (pp. 147-185)
by Peter Krentz takes a look at the organisational side of warfare from
the call to arms (or oars), supplies, timing of campaigns, the
departure of troops, their encampment, the defenders options, looting
and ravaging, combat, epiteichismos (i.e., constructing fortresses in
enemy territory), the fate of the defeated, and the return home.
Everett Wheeler gives a thorough analysis of land battles (chapter 7 A:
pp. 186-223), beginning with an introduction "defining the battlefield
of debate", in which he makes a critical assessment of past and present
scholarship on the emergence of the phalanx in the seventh century BC
and ancient perception of Greek infantry superiority against outsiders.
Wheeler continues by explaining the development of the phalanx, the
mechanics of hoplite combat and the emergence of generalship after the
Persian Wars. This is followed by an equally stimulating contribution
by Barry Strauss (chapter 7 B: pp. 223-247), who covers the history of
Greek warships, the hard training and the various naval operations in
which triremes could be employed, and on the development and experience
of siege warfare. Chapter 8 (pp. 248-272) by Vincent Gabrielsen
concerns warfare and the state in Archaic and Classical Greece. The
focus lies here on the producers of violence and the profits of war,
where he singles out centralisation, finance, imperial revenue, and war
in Athens in the century before the death of Alexander. In the
following chapter (pp. 273-299) Hans van Wees deals with the impact of
warfare on Greek society. He cites Sparta as an exception in terms of
extreme dedication--in the rest of Greece military standards were
rather low--, and he points out that the demands of war did not dictate
the daily routine of the people or shape their social and political
structures, but "it was the demand of social, political and economic
life which shaped warfare" (p. 273). In three sections he investigates
the leisure class, competitiveness and pleonexia (greed), and society
and politics.

Part II on the Hellenistic World and the Roman Republic starts with
Richard Billows's chapter on international relations (pp. 303-324),
where he examines the different relationship patterns of this period:
Hellenistic states between each other as well as with cities, and the
relations between cities. The two last sections concern early Rome and
its contact with the Hellenistic world. A very detailed summary on the
land forces by Nicholas Sekunda in chapter 11 A (pp. 325-356) follows.
Sekunda discusses the changes in military demography and military
tactics during the times of Philip and Alexander, particularly the
Macedonian phalanx and focuses on the same aspects under the successors
of Alexander, with additional coverage on units such as thureophoroi
(infantry more suited for smaller Greek armies), mercenaries, cavalry,
and exotic troop types. The latter includes cuirassed infantry, scythed
chariots, and elephants.

Part III is on the confrontation with Rome and the resulting changes in
Greek and Roman armies. One significant change occurred after Pydna,
when Hellenistic armies abandoned the phalanx and began equipping their
infantries in "Roman style", a process that increased in the following
century. The naval forces are treated by Philip de Souza (chapter 11 B,
pp. 357-367) in three sections: the development of the polyremes,
shipbuilding, and manpower in the Hellenistic kingdoms, Rome and
Carthage.

The chapter on war for this period is by Jonathan P. Roth (pp.
368-398), who pays attention to the changes in strategy, logistics
(food supplies), and campaign mechanics. The latter involved the new
aspect of professional and mercenary troops no longer being dispersed
after a campaign season, as was typical for citizen armies. The
concluding paragraph discusses the human costs of war on a larger scale
and how it affected military personnel and civilians. Battles (chapter
13, pp. 399-460) are shared by Philip Sabin (land battles) and Philip
de Souza (naval battles and sieges). Sabin provides a joint thematic
analysis in order to point out the differences and similarities in
Hellenistic and Roman armies of the Middle Republic. In addition, he
pays attention to the changes in battles which had become larger and
far more complex as in the preceding era. He takes two perspectives:
first "the grand tactical level" = the general's battle (deployment,
command, manoeuvre, outcomes) and second "the tactical level" = the
soldier's battle (exotic weapons, cavalry, infantry). A concluding part
is on the question of determinants of success. De Souza assesses the
tactics, the Roman employment of the entering bridge (corvus),
casualties (usually very high for rowers), catapults on board ships,
access control of ports by naval forces and surprise attacks, and
presents an extensive summary of sieges with all the aspects and
challenges involved. The chapter on "warfare and the state" by John
Serrati (pp. 461-497) is split in equal parts between the Hellenistic
world and Rome. The author presents a chronological overview with a
special focus on Hellenistic imperialism and the financial dimension in
Roman military activities. The book's last chapter by J.E. Lendon, (pp.
498-516), is on war and society. He contrasts "military excellence as
craft" in the Hellenistic world to "military excellence as virtue"
among the Romans and examines the consequences for each side.

This is followed by a chronological timeline from the Late Bronze Age
down to 101 BC, a glossary of Greek and Latin terms, a list of ancient
authors, a source and general index, and an extensive bibliography.

Volume One of Greek and Roman Warfare is an accomplished handbook
reflecting the current state of research on this subject. It leaves the
narrow focus of earlier reference works and studies, which have focused
largely on textual analysis, topographical studies and recent
experience or individual events. It also attempts a closer look at what
actually might have happened to soldiers and troop units in "the
generic 'face of battle'" (pp. 401-402), an approach prompted by
Keegan's important study.[[2]] The economic aspects of war as well as
military expenses are touched upon in some of the chapters. Not all
details are covered, e. g., the financial gifts Roman soldiers received
when partaking in the triumphal parade of their general is not
mentioned here. This tradition served as a precedent for later more
costly developments in the Late Republic. The bibliography contains
most of the relevant works and will guide students and scholars alike
to further reading. Several of the German titles cited contain spelling
and grammatical errors, however.[[3]] Greek and Roman Warfare includes
several maps (pp. xviii-xxx), illustrations and photos which highlight
some of the points made by the contributors. These quibbles
notwithstanding, this book is an extremely interesting and stimulating
read. It is very comprehensible and a welcome starting point in
approaching ancient military studies. The editors as well as the
authors can be congratulated on their efforts in producing this
important reference work. Most of the military facts assembled and
discussed here are embedded in the works of the ancient writers, while
other information is gleaned from archaeological data and occasionally
from subsequent modern experiment. Thus many finer points of ancient
military organisation or engagement (be it hoplite combat or naval
manoeuvres) might escape notice on a casual reading of Thucydides,
Xenophon or others. This main analysis -- common to all contributions
here -- is the major strength of this book.

Introduction: the historiography of ancient warfare:
1. The modern historiography of ancient warfare. Victor Davis Hanson
2. Warfare in ancient literature: the paradox of war. Simon Hornblower
3. Reconstructing ancient warfare. Michael Whitby
Part I. Archaic and Classical Greece:
4. International relations. Jonathan Hall
5. Military forces. Peter Hunt
6. War. Peter Krentz
7. Combat.
(1) Land combat. Everett Wheeler
(2) Naval combat and sieges. Barry Strauss
8. Warfare and the state. Vincent Gabrielsen
9. War and society. Hans van Wees
Part II. The Hellenistic World and the Roman Republic:
10. International relations. Richard Billows
11. Military forces. Nicholas V. Sekunda
12. War. Jonathan Roth
13. Combat.
(1) Land combat. Philip Sabin
(2) Naval combats and sieges. Philip de Souza
14. Warfare and the state. John Serrati
15. War and society. J. E. Lendon
Chronological table
Glossary
List of ancient authors.
------------------
Notes:


1.   J. Kromayer, G. Veith, Heerwesen und Kriegsfuehrung der Griechen
und Roemer (Handbuch der Altertumswissenschaft IV.3.2). Munich 1928; H.
Delbrueck, Geschichte der Kriegskunst im Rahmen der politischen
Geschichte, vol. I, 3rd edn., Berlin 1962.

2.   John Keegan, The Face of Battle, New York 1976.

3.   Sion-Jenkis is not Sion-Jenkins. This error even crept into the
notes.