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Victor Davis Hanson
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Hoplites 1st Edition

by Victor Davis Hanson (Editor)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 25 ratings
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Incorporating research found in ancient literary, iconographic, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, this book explores the experiences of the soldiers who conducted battle on the small plains of ancient Greece.
The volume, which draws on the accumulated expertise of nine American and British scholars, emphasizes the actual techniques of fighting and practical concerns as the use of commands, music in warfare, the use of "dog-tags", and ritual on the battlefield.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0415098165
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0415098168
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publication date
    September 2, 1993
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    8.5 x 0.69 x 11 inches
  7. Print length
    304 pages
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . indispensable for any serious student of Greek warfare or Greek society. . . . readily accessible to a wide audience." -- Classical World

"...the first scholarly approach we have had to what actually happened in a major battle between Greek city-states in classical times." -- The Classical Review

About the Author

Victor Davis Hanson (Professor of Classics California State University, Fresno California State University, Fresno)

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Routledge; 1st edition (September 2, 1993)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0415098165
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0415098168
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1500L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.5 x 0.69 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 25 ratings

About the author

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Victor Davis Hanson

Victor Davis Hanson

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Victor Davis Hanson is a senior fellow in military history and classics at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno. He is the author of over two dozen books, including The Second World Wars, The Dying Citizen, and The End of Everything. He lives in Selma, California.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
25 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

The Historian
5.0 out of 5 stars Ancient Greek Hoplite Battle: The Real Deal
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2009
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If you loved John Keegan's Face of Battle with his realistic portrayal of the common soldier's experience in bloody battle from Agincourt to W.W.I, then then you will love the collection of superb articles by acknowledged experts in ancient Greek Hoplite warfare asembled by V.D. Hanson. Instead of dry and boring descriptions of military strategy and tactics written by ancient and modern historians who spotlight kings and generals, each expert in Hanson's volume describes almost every aspect of ancient archaic and classical Greek hoplite battle from contemporary technology, the action in the killing zone of battle with its horrific wounds and injuries suffered by warriors,to the ritual sacrifices before battle, and the aftermath...victory and defeat; most of all, the contributors wrote from the viewpoint of the hoplite within the phalanx or phalange and the battle leader's place within it. Furthermore,the evolution of the role of the "general" is traced from ancient to modern military history. This is a must read for martial artists of all styles and systems and for enthusiasts of ancient world history of all periods and places. I'm thrilled that I have my copy of Hanson's valuable book.
7 people found this helpful
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Dave
5.0 out of 5 stars a completely different take on ancient military history.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2018
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I purchased this along with Men of Bronze, it is an excellent examination of what it meant to live and die a Hoplite.
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Gene Alloway
4.0 out of 5 stars Skilled Soldiers, Rather than 'eathens
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2004
This works delves into Ancient Greek battle and experience of battle, rather than ancient Greek wafare as a whole. Instead of glorifying this kind of war, the authors point out several times the cold bloodedness, fear, and bloodiness of this kind of battle.
The main focus of the work (and I agree with the earlier reviewer that some of the essays are a tad big-winded) is to point out the actions, intensity, purpose, and cultural aspects of hoplite battle, not strategy. All authors use extensive references to actual historical events. I think the books succeeds, and I disagree with the same reviewer I mentioned above that tactics did not matter. The Thebans in particular are noted for the tactics of Epimeinondas, and the Athenians and Syracusans are mentioned as well. Tactics at later stages of hoplite battle are more difficult, but an essay points out that early and middle stage fighting had ample room for both small unit and larger unit tactics.
And I also take issue with another review that quotes Kipling in an effort to relegate hoplites to simple farmers who fight on occasion. The Greek hoplite were excellent soldiers (even if they also farmed), and even professional, as evidenced by their extensive history of mercenary service. They took care of their weapons, followed orders, and in many cases, were bloody hard to punch out of a postion, such as Thermopylae. Again, the book mentions their professionalism at several points, including the patient endurance of Spartans under Persina arrows at Platea 479 B. C.
I do not think the 19th century heathen warriros in the poem could have pulled off the above, or the Anabasis, or conquered everything from Macedonia to India, with the exception of a Zulu army, which, I might add, defeated a rather modern British force at Islandlwana.
If you have a basic understanding of ancient Greek battle, I suggest this book as a next step. It will greatly deepen both understanding and appreciation of the topic.
18 people found this helpful
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Bruce G.
5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT WRITING
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2019
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enjoyed BOOK
One person found this helpful
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anthens
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2018
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Nice read
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Robert C. Kelly
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2015
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Great read.
One person found this helpful
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Leslie Hulkower
3.0 out of 5 stars a lot of words, but to much left unknown ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2016
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a lot of words ,but to much left unknown ,no answers to everyhing
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Mike J. Arledge Jr.
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening study of the free agrarian hoplite soldier
Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2005
I think Hanson has more than made the point in his other works that it was the Greek free land owning farmer and not the city dweller who dominated the rise of greek warfare and culture which culminated in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE. Before the Persian invasion but after the "Heroic Age" a unique form of warfare evolved in Greece. The central figure of which was the free farmer of the Greek countryside who donned nearly 80 pounds of armour in the hot summer, lined up with his fellows and charged a muderous row of brass tipped spears to settle border disputes in a single climactic clash.
This book explores not the tactics, the generals, nor the historical perspective of hoplite warfare, but instead focuses on the actual experience of battle. What was it like to wear the brass armour and carry a shield, what was the importance of sacrifice before giving battle? Why would someone willingly enter such a zone of death?
Many reviewers I feel fail to notice that this book does not claim to glorify hoplite battle as an artful waging of war, nor does it attempt to be a complete study of the political dynamics that affected Greek warfare, when clearly Hanson's goal as editor is more to turn our attention to the experience itself in the eyes of the people who stood in the 8 deep ranks of men. Most of the articles focus on our evidence of vases and early histories. From the book we are given an image of battle that will shape how western armies wage war and form the importance of decisive battle. It is to the common Greek hoplite farmer that we owe this legacy, and we owe it to them to understand what this form of battle was like.
17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mr. Christopher Harris
5.0 out of 5 stars Greek warfare for over two centuries was a wonderful, absurd conspiracy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 15, 2016
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If you are interested in Hoplite warfare this is a must have book. It describes in detail the mechanics of such warfare and is an advocate of the othismos (shoving) theory of hoplite warfare. He argues that of necessity wars were short, usually one day affairs with just one battle, and widespread destruction was avoided. You argue with your neighbour, have a fight, someone wins and then you go home with the minimum loss to each side commensurate with someone winning. Hanson says: 'In short, Greek warfare for over two centuries was a wonderful, absurd conspiracy.' He seems clear that the battles were spear thrusts on contact but then mainly shoving because proximity made anything else very difficult.
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