Ambush: Surprise Attack in Ancient Greek Warfare

A historian of military intelligence presents a revelatory account of ancient Greek battle tactics, including the use of espionage and irregular warfare.

There are two images of warfare that dominate Greek history. The better known is that of Achilles, the Homeric hero skilled in face-to-face combat and outraged by deception on the battlefield. The alternative model, also taken from Homeric epic, is Odysseus, 'the man of twists and turns' who saw no shame in winning by stealth, surprise or ...