Armies of Ancient Greece Circa 500 to 338 BC: History, Organization & Equipment

by Gabriele Esposito

Overview

This book examines the equipment, organization and tactics of the famous hoplite heavy infantry that dominated warfare in this period with a magnificent array of 150 color photos that illustrate the arms and equipment in use.

Conflict was rife among the Greeks of the Classical period, including some of the most famous wars and battles of the whole ancient period, such as the defeat of the Persians at Marathon, the Spartans’ heroic last stand at Thermopylae, the gruelling Pelopponesian War and the epic March of the Ten Thousand. The Greek heavy infantry spearmen, or hoplites, are one of the most recognizable types of ancient warrior and their tightly-packed phalanx formation dominated the battlefield.

Covering the period from the Persian Wars to the Macedonian victory at the Battle of Chaeronea, Gabriele Esposito examines not only the hoplites but also the other troops that featured in Greek armies with growing importance as time went on, such as light infantry skirmishers and cavalry. He details their arms, armor and equipment, organization and tactics. His clear, informative text is beautifully illustrated with dozens of color photographs showing how the equipment was worn and used.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526751898
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	10/19/2020
Series:	Armies of the Past
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,116,879
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713, published by Pen & Sword in 2018.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction viii

Chapter 1 The Birth of the Polis and the Hoplite 1

Chapter 2 The Ascendancy of Sparta 14

Chapter 3 The Lelantine War and the Rise of Athens 36

Chapter 4 The Ionian Revolt and the Greco-Persian Wars 49

Chapter 5 The Peloponnesian War and the Corinthian War 93

Chapter 6 The Theban-Spartan War and the Rise of Macedonia 116

Chapter 7 Troop Types and Organization of the Greek Armies 138

Chapter 8 Panoply and Tactics of the Greek Armies 183

Bibliography 191

The Re-enactors who Contributed to this Book 192

Index 194