The Mycenaeans c.1650-1100 BC

by Nicolas Grguric, Angus McBride (Illustrator)

Overview

Osprey's study of Mycenaean warriors, from 1650 to 1100 BC. The timeless appeal of Homer's epic poem of the ancient Trojan War, The Iliad, has meant an eduring interest in the Mycenaean age. Modern scholarship and new archaeological evidence now allows us to recontruct with reasonable confidence the appearance of this great warrior civilization, which dominated much of the eastern Mediterranean between the 16th and 12th centuries BC. We can also make deductions, from the few surviving pictorial sources, about the tactics of these armies. This absorbing text is illustrated with examples of the archaeological and pictorial evidence, and with striking colour reconstructions of light and heavy infantry and chariot warriors of the Mycenaean age.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781841768977
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/10/2005
Series:	Elite , #130
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	7.26(w) x 9.86(h) x 0.16(d)

About the Author

Nicolas Grguric is an Australian graduate archaeologist who wrote his Honours thesis on the Mycenaean army. At the time of writing he is writing a Doctorate thesis on civilian use of defensive architecture in frontier Australia. His other interests include wargaming, living history and collecting black powder firearms. He lives in South Australia.

Table of Contents

· Introduction – Emergence of Mycenae – Mycenaean dominance – The evidence: Homer, and the archaeological record · The Evolution of the Mycenaean Army · Identifiable Troop Categories – Heavy infantry: shields – spears – helmets – tactical implications – swords – changes from c.1300 BC – Skirmishers and light infantry: archers – light infantry swordsmen – tactical impliations – javelinmen – changes from c.1300 BC – Chariotry: the Aegean chariot – box chariots – dual chariots – quadrant chariots – rail chariots – armament and possible tactics – the chariot 'charge' – the Dendra armour – later chariotry – Cavalry · Military Organization – Battlefield organization – Command structure – Unit sizes

– Issues of equipment · The Bibliography · The Plates