We were excited to welcome Natasha Bershadsky, Paul M. Bardunias, Christian Cameron, and Giannis Kadoglou for an Online Open House entitled "Experimental Archaeology of Ancient Greek Warfare." The event was live-streamed on Friday, July 17 at 11:00 a.m. EDT and was recorded. Read more
The Anabasis by the Athenian soldier, historian and philosopher Xenophon, describes the events of 401 BCE when ten thousand Greek mercenaries joined the army of Cyrus, the younger brother of the Persian King Artaxerxes, in Cyrus’ attempt to supplant his brother as king. This post provides a brief historical context to that work. Read more
Greek and Macedonian warfare continued to develop after Mantinea, exemplified by the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE where Theban general Epaminondas devised a new tactic using the deep phalanx to destroy the myth of Spartan superiority, and the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE where Alexander the Great employed all the tactical advances developed over the previous one hundred years to defeat Darius' Persian army which was twice the… Read more
Three great battles—Mantinea (418 BCE), Leuctra (371 BCE), and Gaugamela (331 BCE)—demonstrate the development of Greek and Macedonian warfare from the simple hoplite phalanx employed by Greek farmers defending their fields, into the powerful, tactically flexible army which allowed Alexander the Great to conquer the Persian Empire. Read more
