The Classical Age of Greece produced some of history's best-known generals and commanders. They include the Spartan king Leonidas, who embodied his countrymen's heroic ethos in the battle of Thermopylae; the Athenian leader Themistocles, credited as the architect of Athens' naval power and of the Greek victory over the Persians; the famous democratic leader, Pericles, who prepared Athens and directed its conflict with Sparta, known as the Peloponnesian War; the Athenian general Demosthenes, who deviated from contemporary conventions of warfare with his innovative approach; the Spartan general Lysander, who won the Peloponnesian War for Sparta; Dionysius I of Syracuse, arguably the most innovative and best skilled of the eight generals discussed in this book; and Epaminondas and Pelopidas who together transformed their city, Thebes, into an hegemonic power.
The Classical Art of Command gives readers a unique opportunity to examine the variegated nature of Greek generalship through the individual careers of eight prominent commanders. It describes the attributes of these leaders' command, the many facets of their individual careers and stratagems, and the mark they left on Greek history and warfare. It draws attention to the important role that personality played in their leadership. Joseph Roisman investigates how these generals designed and executed military campaigns and strategy, and to what degree they were responsible for the results. The volume also looks at how the Greek art of command changed during the Classical Age, and how adaptable it was to different military challenges. Other questions involve the extent to which a general was a mere leader of the charge, a battle director, or a strategist, and what made both ancient and modern authorities regard these eight generals as outstanding shapers of military history.
Filled with original analyses and accessible accounts of legendary battles, The Classical Art of Command will appeal to all readers with an interest in ancient warfare and generalship.
By:
Joseph Roisman
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 241mm,
Width: 175mm,
Spine: 37mm
Weight: 674g
ISBN: 9780199985821
ISBN 10: 0199985820
Pages: 400
Publication Date: 13 April 2017
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
CONTENTS List of Maps and Illustrations List of Abbreviations Introduction: Greek Generals and Warfare in the Classical Age Eight Greek Generals Two Generals in Action Greek Generals: Responsibilities and Personality What Generals Did, Their Qualifications, and Their Offices Land Warfare The Armies of Sparta, Athens, Boeotia, Syracuse, Persia, and Carthage Greek Battleships and Navies CH. 1 Leonidas of Sparta: the Lion at the Gates Leonidas' Sparta and His Military Challenges The Threat of War Preliminaries to the battle of Thermopylae Leonidas in Thermopylae The Aftermath Conclusion CH. 2 Themistocles of Athens: the Clever Counselor Themistocles, His City and His Military Challenges Themistocles and the Athenian Navy Themistocles and the Persian War till the Battle of Artemision Themistocles in Artemision The Battle of Salamis Themistocles after Salamis Conclusion CH. 3 Pericles of Athens: the Magisterial Commander Pericles, Athenian Democracy and His Military Challenges Pericles' Generalship Prior to the War against Samos (463/2?441) The Samian Revolt Pericles' Strategy of the Peloponnesian War Pericles and the Peloponnesian War: The Limits of his Strategy Conclusion Ch. 4 Demosthenes of Athens: The Master of Surprise Demosthenes and His Military Challenges Defeat and Victories in Western Greece Astonishing Success in Pylos Sneak Attack on Megara Coming Out Empty-Handed in Boeotia Disaster in Sicily Conclusion CH. 5 Lysander of Sparta: The Lion and the Fox Lysander and His Military Challenges Lysander's First Admiralship and the Battle of Notium Victory at Aegospotami Lysander and the Spartan Empire The Fall of a Hero Conclusion CH. 6 Dionysius I of Syracuse: The Evolution of a General Dionysius' Syracuse and His Military Challenges Dionysius' Early Career up to the Battle of Gela (405) The Buildup of Syracuse's Power Preparations for the Second Carthaginian War (397-392) The Siege of Motya Besieged in Syracuse Campaigns in Southern Italy (ca. 396-383) The Third and Fourth Carthaginian Wars (383-367) Conclusion Ch. 7 Epaminondas and Pelopidas of Thebes Epaminondas and Pelopidas, Their Military Challenges and Their City Revolution in Thebes The Sacred Band and the Battle of Tegyra (375) The Battle of Leuctra (371) Theban Supremacy and the First Invasion of the Peloponnese The Second Invasion of the Peloponnese Pelopidas' Missteps in Thessaly The Third Invasion of the Peloponnese and the Naval Bill Pelopidas' Last Battle Epaminondas' Last Battle Conclusion Ch. 8 Conclusion The Art of Command: Planning, Management and Tactics The Art of Command: Personality Bibliography A. The Main Ancient Sources B. Modern Literature
Joseph Roisman is a Professor of Classics at Colby College. Among his major publications are monographs and anthologies on Alexander the Great, ancient Macedonia, the Athenian general Demosthenes, and Greek rhetoric. He has also written numerous articles on Greek history, historiography, and drama. He has been the recipient of research fellowships in the US and overseas.
Reviews for The Classical Art of Command: Eight Greek Generals Who Shaped the History of Warfare
This well-conceived and carefully researched book will inform and delight scholars and the general public alike. The Classical Art of Command is accessible yet nuanced as it guides the reader through the complex and varied world of the ever-warring Greek polis. Even those not naturally drawn to military history will find interest and merit in Roisman's analysis of the lives of eight generals from Classical Greece and the world they helped shape. --Timothy Howe, St. Olaf College Roisman presents a breathtaking panorama of the warring states of Greece from age of the Spartan Leonidas and the wily and brilliant Athenian Themistocles to the Theban generals, Pelopidas and Epaminondas, who revolutionized hoplite warfare. Spanning the roughly one hundred and fifty years from the Persian Wars to the emasculation of Sparta by the Thebans, this volume studies eight prominent military figures who contributed to the rise of Greek military supremacy in the era before Philip and Alexander of Macedon. Roisman is well versed in this field and his scholarship is impeccable. More than just a military study, The Classical Art of Command belongs in the library of every student and enthusiast of Greek history. -Waldemar Heckel, University of Calgary
