An Introduction to War in the Ancient Mediterranean World

“This book will introduce you to the transformation of warfare over the course of those more than 1300 years, what brought it about, how we know about it, but also, especially how it had an impact on those who lived through it. In other words, this is an introduction to warfare in the ancient Mediterranean which tries, where possible, to frame this history through the lived experiences of those who made and lived through it.” (p. 3)

Ancient Warfare: The Basics is organized chronologically:

Introduction: “The bronze gleamed around him like flashing fire”: warfare in the Bronze Age Mediterranean, 1400–600 BCE

1.“ The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”: warfare in archaic and classical Greece, 600–404 BCE

2. “Very well then, Alexander comes first”: fourth-century Greece to the wars of the Diadochi, 404–275 BCE

3. Carthage and the “mutability of human affairs”: the Hellenistic age and the Punic Wars, 300–200 BCE

4. “More fortunate than Augustus, and better than Trajan”: from warlords to emperors, 200 BCE–117 CE

5. “They make a desert and call it peace”: the Roman Empire, 117–284 CE

6. “If you want peace, prepare for war”: the end of antiquity and the birth of the medieval world, 284–641 CE

Conclusion

The narrative is enriched by numerous quotations from ancient sources, translated into English. Very sensibly, the story ends with the “Last Great War of Antiquity:”
the long final struggle between the Romano-Byzantine Empire and Sassanian Persia (602 - 628 CE).

There is a neat Timeline, a helpful Glossary, a good set of recommended “Further Readings” and an extensive 26-page Bibliography. The book is illustrated with 20 monochrome photographs, many poorly reproduced with muddy contrast - not the author’s fault, but typical of the cost-cutting that afflicts current academic publishing. Also not the author’s fault are several embarrassing typos; one would expect more careful copy-editing from Routledge.

Written in a breezy, conversational style, Ancient War: The Basics would be a suitable core reading for an undergraduate survey course in ancient military history, or as a ‘first book’ for anyone seeking an introduction to warfare in ancient times. The author, Conor Whatley, is Professor of Classics at the University of Winnipeg.

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Our Reviewer: Mike Markowitz is an historian and wargame designer. He writes a monthly column for CoinWeek and is a member of the ADBC (Association of Dedicated Byzantine Collectors). His previous reviews include The Cambridge Companion to Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, Archaic Greece, Amazons: The History Behind the Legend, The Byzantine World, Classical Controversies, Reassessing the Peloponnesian War, War and Masculinity in Roman and Medieval Culture, Nemesis: Medieval England's Greatest Enemy, The Wars of the Roses: A Medieval Civil War, The Emperor and the Elephant, Tiberius, The Roman Empire and World History, Leadership in the Ancient World: Concepts, Models, Theories, A History of the Greek World from 479 to 323 B.C., Commanders and Command in the Roman Republic and Early Empire, Love, War and Diplomacy: The Discovery of the Amarna Letters and the Bronze Age World They Revealed, Nikephoros II Phokas (912-969): The White Death of the Saracens, 1453: The Conquest and Tragedy of Constantinople, Naval Warfare under the Byzantine Empire: From Justinian I to the Fourth Crusade, Carthage, A New History, Constantinople: Capital of Byzantium, and War and Community in Late Antiquity.

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Note: Ancient Warfare: The Basics is also available in hard cover & e-editions.

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