Why read Hoplites?

Book cover of Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience

Book description

Incorporating research found in ancient literary, iconographic, epigraphic, and archaeological sources, this book explores the experiences of the soldiers who conducted battle on the small plains of ancient Greece.
The volume, which draws on the accumulated expertise of nine American and British scholars, emphasizes the actual techniques of fighting and…

Explore

Topics

Greece

Genres

History

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Hoplites as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Sonya Nevin

Author

This is a super useful book that really gets into the practical realities of ancient Greek land warfare. With contributions from many noted experts, this book examines the weapons used in classical Greek battles and the contribution of the instruments used for signaling.

There’s a chapter on techniques for identifying battle dead, which is very niche but very interesting. I particularly like the chapter by Michael H. Jameson on sacrifice before battle; this is probably the best treatment available on this subject, and it gives so much insight into the world of classical Greek warfare.

From Sonya's list on attacking ancient Greek warfare.