Warfare in Ancient Greece

Arms and Armour from the Heroes of Homer to Alexander the Great

In this first comprehensive study of Ancient Greek warfare for over 35 years, Tim Everson discusses clearly and thoroughly the background, weapons and tactics of the ancient Greeks. He describes the weapons, armour, helmets, chariots and other military equipment used in from c. 1550 to 150 BC and traces how and when various pieces of equipment came into use; whether they were introduced from other regions or were native developments; the effectiveness of the armour and weapons used and when and why things changed (or not). Set against a background of a broad history of Greek warfare - how they fought, why they fought and the developments in tactics over the centuries - he examines both the archaeological evidence of actual finds, as well as ancient depictions of military equipment on vases and in sculpture and literary evidence of Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides and many other ancient authors.