Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Understanding Ancient Battle: Combat in the Classical World from the Unit Commander’s Perspective
    Understanding Ancient Battle: Combat in the Classical World from the Unit Commander’s Perspective
    Understanding Ancient Battle: Combat in the Classical World from the Unit Commander’s Perspective
    Ebook403 pages4 hours

    Understanding Ancient Battle: Combat in the Classical World from the Unit Commander’s Perspective

    By Hugh Elton

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Traditional military history of battles focussed on the strategies of great leaders, though in modern times many scholars have discussed the ‘face of battle’, describing the personal experience of the ordinary soldier. But in between, there still lies a major gap in our understanding of ancient combat: the officer’s battle. This focuses on how units actually fought and manoeuvred in battle. Hugh Elton seeks to redress this through analysis of the interaction of equipment, morale, leadership, and terrain.

    After discussing source material and the general model of warfare the author follows, this book outlines by major periods what we know of equipment, organization and tactics, then shows how battle worked in a series of case studies including include Marathon, Issus, Cannae, Cynoscephalae, Mons Graupius, and Adrianople. A total of twenty-four battles are analyzed between the fifth-century BCE and the sixth century CE, covering the wars described by the great historians between Herodotus and Procopius, including accounts written by the soldiers Xenophon, Julius Caesar, and Ammianus Marcellinus.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPen and Sword
    Release dateJan 30, 2024
    ISBN9781526753984
    Understanding Ancient Battle: Combat in the Classical World from the Unit Commander’s Perspective
    Author

    Hugh Elton

    Hugh Elton is Professor of Ancient History & Classics at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, specializing in Roman and Late Roman political and military history and the regions of Cilicia and Isauria in southern Turkey.

    Related to Understanding Ancient Battle

    Related ebooks

    Wars & Military For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Ideas For Wargaming History's Earliest Conflicts Battles In Bronze

      Mar 15, 2024

      Mercenary troops can be just as loyal or more loyal than your own troops. When I defeated and captured the Sherden pirates, I took these veteran fighters and made them my personal bodyguards. During the Bronze Age, ancient peoples began to smelt copp

      5 min read

    • Article

      ARMS & ARMOR OF ANCIENT GREECE

      Mar 19, 2019

      ARMS & ARMOR OF ANCIENT GREECE
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Ancient Art Of Armatura

      Nov 23, 2021

      The Ancient Art Of Armatura
      8 min read

    • Article

      The Mounted Crossbowman

      Mar 23, 2021

      The Mounted Crossbowman
      2 min read

    • Article

      Making The Cavalry

      Jun 8, 2021

      Making The Cavalry
      3 min read

    • Article

      Tales Of The Axe

      Sep 21, 2021

      Tales Of The Axe
      5 min read

    • Article

      Chaeronea 338 Bce

      Nov 23, 2023

      Chaeronea 338 Bce
      12 min read

    • Article

      Army Of The Roman Emperors

      Sep 21, 2021

      By Thomas Fischer; translated by Mike C. Bishop ISBN: 978-1612008103 Casemate Publishers (2019) – £45.00 www.casematepublishers.com The reader of English has many choices when it comes to the Roman army. There are highly academic tomes dealing with s

      6 min read

    • Article

      Watch Your Step

      Mar 21, 2022

      Watch Your Step
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Iconography Of The Samnite Warrior Heavy Infantry Or Skirmisher?

      Apr 12, 2024

      Evidence for Samnite daily life and political structures is severely lacking. Evidence on Samnite warfare, however, particularly the characteristics of Samnite warriors, is much more plentiful. Consequently, we can conduct a detailed analysis of who

      8 min read

    • Article

      Armed And Dangerous

      Aug 5, 2021

      Armed And Dangerous
      5 min read

    • Article

      The Celtic Panoply, As Worn Around 279 Bc The Celts Of Brennus

      Apr 12, 2024

      After the defeat of the forces of Brennus at Delphi, the Aetolians, who thought themselves to be the main actors to repulse the Celts, built some monuments to celebrate their bitter victory. Among these there was a large bronze female statue depictin

      6 min read

    • Article

      ANCIENT WARFARE readings CHALLENGES OF CAMPAIGNING

      Feb 16, 2024

      By Robin Lane Fox Yale University Press, 2004 ISBN: 978-0300104035 Xenophon’s Anabasis records all manner of challenges and how they were addressed and dealt with as the army marched through modern Turkey and Iraq during 401–399 BC. The chapters by t

      2 min read

    • Article

      Pike Through Time

      Mar 21, 2022

      Pike Through Time
      8 min read

    • Article

      Reviews

      Nov 23, 2021

      By Murray Dahm ISBN: 978-1472843517 Osprey Publishing (2021) – £15.99 www.ospreypublishing.com (Full disclosure: Dahm is a friend and uses several of the photographs I took of the battlefield in the book.) Osprey’s newest addition to its Campaign ser

      6 min read

    • Article

      The 300 Romans

      Aug 3, 2021

      The 300 Romans
      8 min read

    • Article

      Following The Ransverse Crest

      Jun 8, 2021

      Following The Ransverse Crest
      9 min read

    • Article

      Have You Read?

      Sep 8, 2023

      The Arcadian general Philopoemen (c.252-182 BC) deserves to be better known. Admired by Polybius (who wrote a biography of him) and many other ancient generals, a biography of him by Plutarch survives. He was termed the ‘last great Greek' by Victor E

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Julio-claudian Legion

      Sep 8, 2023

      By Nigel Pollard and Joanne Berry Thames & Hudson, 2012 ISBN: 978-0500251836 Parker's volume was once the go-to for an accessible history of the Roman legions. It's still a decent start, but very old. Pollard and Berry provide an up-to-date, well-ill

      3 min read

    • Article

      Reconstructing The Gladiator

      Mar 2, 2020

      Reconstructing The Gladiator
      7 min read

    • Article

      Death, Confusion, And Darkness

      Aug 3, 2021

      There are a handful of well-known engagements taking place at night in late antiquity. At the Battle of Adrianople (AD 378), fighting between the Gothic and Roman forces continued into the night, resulting in chaos and many hundreds, if not thousands

      8 min read

    • Article

      Peter Hart On The Development Of World War I Trench Warfare

      Jun 8, 2023

      MEET THE EXPERT PETER HART is the former oral historian at the Imperial War Museum, London, and the author of numerous books, including Laugh or Cry: The British Soldier on the Western Front, 1914–1918 (Pen & Sword Military, 2022), written with Gary

      2 min read

    • Article

      Less Danger, More Profit

      Sep 21, 2021

      Along tradition of modern scholarship has presented Greek warfare as practically synonymous with pitched battle on open ground. We are told that the Greeks were bad at sieges, combined-arms warfare, and irregular operations, but set-piece battles wer

      9 min read

    • Article

      Philopoemen At Gythium

      Aug 3, 2021

      Philopoemen At Gythium
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Understanding Ancient Battle

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Understanding Ancient Battle - Hugh Elton

      ?ebook_preview_excerpt.html\ے7zlGPuK,-^i+F^b*XUFU5M?eu?_d&P mFL[$ $rdo|bxwcu]}'?^mB=ዿu&twS7 j:*t໩ڸij}utco':>>VGuF7=U0?V\hjsccuW۰Oj|>>p^0|SL/85Ctƴ& +{\{BjƩx|Umf,G &U|>f] s\-GNum&cIUi6½l6سy2O_wŊ`2m4tU㺺Ń 9ru}hL=[7L|Ow'txGBQ`m7L@|l!EՑ+{(q6aBX o:@*#v|wcu8L- }¨2#}I? }'w=&칊Փb LaƵ*mz=~q[,uOL!+Չ-]$}8|GxзG0÷`];%%'yַ-oe>Yx(wji^B\l `;%(6B+β؞ua߻ 56l6t7ˬu61\0Q-:(VM9Lu> .[ZWFkw€оŗ/oz_o.Ttm5Nss_O*;~P{U51l I6/Սlkw\FSt_~|U]_~ǁePB;xXq`jlVjB=9s3'2X{ .l &ȆgOg3^d~09q7-2!knz x}WKzI{Th{u^7weri99@hgw')ȯ4BUlSxcۨ߻{kE@#bYi\sPk/QC`Γz,Yl4EuIEyvm 'D?أm/| (0pAWsldu ] ;4qǫcɧ9-?n dEX$[_W2g{5ћڨY v>qS1N[qr @U 3wg^ط(( w aňtvp}ѵ`hy7RDԔRt]"3w,lY9HqTs<9;V? ꫟; Id#=P *:ӿIau̸$~b&đM$  ]omq7({+4a4x4@"YjJ*vQԻ{Ξi _0NFv'tlFĕ>OvzLnz΁:hv͝߆ɲ&w/@"fFG)n"e;U%|u2"NA~+C3gy?x\Yvͼ0N$TjHz(y4'좵OB (-? q'gKŮs,AƜ_7&CDF3%/f g6DY@B7T?O.'m'd⛽u:щz tay qvw4GrY pyP ZdgЀ8-Da/9KyK + 4q:P+[ _oᕝ:S$Ad|&O՞A_'E)H@&#{c%#,2-CRGi8Q aj/vsR2̊?Y3|w뿇bcˆ7nb%WPz )~mYRb<@Iv{(Ǝ`ү&L5tßZuۛOҗFO΁-<$i`0GpIBt#~|$N =Vs8S{vu~LuSBj3VGw7w0Nһij|o2cN4A3%:ϣJre|F[' i$2iv|́(^ޝn3h΅LC,H"*Gp(i[ ٦GrP[rB Q0A$@`-~:eW@a+2:Hni>񞒔X!Qd IpNQxv"~_DNՕ_Co=)/Rv:as?ysBhXh*F8}@ +qP[imFJ9NF!2|N:(<< + #Szu v;.7DHkw8p4Ty&B6# %Q h 򝛣Rѳ[%w˛Efg sEMO_J L? a}@ЄbD5<ۤl݅T-a`"2tUܤ,І} 7J)t3򊳉vR`7IY>[1!lM/-Iaɧ*<WUʶԉ$Ѿᧇ"ŋW9a굖w!4J"{cX~stH1o[%q.g &wjFs&;a.^>8"7| W)z#-HL&.h(Ta %2JȒvhq*IpBGu-%8o(f_5 7K^C 뺰q?e}ܹ9HWV3te ZV8=a z/$ɂ u%VoQ~@: ZIepJ\!0HRPpʒpPA4*-M׾"l㲐KR4'-h.’"~e戀r$ g)̖lҝ{teʂAڳ(bAKl4 ?Nxa׾e#g 6.RSSuz,b䃥/Rɑ,r*_,IB-82wb|{C&Dz2DI\d%#^>}ZJ1c2=qj񨬀YC DOv ֏CݰEtsO@GJ(CJb R_2we7~>YtTZS+@fhF*J{g$B̹c{ |ߝFRԘ7R kub}.Bۃ<D7r2}yeJt;&h@,cTJcRl͉pIy@@j)0-^o] IT[.'(/(8D-NB-0 BWN`K _q!N)T z!Y|'f~^VT:u#hN>NPҠdzʽ01njU01қQUge3kj"-) :F(Oúz=+Ƿ] u2Rb;dcx 2g"AMZ<$"PR Qno[&m '9ՂB"oDܿݲ͋XC\dmaɘ S6mZ Nn#J@$D aġJTd3h.:dgqYMij}H,Sc $ui1TH*VNǹ2Rd3Bwm ,?iwOMݍWCڐj[͊:#n܋P#Vץ2-~J,lS&K?xoRK. N+[0JE/-i _:n2m2bM_χܲbG3Pפ)I+ٱ։dU biSUԵ~-IK -Eg}P\\Vx^yi^Yv9UѠMEr!h#2s|{薈Qi.6Ѩ} J) 6֬^{M}$"P/ZXh3R e c;3tAH'[,/}iN5x3Ԅeo՛AF}]6wKoՔhɳTgTK[⢼0,=`(>C7L*4VS&uhZ,A(\-e}҂/ #,-)CGtn9}'-KJq$wCaY_x), RӪ|QlB,45ڜ'QyBHZWQƝ%[J#WgdbV d]"ͩ8m۹a#뗀:I+1& d3XW*Em/S1Z%`R2FʇSѣr0,~K_dƧ ܱbߺxyWkՄ{&<Ã\BbE^ѕ4-3*v.As?MV]bbW02ﾪ^;?& #IɫTg|$XRJXL,KE({[,is_+Ag X/mK?7߬{b Le3\"ji2bҰ)Iѧ ),ir:[fy"E\Xٹm*YZR"SNO!*XJf |ͬH.l]   I\baqViw/ ٙU~hČ9#\8^5PB~5[%7M.i/൥s؇!93.>ܛҧ}vo և7O"R#nӯ%ss,r?L|1,O^5UdrJKNOXe"z@q_Ϫ=e2+%DEB&nff037aF (((n+yx1AVӠZ(!‰4JxEMFMnMH3[ |w$K )]x9u0.m 2^GME[I=^Sړn}~l-\Ԫ4;OaILPߚɬK,ARH;Uprj 젉S\pq"j*; Ix@N{mB&&6+x^Yd2# 0 Ɍ-:CU䌚/hcu׏bI9%7%6R|Ɉ\2תI/k? M* {Wj&AV7ן>@'ii$}D)8+bv>yT10eZpt.[ONV%x;wuJ1qxuNT ?N[+^U0_2^ i6p,{:|RGR+~%]k:К8mKOZv!;0vLIΆ^C_A>PdEiPŗG `Zk3 Ttl-ٰ"vWJv~3/%au9i<:-y¥lqHE\E[di}LMR9KS9LsUΰ*LB)+߾xZԎ'=*+iGбdȄ7~O'\ތAJK.4d' :Ȏm,Ąuاc?
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1