PRITCHETT : The Greek state at war (fülszöveg)
Military organization was a typical product of the whole social system of antiquity. Interpreting his subject broadly, Professor Pritchett pursues a number of themes which are at the heart of the study of Greek history: the reliability of the ancient historians, the impact of the military on the social and economic life of the state, the control exercised over military commanders by the home government, and the like. The philological approach, the focus on the interpretation of specific words, is a sine qua non for the historian of military institutions, and for many of the topics he treats, Pritchett has provided the first full collection of the evidence.
Part I was first published under the title Ancient Greek Military Practices, Part I. The first half of this volume concerns economic topics such as military pay, provisioning, booty. Among other topics are the marching paian, sacrifice before battle, phases of the moon, and festivals.
"Professor Pritchett is to be warmly congratulated on these studies, which make a most valuable contribution to the study of ancient warfare"
—N. G. L. Hammond,
Journal of Hellenic Studies
Part II begins with an analysis of seventy attested trials of Greek generals, focusing on the nature of the charges, the legal process, and the final verdicts. The following chapters discuss the degree of control of the civil authorities at home over the military leaders in the field. The Greek military camp, ambuscade, surprise attacks, and the challenge to battle receive separate treatment, and the scattered evidence for Greek military training and discipline is collected. Battlefield trophies and awards of the meed of valor after battles, as reported by the major historians, are analyzed from the standpoint of the varying practices of historians in describing them, and suggestions are offered to explain the differing attitudes of historians toward them.
Mr. Pritchett is Professor of Greek at the University of California, Berkeley.
"Given the nature of the Greek city-state, it is impossible to deal with military practices without touching on all other aspects of Greek society; these chapters amount to a re-examination of the Greek city-state of the fourth century B.C., with a shattering critique of several received views"
—M. I. Finley
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| KATALÓGUS | TARTALOM |
