War in the Hellenistic World - (Ancient World at War) by Angelos Chaniotis (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Exploiting the abundant primary sources available, this book examines the diverse ways in which war shaped the Hellenistic world.

• An overview of war and society in the Hellenistic world.
  
• Highlights the interdependence of warfare and social phenomena.
  
• Covers a wide range of topics, including social conditions as causes of war, the role of professional warriors, the discourse of war in Hellenistic cities, the budget of war, the collective memory of war, and the aesthetics of war.
  
• Draws on the abundance of primary sources available.

From the Back Cover

In the 300 years between the conquest of Alexander the Great and the battle at Actium, continual warfare had a dramatic effect on Hellenistic society and culture. Exploiting the abundant primary sources available, this book examines the many different ways in which war shaped the Hellenistic world.

The volume shows how war was intimately connected with economic, social and political life, looking at the connections between war and religion, the ideology of Hellenistic monarchy, the rule of elites, and technological change. At the same time, the book continually draws attention to the experience of war, both from the battlefield perspective of professional soldiers, and from that of its victims - non-combatants, women and children.

Review Quotes

"War in the Hellenistic World will remain an indispensable book for any person wanting to study war in this period and, more generally, the Hellenistic culture and way of life." Pierre Ducrey, University of Lausanne

"War in the Hellenistic World is a worthy addition to the growing body of recent scholarship on ancient military history ... I would not hesitate to recommend it to interested students, academics, and non-experts as a point of departure for further inquiry." Bryn Mawr Classical Review

"A useful pedagogical resource and a welcome addition to the social surveys of the Hellenistic period. Chaniotis offers a clearly written, well-supported analysis of the significant roles warfare played in shaping Greek politics, society, and economy." Scholia

"War in the Hellenistic World is more accessible to a university than a school readership, but would make a welcome addition to the library of anybody with a keen interest in either the history of warfare or the Hellenistic period in general." Journal of Classics Teaching

"With its apt choice of evidence, engaging discussions and suggestions for further reading at the end of every chapter, Chaniotis's work is likely to be immensely useful to scholars or students investigating almost any aspect of hellenistic culture and society." Journal of Hellenistic Studies

"Chaniotis has treated his subject with finesse and scholarly vigour. The book will be required reading for students of war and culture in Hellenistic times, and an indispensable work for any scholar interested in ancient warfare."
sehepunkte

"Chaniotis is one of the most distinguished experts ... it makes for a book that ... is highly innovative and individualistic ... .An indispensable survey."
Canadian Journal of History

About the Author

Angelos Chaniotis is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Heidelberg. He is the author of Historie und Historiker in den griechischen Inschriften (1988), Die Verträge zwischen kretischen Städten in der hellenistischen Zeit (1996) as well as numerous articles on Hellenistic and Roman history and Greek epigraphy. Together with P. Ducrey he has edited Army and Power in the Ancient World (2002).