Analysis Of Western Way Of War: Infantry Battle In Classical Greece, By Victor Davis Hanson

The book, Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece, by Victor Davis Hanson discusses the period of the Middle Ages. More specifically, it is an extensive breakdown of ancient Greek warfare. Hanson is going to determine and investigate the effectiveness of Greek infantrymen as a triumphant and professional fighting force, and analyze the core ideals that today’s modern society strives to uphold: honour, freedom, and courage. Greece was one of the most successful and feared empires in the world, given their remarkable battle strategies. Some important Greek hoplite battles included, The Persian Wars, The Spartan War with Tega, The Peloponnesian War, and the First Battle of Mantineia. By using successful tactics and fighting

Hanson typically uses secondary sources to refer back to the classical Greece time period. The sources consist of works by Herodotus, Homer, Euripides, Demosthenes, and many other Ancient Greek Authors. The material used is generally from Berkely University and Cambridge University. However. Hanson also uses a few primary sources such as drama, poetry, and historical records to describe the battle field. The book was organized fairly well, and contains accurate and precise information. His analysis examines a range of several prominent conflicts from 2,500 years ago, not in chronological order. The overall theme is that of a militaristic sense, which is later transcended into contemporary times. Overall the structure of the book was well detailed and informative. Hanson presents an intellectual and economical view on Greek warfare, providing readers with a greater understanding of ritualistic hoplite battle tactics. Not only did Classical Greece invent the central idea of Western politics but also the technique and strategy in war and government. The author recognized the unsurpassed superiority of Greek weapons and

Methods for training soldiers and technological advances have occurred, and yet there has been a consistency of of morals and philosophies in the Western Civilization. As said previously, honour, freedom, and courage are upheld as ideas of simple responsibility and are highly regarded. A strong belief of minimizing civilian and military casualties, and the distinct difference in battle concepts originate from the philosophy of Greece. The author is partial to the farm-based infantrymen, and refers to the individuals in a phalanx as well as other traditional formations. The intentions of the soldiers stuck admiration in his mind, therefore causing slight bias in his work. Hanson wrote this book not only to define acts of Greek Warfare but also shows that it was diverse from those that preceded it. “War in Western societies has followed a unique path leading to Western dominance of the globe.” (Cambridge Historians of Warfare) The author successfully argued the effectiveness and influences of Greek infantrymen battle tactics in modern western militaries. He provides clear and direct answers, and depicts the struggles of a Greek warrior. I believe the book to be satisfactory as well as an interesting and informative piece of literature. A personal favorite quote from the book made me, as a reader, understand the phenomenal and remarkableness of the Greek army, “as long as they