Over the years Van Wees (henceforth HvW) has published quite a number of papers, articles, and bo... more Over the years Van Wees (henceforth HvW) has published quite a number of papers, articles, and books on Greek warfare. Th at work finds its (temporary, I hope) peak in the book under review. In six parts, comprising some general observations elaborated in fifteen chapters, a conclusion, and three appendices, HvW guides us through the world of Greek warfare, in a wide context, from archaic times through the classical period. HvW pays attention to "the bigger picture" (p. 1), sc. to the political, social, and economic circumstances and nuances which play a part in this phenomenon. While doing so he tries to adjust many of the conventional views adhering to the frequently far too romantic view still surrounding the subject: like modern warfare Greek warfare was an ugly business, though incomparably more direct and personal than nowadays (like, e.g., also the books of Victor Davis Hanson testify). Part 1, "War and Peace", consists of three chapters: "Kinsmen, Friends and Allies: the Society of States" (pp. 6-18); "Justice, Honour and Profit: Causes and Goals of Wars" (pp. 19-33); and "Pleonexia: Structural Causes of War" (pp. 34-44). In these chapters HvW develops the view that the main motivator for war was the quest for both glory (prestige) and wealth (profit). War was a relatively easy way to acquire these assets, but this does not mean that Greek cities were in a constant state of war: there also was a sufficient number of mechanisms to check and balance potential crises and prevent them from going violent. Military prowess, and the display of its paraphernalia, played, however, an important role in societies, especially during the archaic period, and was consequently also reflected in literature. To a large extent the mentality remained unchanged, also after the archaic period: it contributed to both the continuing exclusion of women from public life and the casualness of a military career (as a mercenary) as a means of livelihood throughout history (and not just after the Peloponnesian War). Part 2, "Citizens and Soldiers", discusses the "Men of Bronze: the Myth of the Middle-Class Militia" (pp. 47-60); the "Other Warriors: Light Infantry, Cavalry, Body-servants and Mercenaries" (pp. 61-76); and "Politics and the Battlefield: Ideology in Greek Warfare" (pp. 77-86). Contrary to traditional views, HvW argues, an egalitarian hoplite force developed only gradually during a period of over more than two and a half centuries. Only after the Persian Wars might something remotely resembling the romantic image of the middle-class hoplite army be detected. Essentially, however, war strengthened societal divisions within the city and did not contribute to the emergence of more democratic political systems (p. 81).
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