Sparta

War Classics – Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War

Graham Goodlad recalls one of the great works of military history.

War Classics – Thermopylae: The Battle for the West

Fred Chiaventone recalls one of the great works of military history

The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides

Review by Diana Bentley Nearly two and a half millennia after it was written, Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War not only remains vibrantly alive and regularly referred to in discussions of modern conflict and politics, but is a rich…

The Peloponnesian War

In the first part of our special, Paul Rahe examines the background to the struggle between Athens and Sparta for control of the ancient Greek world.

Left A figurine depicting a hoplite poised for assault, formerly part of a bronze vessel from c.510 500 BC, found in north western Greece. Hoplites were traditionally only deployed in the expectation of imminent hand to hand fighting.

The Peloponnesian War: the Battle of Mantineia

In the second part of our special feature, Paul Rahe reveals how Sparta won the largest land battle fought within Greece during the Peloponnesian War.

The Spartans

Ancient historian Paul Rahe, whose monumental history of Sparta is just out, analyses the origins of the feared Spartan hoplite phalanx.

The Past

This week: Alexander the Great

He inherited the kingdom of Macedonia (in modern-day Greece) at the age of 20. By the time of his death, just 13 years later, he had created an empire that covered two million square miles – stretching across three continents, from the Danube and the Nile to the Himalayas – and all without losing a battle.

The Greek dead and the Great Beyond

The ancient Greeks thought much about the dead – how their remains should be disposed of, how their spirits might be summoned, how malignant they could be if unavenged. Classicist David Stuttard brings us face to face with the Greek dead.

Combat of Champions

Ashley and Stephen Cooper take a close and critical look at the hallowed idea of war by personal combat.

The Persian Army: ABOVE Central Asia was the home of the horse archer, and Xerxes’s army is likely to have included large contingents. Above right Archers were numerous in Persian armies, most of them fighting on foot without armour so much so that they became, for the Greeks, representative of the Persian enemy in general, as on this fine red figure vase painting. Right The Immortals were the elite shock infantry of Ancient Persian armies. This depiction is from a relief sculpture on the walls of the royal city of Persepolis. Far right Persian armies were strong in cavalry, including heavy shock cava lry, but these were of little value on such a constricted battlefield as Thermopylae.

Last stand: Thermopylae

Continuing his occasional series on legendary last stands, American military historian Fred Chiaventone recounts the Spartan defence of the Hot Gates in 480 BC.

ABOVE Persian warriors of the Great King, as depicted on a frieze formed of glazed brick in the Pergamon Museum. The Persian Empire was the largest yet known, with vast resources of manpower and treasure. But the Greek military system, based on the hoplite phalanx, proved superior to the Persian army.

The Persian Wars

In his second article, Paul Rahe analyses Sparta’s response to the mortal challenge posed by the Persian invasions of the early 5th century BC.

Timeline: the Spartans

Traditional foundation date for Olympic Games c.776 BC Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey composed c.750 BC Sparta conquers Messenia c.700 BC Messenian Revolt followed by Spartan Reconquest c.650 BC At this time, radical changes took place in Sparta,…

Epaminondas: the man who destroyed Sparta

The Spartans are so famous that their name has become part of the language. But the name of the military genius who broke their power – and whose example inspired Philip of Macedon and Alexander the Great – is hardly remembered at all. This is the story of Epaminondas and the Theban revolution in war.