Ancient Greek Warfare

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) This course introduces students to the aspects of warfare in the Greek world. Students are exposed to key literary sources, like the historians Herodotus, Thucydides, Xenophon, and Polybius; poets and dramatists like Homer, Tyrtaeus, Aeschylus and Sophocles; and military manuals like Xenophon's Cyropaedia, Aeneas Tacticus' Tactica, and Philo Mechanicus' On Sieges. Students consider alternative bodies of evidence, like the physical remains of Greek fortifications. Key themes include the origins of the phalanx, the impact of warfare on the physical and mental wellbeing of soldiers, the place of the Peloponnesian War in Greek history, and the logistical capabilities of Alexander's army. Cross-listed: CLAS-2951(3). Restrictions: Students may not hold credit for this course and CLAS-2951.