Ancient Battle Formations by Justin Swanton

Ancient Battle Formations by Justin Swanton

Justin Swanton examines the principal battle-winning formations of the Ancient world, determining their composition, function and efficacy. An introductory chapter looks at the fundamental components of the principal battle formations of heavy and light infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots, showing how they bolstered the individual soldier's willingness to fight. The rest of the book focuses on massed infantry that reigned supreme in this era: the heavily armoured Greek hoplite phalanx that was immune to the weaponry of its non-Greek opponents; the Macedonian pike phalanx that was unbeatable against frontal attacks so long as it kept order; the Roman triplex acies which, contrary to popular opinion, consisted of continuous lines in open order, with file spaces wide enough to allow embattled infantry to fall back after which those files closed up instantly against the enemy. A careful study of the Greek and Latin of the sources sheds fresh light on how these formations were organized and worked, re-evaluating many conventional notions and leading to some surprising conclusions.

A long-standing member of the Society of Ancients, Justin Swanton has been studying ancient warfare many years, making a close reading of ancient battle accounts in the original Greek and Latin. He is editor of Slingshot, the journal of the Society of Ancients, and is a graphic designer by profession, hence the striking diagrams that accompany his writing. He is a keen wargamer in his spare time and has published one novel set in late Antiquity. Justin lives in Durban, South Africa.

SKU	Nicht verfügbar
ISBN 13	9781526797582
ISBN 10	1526797585
Titel	Ancient Battle Formations
Autor	Justin Swanton
Buchzustand	Nicht verfügbar
Bindungsart	Paperback
Verlag	Pen & Sword Books Ltd
Erscheinungsjahr	2022-03-17
Seitenanzahl	320
Hinweis auf dem Einband	Die Abbildung des Buches dient nur Illustrationszwecken, die tatsächliche Bindung, das Cover und die Auflage können sich davon unterscheiden.