War in the Hellenistic World

Angelos Chaniotis is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Heidelberg. He is the author of Historie und Historiker in den griechischen Inschriften (1988), Die Verträge zwischen kretischen Städten in der hellenistischen Zeit (1996) as well as numerous articles on Hellenistic and Roman history and Greek epigraphy. Together with P. Ducrey he has edited Army and Power in the Ancient World (2002).

• List of Figures xList of Maps xiList of Abbreviations xiiiTable of Important Events xviiPreface xxi1 The Ubiquitous War 11.1. The Visibility of War 1.2. The Frequency of Wars1.3. Reasons to Fight2 Between Civic Duties and Oligarchic Aspirations: Devoted Citizens, Brave Generals, and Generous Benefactors 182.1. Fighting Against a Neighbor: A Privilege of the Polis2.2. Warfare as a Citizen’s Duty2.3. City and Land: Structure and Hierarchy2.4. The Defense of the City as the Stage of Civic Elites2.5. Local Hero: The Statesman as a Military Leader2.6. Euergetism in War and the Ideology of Inequality2.7. From Individual Services to the Heredity of Leadership3 The Age of War: Fighting Young Men 443.1. Restless Warriors 3.2. Training Fighters 3.3. Rituals for Young Warriors4 The Interactive King: War and the Ideology of Hellenistic Monarchy 574.1. War and the Acceptance of Monarchical Rule4.2. The King and His Army4.3. The King and the City4.4. The Wolf as a Sheep: Royal Peace-makers 4.5. War and Mortal Divinity5 War as a Profession: Officers, Trainers, Doctors, Engineers 785.1. The Professionalization of Hellenistic Warfare: Definitions and Modifications5.2. The Social Context of Mercenary Service5.3. The Conditions of Service5.4. Garrisons and Foreign Troops in Hellenistic Cities5.5. Professional Ideals: Discipline, Solidarity, Masculinity5.6. Professional Risks: Doctors and Patients5.7. War as a Science: Trainers, Tacticians, and Inventors6 The Gender of War: Masculine Warriors, Defenseless Women, and Beyond 1026.1. War and Masculinity6.2. In the Shadow of Soldiers: Women in Garrisons and Forts6.3. Spectators, Judges, and Defenders: Women’s Share of War6.4. Anonymous Victims7 The Cost and Profit of War: Economic Aspects of Hellenistic Warfare 1157.1. The Budget of War: Fiscal Aspects of Hellenistic Warfare7.2. War and Agriculture7.3. The Economy of Booty7.4. Winners and Losers: The Impact of War on the Hellenistic Economy8 An Age of Miracles and Saviors: The Effects of Hellenistic Wars on Religion 1438.1. Communicating with the Gods, Boasting to Mortals8.2. War and Cult Transfer8.3. Violence against Sanctuaries and the Discourse of War8.4. War and the Supernatural 8.5. Pragmatism Versus Tradition: War and the Dynamics of Rituals9 The Discourse of War 1669.1. War Reflections9.2. War Reveals the Character of Men and Groups9.3. Naming Wars9.4. Deciding and Justifying War9.5. The Right of Conquest9.6. Longing for Peace10 Aesthetics of War 18910.1. Images of Violence in Hellenistic Literature and Art10.2. Blood is Beautiful: Realism and Subtlety in the Representation of Violence10.3. The Beauty of the Unexpected: Peripeteia and the Paradoxon in Narratives of War11 The Memory of War 21411.1. The Memory of War: Individual, Collective, Cultural11.2. War in Hellenistic Historiography11.3. The Monumental Historiography of War11.4. Oral Commemoration of War11.5. Commemorative Anniversaries11.6. War Monuments11.7. Collective Identity and the Glorification of the Individual12 Breaking Boundaries: How War Shaped the Hellenistic World 245Bibliography 256Name Index 282Subject Index 293Source Index 304

“War in the Hellenistic World will remain an indispensable book for any person wanting to study war in this period and, more generally, the Hellenistic culture and way of life.” Pierre Ducrey, University of Lausanne"War in the Hellenistic World is a worthy addition to the growing body of recent scholarship on ancient military history … I would not hesitate to recommend it to interested students, academics, and non-experts as a point of departure for further inquiry." Bryn Mawr Classical Review "A useful pedagogical resource and a welcome addition to the social surveys of the Hellenistic period. Chaniotis offers a clearly written, well-supported analysis of the significant roles warfare played in shaping Greek politics, society, and economy." Scholia "War in the Hellenistic World is more accessible to a university than a school readership, but would make a welcome addition to the library of anybody with a keen interest in either the history of warfare or the Hellenistic period in general." Journal of Classics Teaching "With its apt choice of evidence, engaging discussions and suggestions for further reading at the end of every chapter, Chaniotis's work is likely to be immensely useful to scholars or students investigating almost any aspect of hellenistic culture and society." Journal of Hellenistic Studies "Chaniotis has treated his subject with finesse and scholarly vigour. The book will be required reading for students of war and culture in Hellenistic times, and an indispensable work for any scholar interested in ancient warfare."sehepunkte “Chaniotis is one of the most distinguished experts … it makes for a book that … is highly innovative and individualistic … .An indispensable survey.”Canadian Journal of History