Combined Arms Warfare in Ancient Greece From Homer to Alexander the Great and his Successors

Combined Arms Warfare in Ancient Greece examines the timelines of military developments that led from the hoplite-based armies of the ancient Greeks to the hugely successful and multi-faceted armies of Philip II, Alexander the Great, and his Successors. It concentrates on the introduction and development of individual units and their tactical coordination and use in battle in what is termed "combined arms": the effective integration of different unit types into one cohesive battle plan and army allowing each unit to focus on its strengths without having to worry about its weaknesses. This volume traces the development, and argues for the vital importance, of the use of combined arms in Greek warfare from the Archaic period onwards, especially concerning the Macedonian hegemony, through to its developmental completion in the form of fully "integrated warfare" at the battle of Ipsus in 301 BCE. It argues crucially that warfare should never be viewed in isolation in individual states, regions, conflicts or periods but taken as a collective whole tracing the mutual influence of other cultures and the successful innovations that always result. Wrightson analyses Greek and Macedonian warfare through the lens of modern military theoretical terminology, making this study accessible to those with a general interest in military history as well as those studying this specific period.

List of figures Acknowledgements Introduction part 1: The purpose and methodology of the study Putting Greek warfare in context The Theory of Combined Arms Methodology & Terminology – A conceptual methodological framework: Combined Arms Warfare Combined arms in the ancient world: A developmental continuum ‘Integrated warfare’ The process of moving from a basic use of combined arms to integrated warfare A methodology for examining this process The focus of this study Introduction part 2: The theory of combined arms Combined arms vs. integrated warfare The effect of terrain on warfare and units Unit categorization and subdivisions Infantry – the hands, arms, and chest of the army Regular Heavy Infantry – the chest and breast plate of the army Elite heavy infantry – the hands of the army Light Infantry – the arms of the army Missile troops Archers Javelin men Slingers Peltasts Elite light infantry – the elbows of the army Cavalry – the feet of the army according to Iphicrates Heavy Cavalry – the feet of the army Chariots – earlier feet of the army Elephants – the joints of the army Light Cavalry – the legs of the army Non-missile light cavalry Horse archers Field Artillery Conclusions: The benefit of Combined Arms and Integrated Warfare Section 1: The Hoplite Revolution in Greece Chapter 1: Homeric warfare and the introduction of the hoplite Primary Sources for Greek warfare Homeric Warfare Sources Heavy Infantry Missile infantry Infantry Combined arms Chariots Cavalry Combined Arms conclusions Chapter 2: Archaic Greece – the dominance of the heavy infantry phalanx Sources Infantry Hoplites and the phalanx Hoplites as individual soldiers The crucial importance of maintaining balance in hoplite combat Early hoplites Tactical separation of light and heavy infantry Chariots Cavalry Combined Arms Chapter 3: Persia vs. Greece - The advantages of the heavy infantryman The Persian Empire and its (mis)use of a combined arms army Sources Infantry Cavalry Combined arms The Persian Wars: the mirage of the hoplite’s superiority Sources Persian armies exposed without using combined arms properly – Marathon Combined Arms Conclusions The beginnings of successful combined arms in Greek armies - Plataea Xerxes’ army The Greek army Infantry Cavalry The battle Combined Arms Combined Arms conclusions Section 2: The implementation of Combined arms in Greek warfare Chapter 4: The Peloponnesian War - Combined arms innovation on the battlefield Sources Infantry Cavalry Combined arms Sicily and the Athenian siege of Syracuse – large scale combined arms in practice Sources Early warfare in Sicily The Athenian Campaign Combined Arms Combined arms conclusions Chapter 5: The Corinthian War and Iphicrates: Light infantry integration Sources Infantry Cavalry Combined arms Combined Arms Conclusions Chapter 6: The Theban hegemony - the inclusion of heavy cavalry Sources Infantry Cavalry Combined arms Combined arms conclusions Section 3: Macedon and Integrated Warfare Chapter 7: Philip II – The sarissa phalanx and heavy cavalry Sources Infantry Cavalry Field artillery Combined Arms Chaeronea – Macedonian combined arms versus Greek diverse units Sources The Battle Combined arms Combined Arms Conclusions Chapter 8: Alexander the Great - linking the heavy cavalry and the phalanx Sources Infantry Cavalry Artillery Combined Arms Combined Arms Conclusions Issus and Gaugamela: Integrated warfare in action Sources Issus Combined arms Gaugamela Combined Arms Combined Arms Conclusions Chapter 9: The Successors - War elephants and integrated warfare Sources Combined arms Paraetacene Combined Arms Gabiene Combined Arms Ipsus Combined Arms Combined Arms Conclusions Conclusion - Greece, Persia and Macedon: The success of combined arms and integrated warfare Bibliography Index

Graham Wrightson is Assistant Professor of History at South Dakota State University, USA. His research focuses primarily on Macedonian military history with a special focus on military manuals and the sarissa phalanx. He also examines comparative warfare between cultures and eras and their influence on each other. He has published multiple articles and papers on Macedonian warfare, has jointly edited three books, and has produced a textbook for the standard US university first-year survey course Western Civilization 1.