UNDERSTANDING ANCIENT BATTLE: Combat in the Classical World from the Unit Commander's Perspective

Between discussions of grand strategies and individual soldiers' personal experiences lies a major gap in our understanding of ancient combat: the officer's battle -- how units actually fought and maneuvered in battle.

Summarizes major periods' equipment, organization, and tactics and then shows how battle worked in a series of case studies as officers adapted to equipment, morale, leadership, and terrain challenges. Analyzes 24 battles between the 5th-century BCE and the 6th century CE, including Marathon, Issus, Cannae, Cynoscephalae, Mons Graupius, and Adrianople. Contains 40 black and white illustrations.