The Greeks of the classical age invented not only the central idea of Western politics-that the
power of state should be guided by a majority of its citizens-but also the central act of
Western warfare the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush skirmish or combat between
individual heroes the Greeks of the fifth century B.C. devised a ferocious brief and
destructive head-on clash between armed men of all ages. In this bold original study Victor
Davis Hanson shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual
government-an unequivocal instant resolution to dispute. Linking this new style of fighting to
the rise of constitutional government Hanson raises new issues and questions old assumptions
about the history of war. A new preface addresses recent scholarship on Greek warfare.
