Fate, pre-destination and the mindset of the Greek hoplite in battle

Book chapter


Matthew, Christopher. (2020). Fate, pre-destination and the mindset of the Greek hoplite in battle. In Archaic and classical Greece pp. 197-226 Pen & Sword Military.
AuthorsMatthew, Christopher
Abstract

[Extract] One of the factors which has greatly contributed to the success or failure of any military operation, in the ancient world or the modern, has been the morale of the individual combatant. Without the willingness of soldiers to engage in the fighting, any military action simply cannot take place. Furthermore, history has shown that, when the occasion has called for it, the willingness of a solider to stand his ground amidst the carnage of combat is one of the things that has dictated the outcome of an engagement. Such willingness to maintain their position was essential to the warfare of the ancient Greeks, whose primary mode of offensive action was the employment of groups of men arranged in the ranks and files of phalanx. Many different socio-political aspects of the ancient Greek hoplite's home city-state combined to influence his morale in battle. Some of these were specific to that city-state, while others had a broader sphere of influence. Despite the numerous influences placed on the ancient Greek hoplite in battle, the one socio-political aspect that almost all hoplites would have been influenced by would have been religion.

Page range197-226
Year2020
Book titleArchaic and classical Greece
PublisherPen & Sword Military
Place of publicationBarnsley, South Yorkshire
ISBN9781473834293
Web address (URL)https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=shib&db=nlebk&AN=2568219&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s5501413
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All rights reserved
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Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Print2020
Online2020
Publication process dates
Deposited17 Oct 2022
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