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Blog: Why is Classical Military History important?

January 9, 2017

What did battle look like at the chest to chest range on the ancient battlefields of Europe and the Near East? The sheer brutality, shock, and visceral nature of Classical Warfare has intrigued classicists, historians, and military officers alike for centuries. I am among those both inspired and intrigued by the idea of battle within the phalanx and legions; I teach “The History of the Military Art (Western Warfare)” as well as lead a thesis colloquium on Greek and Roman Warfare at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY.

Classical warfare encapsulates some of the most important lessons a cadet will study at West Point. My students study the strategic, operational, and tactical facets of this time period. Throughout our studies, we march alongside our ancient officer counterparts through the pages of works such as Xenophon’s Anabasis, Arrian’s Campaigns of Alexander, and Julius Caesar’s Gallic War. We stand with them in their phalanxes Read more …