History 103: Ancient Warfare

Science Center 130

T1145-1310, Th1245-1405

 

Rosemary Moore (moorerl)

Holland Hall 508

x3168

Office hours: MW 1-3, or by appointment. I’m also usually available right after class.

 

I check my email regularly. However, if you have questions concerning course content or administration, I strongly suggest that you ask me in person rather than by emailing me directly. It is likely that your question will be asked by other students, and this will give me a chance to broadcast my answer, so to speak, as well as guarantee you a response.

 

Another option is to use the class email address, history-103@stolaf.edu. I will moderate this list, so to speak. I’ll let students have first shot at answering questions, but I will step in as needed. Feel free to use this list to discuss course issues, arrange study groups, etc.

 

Description:

It is impossible to study ancient history without studying ancient warfare. Greece and especially Rome were very militaristic societies – military values served as an important measure of manhood, and war, not peace, was by far the more common state of affairs. Students in this seminar will receive a broad overview of Greek and Roman history, from the Bronze Age (ca. 1200BCE) to the third century CE, using the militaries of each society as a central focus. A number of issues relevant to ancient warfare will be addressed, including the details of tactics and logistics, the role of the soldier within society, and the repercussions of the general transition in both Greek and Roman civilization from citizen militia to professional army.

 

I would like you to consider several themes as the course progresses: What factors helped determine how each society organized its military? What contributed to changes in military structure over time? What impact did war have on combatants and non-combatants? What were the ideological dimensions of ancient warfare? We will use mostly primary sources to examine these themes and others throughout the course. Therefore, a large part of succeeding within this course is learning methods of interpreting various types of ancient evidence. Since the study of history is as much concerned with the questions asked as the answers, you must examine your own assumptions about the topic as you work towards a consistent method of interpretation.

 

Class will consist of both lecture and discussion. I will provide weekly study questions, so expect to talk about them in class. Be prepared to use course materials to support your opinions. This is a seminar, where we will work together to interpret primary sources to understand history. As you might guess, this means that your attendance and participation is essential to success.


Assignments and grading:

 

3 essays (4pp.) on questions I will provide (60% total, 20% each) due Oct. 17, Nov. 19, and Dec. 5

2 in-class quizzes (10% total, 5% each) on Oct. 1, Nov. 26. These will be short (30 minutes), and consist of identification of important persons and events, short discussion of passages from primary sources, and a map portion.

Final essay exam (20%) on Dec. 13, 1430-1630.

Attendance and participation (10%). Come see me in office hours and get a free 1%!

 

I will take attendance for every class. You have 2 freebies, that is, unexcused absences that will not count against your grade. ALL OTHER ABSENCES will reduce your participation grade UNLESS you inform me prior to class or have a valid medical or family emergency. Sometimes of course things happen unexpectedly. Let me know as soon as possible if you have a personal or academic problem that is affecting your performance. These situations are usually far easier to resolve early on.

 

I have tentative plans for a field trip and viewing movies outside regular class time. I will confirm these later in the term.

 

Books:

Keegan A History of Warfare

Hanson The Western Way of War       

Sage Warfare in Ancient Greece

Thucydides A History of the Peloponnesian War

Keppie The Making of the Roman Army

Campbell The Roman Army 31B.C. – A.D. 337: A Sourcebook

Livy The War with Hannibal

Polybius The Rise of the Roman Empire

Caesar The Gallic War

Caesar The Civil War

I will also hand out primary source readings every week along with questions to check comprehension as well as stimulate interpretive approaches.

 

All books are available in the St. Olaf Bookstore in Buntrock Commons

 

Lecture schedule with assigned readings:

 

Please complete assigned readings before lecture. Keep your eye on email and the course web page. I expect that class topics and assignments will shift as we progress through the term.

 

Sept. 5             Introduction, definitions and presumptions concerning warfare; the sources: problems and considerations

Sept. 10           Differences between ancient and modern militaries: terms of service,

organization, conditions of warfare (Keegan "Stone," 169-182 (Assyria), 221-34 (armies)

Sept. 12           Bronze Age warfare: Homer, the Near East and its influence

(Keegan 169-182; Sage 1-24; handout with accounts of Sennacherib, Sargon II, look at www.mesopotamia.co.uk on Assyrian warfare)

Sept. 17           The rise of the phalanx and the decline of the hero (Hanson Part I, Sage 25-31, handout – Homer Iliad 2 Catalogue of Ships)

Sept. 19           How to fight in a phalanx; the Greek polis and hoplite warfare, military glory and the state (Hanson Parts II and IV, Sage 38-55, 72-81, 94-107, Thucydides 2.34-56, handout – Iliad 6)

Sept. 24           Citizenship and army service cont.; Greece and its place within the Eastern Mediterranean world; the Persian wars – Marathon, Xerxes' later expedition (Sage 31-32, handout – Herodotus 6.101-117, 6.120-124, 7.19-59)

Sept. 26           The Persian wars, cont., Thermopylae, Salamis, "Hellenism" and the emergence of the Delian League (Sage 66-72, 81-94, Powell 1-34, handout – Herodotus 7.201-234, 8.70-98)

Oct. 1              The Spartan system (Powell 97-103, 218-238, 241-243, 251-256; Sage 35-38, 63-64, handout – Plutarch, Spartan Sayings Xenophon, Constitution of Sparta (excerpts)

IN-CLASS QUIZ

Oct. 3              Classical Athens: the growth of navy and empire (Powell 35-96, Thucydides 1.89-117)

Oct. 8              The Peloponnesian Wars (with apologies to the Penguin edition): the Archidamian (or Ten-Year) war (Powell 138-167, Thucydides 2.1-33, 2.47-65, 2.71-94, 3.1-68)

Oct. 10            The Peloponnesian Wars (Pylos, the Nikian peace, the Sicilian expedition) and aftermath (Powell 167-201, Thucydides 4.1-41, 5.84-116, 6.8-32, 6.42-52, 6.62-72, 6.94-7.18, 7.59-87)

Oct. 15            Siege warfare and mercenaries (Sage 107-120, 147-161, handout from Xenophon’s Anabasis)

Oct. 17            Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great: conquest in Greece and beyond (Sage 135-146, 162-196)

                        1ST ESSAY DUE OCT. 17

Oct. 22                        FALL BREAK

Oct. 24            From Macedonia to India and back again – the logistics of Alexander’s army (handout – portions of histories of Alexander, Herodotus on Xerxes’ march through Greece, for comparison read Livy 21.28, 21.31-38, the famous account of Hannibal crossing the Alps)

Oct. 29            The Hellenistic age and the rise of Rome (Sage 197-227, Keppie 14-24, Polybius 508-512)

Oct. 31            The legion and the citizen: Polybius’ analysis of the Roman army and the Roman constitution (Keppie 33-56, Polybius pp.318-338)

Nov. 5             Carthage and Rome (Keppie 24-33, Livy 21.1-27, 21.39-59, Polybius pp. 244-261, 267-76, 464-482)

Nov. 7             The crisis of the second century: from citizen militia to standing army (Livy 28.19-33, 29.14-15, 30.42-45, handout – Plutarch Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, Appian on Numantia)

Nov. 12           Marius and the popular army: repercussions (Keppie 57-69, handout – excerpts from Sallust Jugurtha, Plutarch Marius)

Nov. 14           Sulla, Pompey and Caesar (Keppie 69-102, Caesar Gallic War 1.29-54, 4.16-37, 5.38-54, 7.59-90)

Nov. 19           Civil wars and shifting loyalties (Keppie 103-131, Caesar Civil War 1 (entire), 3.39-99, [Caesar] The African War 79-86)

                        2ND ESSAY DUE NOV. 19

Nov. 21           The Roman imperial army – professionalism, emperor and soldier (Keppie 145-171, Campbell sel. 3-10, 16-20, 23, 24, 32-35, 44-46, 59-61, 84-86, 101, 112, 118-124, 131-133, 139)

Nov. 26           Civil wars and wars of conquest – 69CE and Trajan’s Column (Keppie 172-198, Campbell pp. 79-109, also review http://cheiron.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~trajan/)

                        IN-CLASS QUIZ

Nov. 28           THANKSGIVING

Dec. 3              The army and the frontier – life in and around camp (Campbell sel. 179, 183, 186, 189, 192, 194, 197, 204, 207, 210-212, 228, 240, 244, 246, 251, 254-260, 291, 294-5, 298)

Dec. 5              Army, state, legacy (Campbell pp. 181-192)

                        3RD ESSAY DUE DEC. 5

Dec. 10            The transition to late empire; conclusions (catch-up day; please bring questions)

FINAL EXAM DEC. 13 1430-1630