The Greeks perceived warfare as a heroic activity, often modelling their descriptions of military conflicts on language used in epics such as Homer’s Iliad. Most of these wars were fought by hoplites, trained citizen-soldiers with spears and shields who were almost always present on the battlefields of Archaic Greece.  

Theme: From heroes to hoplites - warfare in Archaic Greece

• Seán Hußmann, 'Introduction to the theme'
• Owen Rees, 'Poetic licence - Using Homer as history '
• Dimitrios Katsidis, 'The reenactor - Walking statues'
• Cezary Kucewicz, 'Age of 'heroes' - The rules of war in Archaic Greece'
• Paul McDonnell-Staff, 'Where the fighting is hand to hand - The origins of the hoplite phalanx'
• Vassilis Pergalias, 'Dawn of Spartan expansionism - The First Messenian War'
• Gareth Williams, 'From rags to riches - Tyranny and the hoplite reform'
• Murray Dahm, 'The find - Twins, chariot warfare and Late Geometric art'

• Arnold Blumberg, 'Assault from the sea - Germanic piracy during the 3rd and 4th centuries AD'
• Duncan B. Campbell, 'The debate - Death in the dark at Dura-Europos'