Analysis of Ancient Greek Warfare: Bronze Age Tactics & Polis Rise

This essay examines the evolution of ancient Greek warfare, beginning with the archaeological evidence from the late Bronze Age (1600-1100 BC), where war chariots were the primary offensive weapon. The transition from the Bronze Age to the Dark Age (11th-8th century) saw the introduction of iron weapons and the rise of heroic figures, as depicted by Homer. The essay highlights the hoplite revolution around 700 BC, which fundamentally impacted the rise of the polis. It discusses the equipment used during this period, including spears, helmets, shields, and swords, and how the emergence of heroic figures influenced the distribution of political power within communities. The essay also references examples from the Iliad to illustrate the fighting styles and ethos of the era.

Running head: ANCIENT HISTORY
Ancient History
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Author Note

2ANCIENT HISTORY
In their article, the authors illustrated the study of ancient Greek warfare which began
with the introduction of the fighting techniques from the archaeological remains of the late
Bronze Age ranging from the year 1600-II00 BC. The author illustrates some of the situation in
the contemporary near the east targeting how the war chariot had been the main offensive arm of
the military of the king of their reign. The chapter of the book furthermore illustrated the
ensuring period from the eleventh to the eight century is called the Dark Age which is
furthermore notable to the history of the military for the introduction of the iron weapons. The
authors of the book shed the light on the basic level arguing the hoplite orthodoxy that took place
in the warfare of the Greek in and around 7700 BC. The book argued how this particular era had
fundamental importance for the rise of the polis. The chapter furthermore illustrated some of the
main equipments that were used in that era. These included short throwing spears, open face
helmet, round single grip shield and sword. Due to the emergence of the heroic figure that bore
the brunt of the battle towards the protection of the communities, the chapter illustrated how the
community followed the monopoly towards the political powers. The chapter furthermore
highlights examples of Iliad and projects some of the brilliant expressions of the style of te
fighting and the ethos of the period like the famous fights of the duels among Menelaus and
Paris, Ajax and Hector and more.

3ANCIENT HISTORY