The armies of ancient Greece and Rome have gained legendary status. Both militaries successfully conquered much of the known world in their respective eras.
But what made them so formidable? Technological innovation? Novel strategies? Plain old grit?
My guest today on the podcast argues that it was the Greek and Roman armies' reverence for their mythic pasts that made them great. His name is J. E. Lendon (he goes by Ted). He's a classical scholar and the author of Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity.
Today on the show, Ted and I discuss how the ghosts of the Iliad and the Odyssey haunted Greek soldiers, the ways in which both the Greeks and Romans ritualized warfare, and why the Ancient Greeks made a competition out of everything. We also discuss the competing virtues of courage and discipline within the Roman army. This is a riveting conversation with fascinating insights into ancient notions of masculinity.
Show Highlights
How American soldiers' approach to fallen comrades is similar to that of the ancient Greeks
The ritualization of warfare by the Ancient Greeks and why they did it
Why the Greeks and Romans made everything a competition, from battle to bird watching
How Greek competition made them cooperative
How the Homeric epics inspired Greek innovations in warfare
Why archers disappeared from Greek armies (and what it has do with manliness)
How the Greek phalanx was developed to pay homage to the single combat depicted in The Iliad
How the Greek phalanx turned courage from an active to passive virtue
Why the Greek phalanx turned warfare into a game like football
The source of tradition that guided the ancient Romans in warfare
How the Romans fought in the early days of the Republic and how it changed as they became an empire
The competing virtues of virtus and disciplina in the Roman military
Why Roman general Manlius Torquatus executed his own son for being too brave
How our modern American military reward system is very similar to the ancient Romans'
Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquityis an extremely interesting and readable account of ancient warfare. You not only will learn a lot about Greek and Roman history, but also about notions of manliness within these two cultures.
Listen to the Podcast! (And don't forget to leave us a review!)
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