WARFARE & ATHLETICS IN ANTIQUITY

Arrian's Taktika: A Manual for Ancient Warfare and War against the Alans. Ed. James G. DeVoto.

Arrian's essay on the tactical art is essentially an idealized reconstruction of a Hellenistic army in which Macedonian principles of organization predominate, but with many features surviving from the classical epoch. The work (Greek text with facing English translation) was intended to be an instruction manual for the emperor Trajan and is, for the first time, available to anyone interested in the Roman imperial army. ISBN 0-89005-517-3. viii + 132pp + maps Pb. $15.00

The Shield Devices of the Greeks in Art and Literature. G. H. Chase.

A careful collection and comparison of the evidence, monumental as well as literary, affording a clearer conception of the principles underlying the choice of shield devices. Chase's 1902 monograph has not been superseded. Almost every admirer of the art of Greek vase-painting, looking at the scenes of fighting warriors depicted on many of them, has wondered one time or another about the meaning of the various shield devices. Can we base on them a system of heraldic distinctions that can make some of those battle scenes identifiable with historical or mythological events? ISBN 0-89005-260-3. 72pp + 16pll $12.50

The Auxilia of the Roman Imperial Army. G. L. Cheesman.

Beginning with the military reforms of Augustus, the author proceeds to examine the strength and organization of the Roman auxiliary regiments as well as their recruits and distribution throughout the empire. Special sections cover the use of auxilia for war and frontier defense as well as their arms and armor. ISBN 0-089005-096-1. 192pp Pb. $15.00

The Mercenaries of the Hellenistic World. G. T. Griffith.

Evidence from papyri inscriptions and ancient writers examine the role and influence of mercenaries on the policies, diplomacy, wars and conquests of the Hellenistic dynasties. ISBN 0-89005-085-6. 340pp Hb. $25.00

Caesar's Army. Henry Pratt Judson.

Pratt has written a clear, concise treatise on the Roman military organization as it was reformed under Julius Caesar. Drawn primarily from Caesar's Commentary on the Gallic War, Pratt has added many maps, which prove to be an indispensable aid in comprehending the geographical situation of the various campaigns. A new bibliography has been added. ISBN 0-89005-539-4. 131pp Hb. $20.00

Trajan's Parthian War and Arrian's Parthika. F. A. Lepper.

Lepper's work is the most thorough investigation into Trajan's campaigns in Mesopotamia. The book describes the causes of the war, the Roman route of march, supply and the outcome. J. G. DeVoto has added Arrian's Parthika which is here translated for the first time. The Parthika describes the terrain, social and military customs of the Parthians as well as aspects of Trajan's war. ISBN 0-89005-530-0. 262pp Hb. $30.00

The Origins of the Professional Roman Soldier. M. C. J. Miller.

The book reviews the development of military service at Rome before to "so-called" reforms of Marius. The changing attitude of the Roman soldier from citizen militiaman to paid professional is thoroughly discussed. A comparison to contemporary Hellenistic practice is also examined. ISBN 0-89005-584-X. ca. 250 pp. Due 12/05

Greek Mercenary Soldiers. H. W. Parke.

An account of the mercenary Greek soldier from the earliest times to the end of the Hellenistic kingdoms. The work deals not only with the military aspect of the rise of the mercenary but also the social and political impact of these "soldiers-for-hire". ISBN 0-89005-386-3. 250pp Pb. $20.00

The Roman Legions. H. M. D. Parker.

The history of the Roman legions seems to have attracted more attention on the Continent than in this country, and the absence of any comprehensive work in English on the subject may perhaps justify the appearance of this book. The period selected for study starts with the Marian army reforms and ends with the accession of Septimius Serverus. The main purpose of the book is to examine the internal organization of the legions, the areas from which they drew their recruits, and the conditions under which their soldiers served and were discharged. An attempt has also been made to trace; the movements of the legions in the first two centuries of the Principate, the circumstances in which new units were raised and the normal orders of battle and march, while in the Introduction the stages by which the army developed in the pre-Marian Republic have been sketched in outline. ISBN: 0-89005-356-1. 296pp Pb. $20.00

Philon and Heron: Artillery and Siegecraft in Antiquity. Ed. James G. DeVoto.

Until the coming of Demetrius Poliorcetes the walled cities were usually sufficient protection from an invading army. But Demetrius would not let something like a wall prevent him from capturing a place. With this king begins the use of artillery either to breach city walls or even to play havoc among the troops of an advancing enemy. These two treatises, translated for the first time into English, will be of interest to students of ancient warfare, especially siegecraft. The works contain information on the construction of various siege engines and is accompanied by numerous plates. ISBN 0-89005-561-0. Pb. $15.00

Polyaenus. The Stratagems of War. 2 vols. Edd. P. Krentz and E. Wheeler.

A riotous account of bluffs, subterfuges and sly tricks used by ancient Greek military commanders to win and sometimes lose large and small battles in ancient times. No complicated terminology or accounts of dull maneuvers, but rather a quick-witted narration of Greek outsmarting Greek. ISBN 0-89005503-3/504-1. xxxiii + 549pp/iii + 542pp Pb. $50.00

Polybius and Ps.-Hyginus. The Fortification of the Roman camp. Edd. M. C. J. Miller and James G. DeVoto.

Particular to the Romans was the nearly daily task of castramentation in which a level site near water, woods and forage was sought. No other writer of the Republican era thought it necessary to describe this routine as it must have seemed commonplace and pedantic to the average Roman. But Polybius, writing for a Greek audience, saw in this particular feature of Roman military life that attitude which made the crucial difference between the Roman and the Greek.

These two important texts, of which pseudo-Hyginus is translated for the first time serve as the basis for any attempt to understand the construction, organization and daily routine of the Roman military camp in the late Republican and early imperial epochs. At the end of this book there are a series of plates which detail the layout of various Roman camps, scenes of their construction and some of the rewards which soldiers received for demonstrating conspicuous bravery on the field of battle. ISBN 0-89005-518-1. vi + 120pp + 20pll Pb. $15.00

The Vigiles of Imperial Rome. P. K. B. Reynolds.

Rome, like many other ancient cities, relied on the good behavior of its citizens to maintain order. During the latter years of the Republic, as politics became more violent, the Romans saw the need for a publicly paid police force. The first emperor Augustus institutionalized the vigiles as the policemen of Rome. Reynolds' book is a description of this force, its recruitment, location in the city, and its role in the daily life of imperial Rome. ISBN 0-89005-552-1. Pp + pll. Pb. $15.00

The Roman Imperial Navy. 3^rd ed. Chester G. Starr.

The Roman Imperial Navy, written by Chester G. Starr in 1941, has remained the reference book on naval matters during the Roman Empire. In the second edition of 1959 the author corrected some minor misprints. The present editor could make only two additions to this outstanding work. The first was to supply the reader with a current bibliography which follows the List of Abbreviations. The second was to provide plates which help illustrate Roman imperial war ships and related vessels. ISBN 0-89005-544-0. xvii + 250pp Hb. $30.00

Hellenistic Military and Naval Developments. W. W. Tarn.

Tarn describes the development of Greek warfare by the addition of elephants, camels and artillery. Includes a special section on improved siege and naval methods in Hellenistic times. ISBN 0-89005-086-4. vi + 170pp Pb. $15.00

A Roman Reformer and Inventor. E. A. Thompson.

Latin text with following English translation of the treatise De Rebus Bellicis. The work is a manual for reforming not just the Roman army but also finance, currency, provincial administration and the law in the era following the reign of Constantine the Great but prior to the defeat at Hadrianople (378 AD). ISBN 0-89005-559-9. 132 pp + 13 figs. Pb. $15.00

Athletics of the Ancient World. E. Norman Gardiner.

With a Preface to the American Edition by Prof. Stephen G. Miller, University of California at Berkeley. "Nearly half a century has passed since the original appearance of E. Norman Gardiner's Athletics of the Ancient World. In the interval many discoveries have been made which ought to have rendered Gardiner's work obsolete; many books have been written on the subject which ought to have replaced Athletics of the Ancient World. It has, however, not been replaced as is shown not only by this, but also by previous reprints in 1955, 1965, 1970, and 1971, all of which have sold out making the book once more unavailable. The principal reason for the continued usefulness of AAW lies with its author. E. Norman Gardiner was recognized during his own lifetime as the unrivaled authority on Greek Athletics.

The timelessness of Gardiner's work lies, then, partly in his enormous learning It lies even more, however, in his ability to write intelligibly for both the interested layman and the specialized scholar The status of our knowledge is made clear, the source of information obvious, problems well defined, but never to the confusion of the reader His learning sits gracefully upon his lucid prose, and one recognizes that Gardiner knew his subject matter intimately, cared for it tremendously, and wanted to share it generously." From the Preface by S. G. Miller. ISBN 0-89005-257-3. xviii + 246pp + 64pll Pb. $25.00

De Olympionicarum Statuis a Pausania Commemoratis. G. Hyde.

Hyde's work is a superb study for anyone wishing to understand the relationship of the olympian victors to those whose names were inscribed on the bases of the statues observed by Pausanias when he visited Olympia in the second century A. D. The names from Pausanias' record and the inscriptions found upon bases excavated by archeologists complete and verify the traditional list of the Olympian victors. ISBN 0-89005-341-3. 80pp Hb. $15.00

Zur Geschichte der Gymnischen Agone an Griechischen Festen. T. Klee.

Klee's monograph on the Greek games and the festivals connected with them is heavily based upon the epigraphical evidence available before 1914. Despite this fact, however, his work is internationally recognized as one of the few major classics of the history of Greek athletics. ISBN 0-89005-336-7. 136pp Hb. $20.00

Die Periodiniken: Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der gymnischen Agone an den 4 griechischen Hauptfesten. R. Knab.

The Periodonikai or victors in the cycle (periodos) of the four Pan-hellenic festivals mark the beginning of professional athletics in the classical world. Particularly during the Roman Empire, they won widespread recognition both in the provinces and in Rome. Knab lists chronologically and alphabetically all the known Periodonikai from the 6th c. B.C. to the 3rd c. A.D. References to all authors and inscriptions mentioning Periodonikai are included. ISBN 0-89005-330-8. vii + 83pp Pb. $15.00

Arete: Ancient Writers, Papyri, and Inscriptions on the History and Ideals of Greek Athletics and Games. Stephen G. Miller.

This book has arisen from a need to put into the hands of students ancient readings which provide evidence for and reveal various aspects of Greek athletics. ISBN 0-89005-313-8. vi + 114pp Pb. $12.50

The Military Nature of Greek Athletic Contests. Nancy B. Reed.

Reed's work demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between ancient Greek athletic competition and warfare. ISBN 0-89005-572-6. ca.120pp. + illus. $15.00

Sources for the History of Greek Athletics. Rachel Robinson.

In the present edition three new chapters have been written: The Legendary Origins of Games at Olympia; The Rise of Organized Athletics; the Hellenistic Age. Many new translations have been added and representative evidence from inscriptions and papyri has now been included. The copious notes seek not only to explain certain aspects of the translations but also to provide essential information for those who would investigate more deeply the many unresolved problems of athletic history. ISBN 0-89005-297-2. xii + 289pp Pb. $20.00

Sextus Julius Africanus' List of Olympian Victors. Ed. R. Rutgers.

The text of Sextus Julius Africanus is an essential reference for the student of ancient Greek history and athletics. Rutgers has produced an excellent critical edition of the Greek text, adding in footnotes all parallel texts of both Greek and Latin writers, and completing his work with a superb collection of testimonia of Olympian victors and victories not recorded by Sextus Julius Africanus. A detailed Index-Nominum makes the book a true Prosopographia Olympionicarum; a unique reference in which all available information on Olympian victors and their victories is recorded with every necessary detail. ISBN 0-89005-351-0. 196pp Pb. $20.00

Greek and Roman Athletics: A Bibliography. Thomas F. Scanlon.

An extensive bibliography covering both Greek and Roman athletics and including works from as early as 1573 to 1983 cannot be absolutely complete. This is due somewhat to the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, to the occasionally obscure and scattered sources and to deliberate selectivity. But such a comprehensive research tool long overdue for students and scholars in a growing field should foster research and teaching at all levels. ISBN 0-89005-522-X. 142pp Pb. $10.00

The Olympic Myth of Greek Amateur Athletics. David C. Young.

Ancient amateurism is a myth. No victor in the Olympic Games of classical Greece would even be eligible for their modern counterpart. Ancient athletes regularly competed for valuable prizes in other games before they reached the Olympics, and they openly profited from athletics whenever they could. Yet the public still imagines an idealistically motivated Greek athlete who never competed for more than an olive crown and some glory. And even classical specialists cannot say when professional athletes first appeared in Greece, nor precisely how they differed from the amateurs. The confusion is worse than we admit. There is no mention of amateurism in Greek sources, no reference to amateur athletes -- no evidence that the concept "amateurism" was even known in antiquity. The truth is that "amateur" is one thing for which the ancient Greeks never even had a word.

Our conviction that there were amateur athletes of some kind at some time in antiquity does not come from ancient texts; it comes from works published in the past century, written by men who were promoting a modern cause and a modern idea. They wished to represent Greece as an ancient precedent for the athletic system which they themselves preferred. ISBN 0-89005-523-8. xii + 203pp Pb. $15.00

Return to Current Titles