Greek Hoplite 480-323 BC (Warrior) [Paperback]

Nicholas Sekunda (Author), Adam Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Warrior | Publication Date: December 25, 2000

The Greek hoplite, the archetypal spear-armed warrior, is perhaps the most prevalent figure in our view of the 'Golden Age' of Ancient Greek civilisation. It was during this period that the state began to take greater responsibility for military organisation, and the arming and equipping of its citizens. From the victory at Marathon over Darius of Persia (490 BC), through bitter inter-state warfare, to the rise of Philip of Macedonia and his son Alexander the Great, the hoplite soldier was in the front-line. This title narrates the life and experiences of the common Greek warrior, how he was recruited, trained and fought, and also looks in detail at how his weapons, armour, shields and helmets developed in the course of time.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Insights into the real lives of history's fighting men, packed with full colour illustrations, highly detailed cutaways, exploded artwork of weaponry and armour, and action-packed battle scenes.

About the Author

Nicholas Sekunda was born in 1953. After studying Ancient History and Archaeology at Manchester University, he went on to take his Ph.D. in 1981. He has taken part in archaeological excavations in Poland, Iran and Greece, participated in a research project on ancient Persian warfare for the British institute of Persian Studies. He has published numerous books and academic articles, and is currently teaching at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology in Torun, Poland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (December 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855328674
• ISBN-13: 978-1855328679
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The citizen soldier, his role in the classical Greek warfare, February 14, 2004

By 

Eduardo J. Tellez A (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Greek Hoplite 480-323 BC (Warrior) (Paperback)

What I like about the books of Nick Sekunda is that he always try to make it easy for the common guy, the text is not too academic and not dry like other Osprey Writers, I like the way he put the source, when a author point out the sources he is given you a great help, I always like to start with a book which can guide to another great source of the same theme.

In this book we follow the life common Hoplite and experiences Training,Motivation and Preparation for the Hoplite Battle, the author provides full detail on what they wore, how they fought, and how their function fitted into the structure of Greek society.

We also can see the how his weapons, armour, shields and helmets developed in the course of time, the development of the arms and armour from the pilo helmet to the Phrygian Helmet with 10 fabulous pieces of artwork from Adam Hook with a lot of black and white photos.

The book belongs on every classicist's shelf or fan of the Armours, this is what I enjoy the most of this books the description of the equipment wore by the typical soldier that dominated the classical Greek warfare, you would learn a lot,the volume presents the hoplite during the classical era from the Battle of Salamis to the death of Alexander the Great as clearly as can be imagined.

To learn more about the Warfare in the Classical Period or the Arms and Armours of the Hoplite you should star with the book of "Arms and Armor of the Greeks" by Anthony, M. Snodgrass another great writer is Peter Connolly check "Greece and Rome at War" many illustration and also "Warfare in the Classical World" by John Gibson Warry, "The Wars of the Ancient Greeks" by Victor Davis Hanson(Cassell History of Warfare series)"Thermopylae:The Battle for the West" by Ernle Bradford is an accessible narrative, also give a inside the Greek world and the warfare but if you want more of the Spartan,Hoplite and the Hot Gates check "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield is a novel but with a lot of detail, from the author of the book there are many titles always from Osprey Marathon 490 BC(Campaign 108)is very useful.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars not nearly enough, April 2, 2007

By 

K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greek Hoplite 480-323 BC (Warrior) (Paperback)

If you could have only one book on Greek heavy infantry warfare, this would be it. It examines every facet of the warrior's life in war and peace, in combat and at ease, including gear, appearance, tactics, and personal experience in battle. Gave a very easy-to-read introduction to hoplite battle tactics, and the plates supplement the text well. The plate commentary is extremely detailed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Flawless, July 10, 2006

By 

Napoleon Bonaparte "Nappy" (St. Helena, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Greek Hoplite 480-323 BC (Warrior) (Paperback)

Nicholas Sekunda has produced a masterpiece with "Greek Hoplite". He goes into excellent detail describing the training of hoplites, their weapons and equipment, their organization on campaign, and their battle tactics. He also makes excellent use of primary sources, quoting Xenophon, Plutarch, and even the Greek tragedian Aeschylus. The colour plates are also vividly drawn. I honestly cannot think of anything bad to say about this book.