The Classical Age of Greece produced some of history's best-known generals and commanders. They include the Spartan king Leonidas, who embodied his countrymen's heroic ethos in the battle of Thermopylae; the Athenian leader Themistocles, credited as the architect of Athens' naval power and of the Greek victory over the Persians; the famous democratic leader, Pericles, who prepared Athens and directed its conflict with Sparta, known as the Peloponnesian War; the Athenian general Demosthenes, who deviated from contemporary conventions of warfare with his innovative approach; the Spartan general Lysander, who won the Peloponnesian War for Sparta; Dionysius I of Syracuse, arguably the most innovative and best skilled of the eight generals discussed in this book; and Epaminondas and Pelopidas who together transformed their city, Thebes, into an hegemonic power.
The Classical Art of Command gives readers a unique opportunity to examine the variegated nature of Greek generalship through the individual careers of eight prominent commanders. It describes the attributes of these leaders' command, the many facets of their individual careers and stratagems, and the mark they left on Greek history and warfare. It draws attention to the important role that personality played in their leadership. Joseph Roisman investigates how these generals designed and executed military campaigns and strategy, and to what degree they were responsible for the results. The volume also looks at how the Greek art of command changed during the Classical Age, and how adaptable it was to different military challenges. Other questions involve the extent to which a general was a mere leader of the charge, a battle director, or a strategist, and what made both ancient and modern authorities regard these eight generals as outstanding shapers of military history. Filled with original analyses and accessible accounts of legendary battles, The Classical Art of Command will appeal to all readers with an interest in ancient warfare and generalship.
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Joseph Roisman

Oxford Institute for Energy Studies

German Historical Institute London

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

New York, NY, 2017

Feb 27, 2017

1, PS, 2017

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Source title: The Classical Art of Command: Eight Greek Generals Who Shaped the History of Warfare

Cover 1
The Classical Art of Command 4
Copyright 5
Dedication 6
Contents 8
Maps and Illustrations 12
Preface 14
List of Abbreviations 16
Introduction: Greek Generals and Warfare
in the Classical Age 20
Eight Greek Generals 20
Two Generals in Action 23
Greek Generals: Responsibilities
and Personality 26
What Generals Did, Their Qualifications,
and Their Offices 28
Land Warfare 33
The Armies of Sparta, Athens, Boeotia, Syracuse, Persia, and Carthage 37
Greek Battleships and Navies 41
1 Leonidas of Sparta: The Lion at the Gates 44
Leonidas’ Sparta and His Military Challenges 44
The Threat of War 47
Preliminaries to the Battle
of Thermopylae 51
Leonidas in Thermopylae 55
The Aftermath 71
Conclusion 74
2 Themistocles of Athens: The Clever Counselor 76
Themistocles, His City, and His
Military Challenges 76
Themistocles and the Athenian Navy 79
Themistocles and the Persian War Till
the Battle of Artemisium 82
Themistocles in Artemisium 86
The Battle of Salamis 91
Themistocles after Salamis 110
Conclusion 118
3 Pericles of Athens: The Magisterial Commander 120
Pericles, Athenian Democracy, and His
Military Challenges 120
Pericles’ Generalship Prior to the War
Against Samos (463/​2–​441) 122
The Samian Revolt 130
Pericles’ Strategy of the Peloponnesian War 140
Pericles and the Peloponnesian War: The Limits of His Strategy 144
Conclusion 160
4 Demosthenes of Athens: The Master
of Surprise 164
Demosthenes and His Military Challenges 164
Defeat and Victories in Western Greece 167
Astonishing Success in Pylos 171
Sneak Attack on Megara 182
Coming Out Empty-​Handed in Boeotia 187
Disaster in Sicily 192
Conclusion 203
5 Lysander of Sparta: The Lion and the Fox 206
Lysander and His Military Challenges 206
Lysander’s First Admiralship and the Battle
of Notium 208
Victory at Aegospotami 216
Lysander and the Spartan Empire 225
The Fall of a Hero 234
Conclusion 244
6 Dionysius I of Syracuse: The Evolution
of a General 246
Dionysius’ Syracuse and His Military Challenges 246
Dionysius’ Early Career Up to the Battle
of Gela (405) 249
The Buildup of Syracuse’s Power 257
Preparations for the Second Carthaginian
War (397–​392) 260
The Siege of Motya 265
Besieged in Syracuse 271
Campaigns in Southern Italy (ca. 396–​383) 278
The Third and Fourth Carthaginian
Wars (383–​367) 286
Conclusion 290
7 Epaminondas and Pelopidas of Thebes: The Double-​Edged Returns of Daring 294
Epaminondas and Pelopidas, Their Military Challenges and Their City 294
Revolution in Thebes 296
The Sacred Band and the Battle of Tegyra (375) 300
The Battle of Leuctra (371) 305
Theban Supremacy and the First Invasion
of the Peloponnese 317
The Second Invasion of the Peloponnese 324
Pelopidas’ Missteps in Thessaly 328
The Third Invasion of the Peloponnese
and the Naval Bill 332
Pelopidas’ Last Battle 336
Epaminondas’ Last Battle 341
Conclusion 356
Conclusion 360
The Art of Command: Planning, Management, and Tactics 361
The Art of Command: Personality 364
Bibliography 368
A. The Main Ancient Sources 368
B. Modern Sources 372
Index 394

This book examines the many facets of Greek leadership during the Classical Age through the unique perspective of eight generals regarded as outstanding shapers of Greek military history. The work also draws attention to the important role that the general's personality played in his command.

2025-10-27