farmers, shields and money: an iterative approach to the rise of the greek polis
DESCRIPTION
Slides for a presentation I did at SUNY Empire State College's 2014 Student Academic Conference. I review the "Hoplite Debate" by looking at the work of Victor Davis Hanson, Hans Van Wees, and John R. Hale. Each debates the significance the role Greek Hoplites played in the beginnings of democracy in Ancient Greece. I try to synthesize the points of contention in an iterative approach.TRANSCRIPT
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Farmers, shields and moneyAn iterative approach to the rise of the Greek Polis
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Introduction
•Mike Lally•Fairport, NY•Historical Studies•Ancient History•Project Manager/Scrum Master
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Why Hoplites?
•Donald Kagan• Introduction to Ancient Greek History•Men of Bronze
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Greek Polis
•8th c. – 6th c. BC•Hereditary aristocracies / Tyrants•Beginnings of democracy•Monarchies to republics•Lack of available arable land
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Hoplite Orthodoxy Defined
•Kagan’s definition•Sudden innovations in arms and armor•Phalanx tactics•Hoplites emerged from a middling group•Group transformed Greek values
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Innovation in arms and armor
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Phalanx
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Phalanx
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Hans van Wees John R. Hale
Victor Davis Hanson
The Contenders
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ScoreboardOrthodox Definition
Hanson
Van Wees Hale
Sudden change in arms and armor
Hoplite phalanx depended on closed order battle
Hoplites emerged from a Middling group that bought their own gear
Middling group transformed Greek values
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Hanson (Orthodox)
•The Western Way of War & The Other Greeks• Its about protecting the farm land•Middling group were farmers•Sudden Change in arms and armor•New arms and armor mandated the phalanx•Othismos
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ScoreboardOrthodox Definition
Hanson
Van Wees Hale
Sudden change in arms and armor
Yes
Hoplite phalanx depended on closed order battle
Yes
Hoplites emerged from a Middling group that bought their own gear
Yes
Middling group transformed Greek values
Yes
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Van Wees (Revisionist)
•The Homeric Way of War: The “Iliad” and the Hoplite Phalanx•Double-grip shield not a big deal•Phalanx not primary form of combat•Hoplites emerged from aristocrats•Not a force of political change
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Phalanx vs. Open Order
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More Van WeesWeapon Iliad
Spear (cast) 87 42%Spear (thrust) 79 38%Spear (all) 166 81%
Sword 19 9%Arrow 21 10%
Total 206
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Gardens of War
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ScoreboardOrthodox Definition
Hanson
Van Wees Hale
Sudden change in arms and armor
Yes No. Slow adoption
Hoplite phalanx depended on closed order battle
Yes No. Battle was mixed.
Hoplites emerged from a Middling group that bought their own gear
Yes No. Hoplites were Aristocrats
Middling group transformed Greek values
Yes No. Aristocrats fought for their individual polis
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John R. Hale
•Nino Luraghi’s “Traders, Pirates, Warriors: The Proto-History of Greek Mercenary Soliders in the Eastern Mediterranean”•Hoplites as MERCENARIES•Proof in documents from Egypt•Poetry of Archilochus and Alcaeus•Amathus Bowl
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Amathus Bowl
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John R. Hale
•Conflicting sources about shield and armor•Phalanx tactics emerged from shield wall tactics•Hoplites were mercenaries
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Hale and Van Wees
“The kingdoms of Egypt and the Near East had hired soldiers for their expeditionary forces, garrison troops, and rebel armies since the Late Bronze Age, and they had employed Greeks at least since the 7th century.” – Hans Van Wees 2004
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ScoreboardOrthodox Definition
Hanson
Van Wees Hale
Sudden change in arms and armor
Yes No. Slow adoption
Maybe.
Hoplite phalanx depended on closed order battle
Yes No. Battle was mixed.
Yes. Emerged from beach landing tactics
Hoplites emerged from a Middling group that bought their own gear
Yes No. Hoplites were Aristocrats
No. Returning mercenaries with wealth and own kit.
Middling group transformed Greek values
Yes No. Aristocrats fought for their individual polis
Yes.
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CAN’T WE ALL JUST
GET ALONG?
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Synthesis
•No revolution• Iterative evolution•Gradual change over hundreds of years
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Support from Hale
“Mercenary service and raiding expeditions were
part of the environment in which Greek hoplites EVOLVED.” [my emphasis]