Topics discussed are the Greek phalanx, the agrarian crisis in Rome and the effect on the Roman soldiers, and the 'barbarization' of the Roman army and the role it played in the fall of the empire.Ĭhapter 4 covers the way the Greeks and Romans thought about war. The Greeks and Romans, for example, thought that war was an occupation for men although women did play a role in warfare, it was extremely minor and limited to minute aid during battles.Ĭhapter 3 is about the role war-making itself changed Greek and Roman society. The western way of war, roughly put, is the fight for freedom in an open, hand-to-hand fighting style instilled by discipline and courage.Ĭhapter 2 discusses how the Greeks and Romans used war to structure their thoughts on culture, gender, and the individual. Regardless, it is still a great introduction into the world of Ancient Greek and Roman warfare.Ĭhapter 1 discusses the origins of the western way of war - from the Greeks' fighting against the Persians during the Persian Wars. This book would be better titled: 'The Ancient Western Way of War' or 'The Ancient Greek and Roman Way of War.' 'Ancient Warfare' may be misleading to those whom wish to learn warfare from other civilizations.