10-08-2006, 01:11 AM
I just finished reading this book and I think it is sympathic. Still, I can not deny that I felt that the Greek chapters were less than the Roman ones. In fact, I found the book becoming better and better. (And yes, this means that I found the notes the most useful...)
What I do not like about the Greek chapters is that I thought that Lendon was stressing something we already know. Homer was everywhere, not in the least because almost any statement can be defended by quoting one of his poems. Lendon admits as much somewhere. (With equal validity, we can say that modern western warfare is based upon the Bible, because this book is also a large set of often contradictory statements. You can always find something.) This makes Lendon's thesis a bit gratuitous (if this is the correct English word).
On the other hand, I found the Roman chapters very interesting. I had never realized how much antiquarianism was there in ancient Roman warfare. The chapter on Julian I found splendid. I wonder whether the expression comitatenses is not a translation of hetairoi (Macedonian cavalry).
Finally: isn't there always a past sitting upon our shoulders? Aren't generals not always fighting the preceding war?
What I do not like about the Greek chapters is that I thought that Lendon was stressing something we already know. Homer was everywhere, not in the least because almost any statement can be defended by quoting one of his poems. Lendon admits as much somewhere. (With equal validity, we can say that modern western warfare is based upon the Bible, because this book is also a large set of often contradictory statements. You can always find something.) This makes Lendon's thesis a bit gratuitous (if this is the correct English word).
On the other hand, I found the Roman chapters very interesting. I had never realized how much antiquarianism was there in ancient Roman warfare. The chapter on Julian I found splendid. I wonder whether the expression comitatenses is not a translation of hetairoi (Macedonian cavalry).
Finally: isn't there always a past sitting upon our shoulders? Aren't generals not always fighting the preceding war?
