The Athenian Army 507–322 BC

by Nicholas Sekunda, Giuseppe Rava (illustrator)

This fully illustrated study explores the formidable Athenian army, rivalled only by the Spartan army in terms of battlefield prowess and influence.

In 508 BC, the reforms of Kleisthenes established the ten tribes of Athens, inaugurating a system of military organization that remained in place for nearly 200 years until Athens' eclipse by the growing power of Macedon in the early 3rd century BC. Fully illustrated, this lively study investigates the development and effectiveness of the armies fielded by Athens during its many wars with its Greek neighbours, notably Sparta, and other opponents such as the Persian Empire. A variety of different troop types made up these armies, ranging from formidably armed and armoured hoplite heavy infantry to lightly armed archers, peltasts and cavalry.

In this book, Athens' major wars and battles of the period are summarized, and important aspects contributing to the Athenian army's battlefield prowess, influence and legacy, ranging from mobilization and training to the evolution of arms and armour, are examined in the light of the latest scholarship and archaeological finds. The eight colour plates reconstruct the appearance of components of the Athenian army at various stages of its development. The authoritative text is complemented by carefully chosen photographs, many in colour, depicting a variety of surviving artefacts, supported by informative captions.

63 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 16, 2025

About the author

Dr. Nicholas Victor 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 he is Head of the Department of Mediterranean Archaeology at Gdansk University, Poland, and is co-director of excavations at Negotino, Republic of Macedonia.

Reviews

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was growing up, we focused our Greek Golden Age Historical attention on Athens- as it was seen as the birthplace of modern Democracy and a model for later political and cultural development. It may be less attractive now, as 21st Century minds seem to find Sparta's proto-fascist governing style and the noble and royalty administrations of other Greek City states more interesting. In this book, Nicholas Sekunda, a Polish academic and author on Hellenic and Hellenistic Greece and the Roman era goes as deep as Osprey Elite Series get on the Military efforts and structures of Athens, from its development into a Greek power to its final fade from the scene in the wake of Alexander's passing. As such, get ready for a lot of discussion about Hoplite Warfare - but also the other supporting arms that made the Shield Wall or the phalanx work on the battlefield. This book is focused on the Army and Navy or Athens, its development, Arms and structure, so the reader new to the period may want to read more of the historical narrative elsewhere, as the author does move fast and sort of assume you've done prior reading. That said- its a pretty cool ride on its own.

Starting with the Persian Wars, then going through the Peloponnesian Wars and ending with the post Alexander Lamian War, Athens tried to let its voters determine both policy and strategy. Sekunda shows us that then as now, management and execution of policies depended on budgets and levies of one kind or another, sometime shifting cash from buying armour or mercenaries to building ships, sometimes adding more cavalry or light infantry to protect the flanks of the phalanx. Learning about taxation and donations made of key pieces of armour or horses for the cavalry helps any reader understand Hellenic warfare. The book is filled with photos of artifacts and art from the period, as well as really interesting colour plates by Giuseppe Rava, showing how military fashion changed over time, even as the basic weaponry and tactics moved at a slower pace. It's a strong package, with a good bibliography to help you with further reading.

The adult themes in the book are mostly slavery, taxation, and asset management, and there are no graphic injury passages, so this a good read for the Junior Reader over 10/11 years with a historical interest. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is a strong package. For the Gamer, the information on dress and organization can help build your Athenian armies for the various period and paint them accordingly. Whilst the basic weapons do not change, there are some movements in types of cuirass and helmets that will assist the Modeler in build and diorama development. The Military Enthusiast gets the flow of Athenian military challenges and solutions explained in a good straightforward way. I think the general audience reader will also like learning how an early Democracy handled its military business- perhaps some lessons we can still appreciate today.

[Stephen Ede-Borrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you would expect from Sekunda - well researched, and detailed. Although I felt strongly that this is really a book about the Athenian cavalry with other bits added (I wonder if it started out as an Athenian cavalry title and had the other bits put in to make it more marketable?). Cavalry, despite being perhaps 10% of the Army are half of the book's colour plates, about the same of the mono illustrations, and over half of the text. Just one example: the ten page section headed up 'Athenian Forces 404-362' (and remember that the book is only 60 pages in all) is entirely devoted to Athenian cavalry with no mention of any other arm. However, if you are aware of this, and bearing in mind Greek cavalry are so very rarely discussed, then I would still say buy this book.

The book does suffer from a couple of editing errors (same word spelled differently in the same paragraph, words missing, etc.) - but that's not the author's fault and doesn't detract from the book, it is merely annoying.