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Chargement... The War Cry in the Graeco-Roman World (Routledge Monographs in Classical Studies)par James Gersbach
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The first chapter of the book jarringly disowns its own title, as in the opening pages Gersbach rails against the very concept of the “war cry,” arguing it summons a primitivist image of screaming and howling more suitable for a Hollywood soundtrack than a sober military history. Gersbach prefers the term “battle expression,” which encompasses a wide array of sonic emissions, movements and performance. This broader definition is not unwelcome: trumpet blasts, percussion of arms against shields, and a variety of war dances boosted the psychological impact of verbal shouts and songs. Gersbach however carries this further, as in the book almost anything occurring before the physical clash is described as battle expression: pre-battle sacrifices, inscribed sling bullets, oaths, even maneuvers and feints. Gersbach includes some things that clearly are not part of combat: the very post-battle event of the Roman triumph is considered battle expression, as are the peace-time weapon dances of Rome’s Salian priests. The book is organized thematically, rather than chronologically or by culture (i.e., Persia, Greece, Macedon, Rome), but often thematic categories are difficult to parse. For example, for many war cries, the goal was to both encourage group solidarity while simultaneously intimidating the enemy; some expressions had a clear religious tenor, although religion was also a fundamental bedrock of group solidarity, and so on. At times, this makes the placement of anecdotes within individual chapters feel somewhat random. Appartient à la série
"This book aims to reconceptualise the Graeco-Roman military phenomenon of the 'war cry'; the term itself is inadequate for defining an ancient military practice that has been misrepresented in modern media and understudied by contemporary scholars. Gersbach introduces the term and paradigm 'battle expression' to replace 'war cry', which acknowledges the variety of undertakings, visual and sonic, that military forces from the Graeco-Roman world presented on the battlefield either before, during or after battle. The 'battle expression' was sophisticated in nature; it could include significant cultural song or dance that required high levels of rehearsal and execution. Conversely, battle expression types demonstrated spontaneous wit and humour on the part of a military force that aimed to capitalize on the experiences of a battle. These performances served a variety of purposes outside of instilling group cohesion among the participants and to intimidate the onlooking enemy. This book associates the psychological dimension of warfare, religious identity, and military strategy supported by the High Command to this practice. In addition, the author draws comparisons with later historical periods, as well as the actions of modern-day European football supporters in stadiums, to reconstruct the atmosphere created by ancient military forces on the battlefield. The War Cry in the Graeco-Roman World is suitable for students and scholars of Classical Studies, particularly those interested in ancient warfare and military history, as well as those studying the history of warfare more broadly"-- Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
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Google Books — Chargement... GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)355.00938Social sciences Public Administration, Military Science Military Science Biography And History Ancient WorldClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne: Pas d'évaluation.Est-ce vous ?Devenez un(e) auteur LibraryThing. |