War is a constant part of the human experience, predating even civilization itself, and mastery of the military arts was a prerequisite for the survival of any society. Even the most advanced and seemingly permanent civilizations risked extinction if they failed to adapt to new military challenges.
The great questions of history are often decided on the battlefield; military victory or defeat often dictates history’s course.
The survival and therefore the accomplishments of ancient peoples such as the Egyptians, Hittites, or Mycenean Greeks were ultimately based on their military prowess; their failure to adapt to new technologies and new tactics led to their destruction.
The success of the Persians in conquering and holding a vast empire was due largely to their superior army. The development of a unique military system in the Greek city-states, however, ensured that they were able to defend themselves against two Persian invasions. The preservation of Greek freedom meant not only the survival of democracy but also the development of the great Classical or Golden Age of cultural achievement.
The Persian Empire would later fall when it proved incapable of dealing with the military threat posed by the invasion of the Macedonian king Alexander the Great.
Ultimately, no army could compare to that of Rome, which would conquer and rule the Mediterranean for six centuries. Yet, at the end of antiquity, even the Roman army faltered; despite the reform efforts of Diocletian and other emperors, the army’s inability to defend against the massive invasions of German tribes led to the fall of the western empire, the almost total disappearance of Roman civilization, and the beginning of a new Dark Age.
To understand ancient history, it is necessary to understand the role of warfare in antiquity. Therefore, the purpose of this articles is to provide an introduction to the study of warfare in the ancient world, from the first clash of bronze weapons on bronze armor down through the fall of the Roman Empire.
End of Part One
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