Summary and Review of Ancient Warfare: a Brief Introduction by Harry Sidebottom

Ancient Warfare: A Brief Introduction by Harry Sidebottom examines the ways different societies have chosen to wage wars and challenges some of the commonly accepted opinions regarding different aspects of warfare. The book not only discusses how people chose to fight in wars, but also provides insight into how war was thought about during that time. Sidebottom argues that ‘western warfare’ is an ideology rather than a specific set of practices being passed down (preface).

In the first chapter Sidebottom chooses to use the movie gladiator to illustrate the ways in which ‘western warfare’ is both a cultural construction and how the portrayal of those who do not practice ‘western warfare’ in the traditional sense otherizes them. The Romans are portrayed as a civilized unit whereas the Germans are considered formidable but ferocious savages. There is a clear distinction made between the two groups with one being portrayed as superior to the other. Sidebottom also uses the Greeks and the Persians as another example of how means of warfare effects the narrative around a group.

The Persian soldiers were generally seen as more effeminate and cowardly by the Greeks because they were portrayed as bow men afraid of close combat and horsemen who would run away from battle. This was an inaccurate portrayal of events that placed the Persians in negative light. There are less biased accounts of the events that took place during the war between Greece and Persia that show the Persian soldiers did engage in close combat and fought bravely but were ill equipped for war (Sidebottom, 2004, 5). The Greeks considered themselves a superior society to the Persian Empire and the Greeks writings regarding the war are reflective of that belief. There are historical accounts of Persians in the open battle field using ‘Western warfare’ style tactics, but that narrative was not common place in Greek during this time. This chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book which expounds on how the narratives regarding different wars are influenced greatly by culture and can be subjective. In chapter three he discusses the provisional nature of writing about history. How a society views history is subject to change based on new archeological discoveries, a change in thought based on current political and social movements, and the ambition of young scholars.

History is being constantly written and re written which means there is always a new perspective to consider. While reading Sidebottom’s writing about how the Persians were portrayed and his critique of the idea that history is set in stone I was able to draw a deeper understanding about another ancient civilization not mentioned in the book. In class we discussed the Scandinavian Vikings and the change in their historical portrayal. They were originally merciless pagans who would pillage land and deface religious monuments indiscriminately, but later they become integrated into European society after converting to Christianity. Vikings by all accounts are still known for their history as raiders but, there is also documentation about their advanced sea navigation and ship building skills that differs greatly from their seemingly unintelligent and barbarous portrayal in film and books.

This book has helped me improve my writing skills by forcing me to write about a topic I would not typically research. I do not believe that war is necessary or provides lasting and effective solution to any of the world’s problems. Violence begets more violence and there is seldom good reason to go to war. This book has not completely changed my perspective about war but writing this essay has given me a greater understanding about the topic of warfare and the means to articulate my viewpoints with a more scholarly perspective.