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By Robert E. Gaebel
Anyone got any comments on this book (I have searched and not found anything).
Does it add anything new or just a recital of the use of cavalry by the Greeks?
Thank you in advance.
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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I've mentioned your question to Annelies Koolen. Probably she knows the book.
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The book offers an overview and interpretation of cavalry battles from 500 - 150 BC. It is a readable book and very useful if you do not want to read all the passages on battles in the ancient authors yourself. It offers enough scholarly discussion, especially in its 'conclusion' and it is not just a recital of battles.
Annelies Koolen
Hippike - Horses And History
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Thanks Annelise; that's very helpful.
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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Thank you for the extra detail Duncan.
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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In his treatment of the rise of cavalry in the Ancient Near East and Greece, the chapters I read, the author carefully distinguishes between different concepts such as horse-riding and cavalry as a military thing, mounted infantry (foot soldiers riding into battle) and proper cavalry fighting from horseback, shock cavalry (with lances) and light cavalry (with javelins and mounted archers), cavalry fighting with and without formation - as much as the extant evidence allows. I found this useful because all too often these very important differences are neglected.
Stefan (Literary references to the discussed topics are always appreciated.)
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Thank you Stefan.
That's exactly what I wanted to hear! ;-) Off to buy a copy...
Moi Watson
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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Very nice and easy to read book. I agree with the above comments and I suggest it.
Giannis K. Hoplite
a.k.a.:Giannis Kadoglou
a.k.a.:Thorax
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Nice read, good info on the cavalry subject.
But careful with authors translations.
IPPOS is Horse Cavalry is IPPIKON. He has it wrong on page 73 and he translates the word horse with female article which is wrong as the noun in Greek is masculine.
He shows the develpemen tof the cavalry arm during the Peloponesian War in a very good way
His arguments in phalanx combat also follow other scholars and he just accepts them.
Kind regards
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Actually Stefanos you are wrong here. "Ippos" can indeed mean cavalry in the ancient texts when used in a feminine form, exactly as in English "horse" can be both the animal and (sometimes, obsolete) the cavalry.
This is an example from Thucydides :
"καὶ αὐτὸς Τισσαφέρνης παρὼν καὶ ἡ ἵππος αὐτοῦ, ξυνέβαλον τοῖς Ἀθηναίοις", 8.25.2.3.
and this one of Herodotus :
"ἡ δὲ ἵππος προελθοῦσα κατιππάσατο χώρην τὴν Μεγαρίδα·", 9.14.5.
Macedon
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