[Teaser] The Mystery of Greek Warfare
Added 2023-08-28 15:23:08 +0000 UTCPremiering soon, the Mystery of Greek Warfare, which is a bit different from our other documentaries. Enjoy!
We've got a problem. There's a big mystery at the heart of ancient Greek warfare and what you think you know may be wrong. And not just when it comes to the usual culprits of historical movies and historical games but from the historians themselves.
This is a bold statement to make but it comes from some rather basic facts.
- No one has actually seen Greek hoplites in battle. Even if they had…
- These hoplites evolved over the years. And when it comes to interpreting this history…
- Schools of thought themselves have also evolved
This has all led to a troubling dilemma. We don't know who is right and they could all be wrong. Breaching this impasse has led to decades and even centuries of scholarly gridlock. But our friend, Professor Paul Bardunias, has a novel solution.
He's an experimental biologist by trade with a deep background in studying swarm behavior both as it manifests in nature and how it can be put into practice with technology. Paul is also an active participant in Greek reenactment who has rubbed shoulders with not only the men in armor but also the men with pens.
This cross-disciplinary background allows for some unique insights. Afterall while any study of hoplite warfare has to start with archaeology and the study of written or artistic sources, interpretations of such evidence must surely be grounded in practical realities.
How can wearing and handling replica panoply and engaging in mass movement and mock combat inform our understanding? Can hoplite formations really retain their order whilst on the run? What actually happens when men clash with shields? And what happens when they break and run?
In this series we will be putting ancient Greek warfare to the test with experimental research that seeks to falsify the claims of historians and in doing so help to solve the mystery of Greek warfare.
