War and Peace in Ancient and Medieval History

by Philip de Souza (Editor), John France (Editor)

This is a major study of the ideas and practices involved in the making and breaking of peace treaties and truces from Classical Greece to the time of the Crusades. Leading specialists on war and peace in ancient and medieval history examine the creation of peace agreements, and explore the extent to which their terms could be manipulated to serve the interests of one side at the other's expense. The chapters discuss a wide range of uses to which treaties and other peace agreements were put by rulers and military commanders in pursuit of both individual and collective political aims. The book also considers the wider implications of these issues for our understanding of the nature of war and peace in the ancient and medieval periods. This broad-ranging account includes chapters on ancient Persia, the Roman and Byzantine Empires, Anglo-Saxon England and the Vikings.

260 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2008

About the author

Dr. Philip de Souza is a Dublin-based academic author and historian and has written widely on warfare and conflict in the Ancient World. He is a lecturer in the School of Classics at University College Dublin.