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Ancient Battle Formations
A careful study of the Greek and Latin sources that shed fresh light on how these formations were organized, reevaluating many conventional notions and leading to some surprising conclusions.
Justin Swanton examines the principal battle-winning formations of the Ancient world, determining their composition, function and efficacy. An introductory chapter looks at the fundamental components of the principal battle formations of heavy and light infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots, showing how they bolstered the individual's soldier's willingness to fight.
The rest of the book focuses on massed infantry that reigned supreme in this the heavily armored Greek hoplite phalanx that was immune to the weaponry of its non-Greek opponents; the Macedonian pike phalanx that was unbeatable against frontal attacks so long as it kept order; the Roman triplex acies which, contrary to popular opinion, consisted of continuous lines in open order, with file spaces wide enough to allow embattled infantry to fall back after which those files closed up instantly against the enemy.
A careful study of the Greek and Latin of the sources sheds fresh light on how these formations were organized and worked, reevaluating many conventional notions and leading to some surprising conclusions.
Justin Swanton examines the principal battle-winning formations of the Ancient world, determining their composition, function and efficacy. An introductory chapter looks at the fundamental components of the principal battle formations of heavy and light infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots, showing how they bolstered the individual's soldier's willingness to fight.
The rest of the book focuses on massed infantry that reigned supreme in this the heavily armored Greek hoplite phalanx that was immune to the weaponry of its non-Greek opponents; the Macedonian pike phalanx that was unbeatable against frontal attacks so long as it kept order; the Roman triplex acies which, contrary to popular opinion, consisted of continuous lines in open order, with file spaces wide enough to allow embattled infantry to fall back after which those files closed up instantly against the enemy.
A careful study of the Greek and Latin of the sources sheds fresh light on how these formations were organized and worked, reevaluating many conventional notions and leading to some surprising conclusions.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published September 22, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 26, 2020
Ancient Battle Formations is a unique history book. Most books based on history usually focus on a historical personality or specific battle/time period. Having watched many war movies and played many war games (like AOE and Total War), I was always curious about how battle formations worked in real life and Ancient Battle Formations provides you a glimpse of the technical aspects of a battle.
From battle formations of heavy and light infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots to going deep in the subject to disclose the strategy behind how troops are arranged, how they strike, how a single soldier fights in a formation (ably supported by others) and how one unit is countered by another, this book is a in-depth look at the strategies employed in an ancient battle.
The rest of the book focuses on infantry units that reigned supreme in this era: Greek hoplite phalanx, Macedonian pike phalanx and the Roman triplex acies
.The book uses several Greek and Latin sources shedding new light on how these formations where reported used in famous battles.Having said that the book does get too technical at times and without visual data, it's difficult to digest all the facts.
Overall, This book is an unique history book focusing on ancient battles and battle formations and recommended to anyone interested in historical warfare.
Many thanks to the publishers Pen & Sword and Netgalley for the ARC.
July 13, 2024
My credentials: I have a Master Degree in History and have studied ancient Rome for many years, including using primary sources.
Swanton has written a much needed examination of ancient battle formations. He makes use of the available information: ancient texts, epigraphy, archeology, re-enactors, etc., and produces a thorough, well-thought out analysis. I was impressed with how up-to-date his historical facts/interpretations were. For example, it was long held among historians that Marius was responsible for numerous changes to the legions and that Vegetius was accurately describing a legion and warfare in his book. New findings have debunked both, and Swanton reports this.
Swanton initially provides an overview of the constituents of ancient armies, such as, heavy infantry, light infantry, cavalry, chariots, etc. He then moves on to a detailed analysis of three specific types of ancient armies: Greek hoplite phalanx, Macedonian pike phalanx, and the Roman triplex acies.
Swanton admits that there is a serious lack of ancient sources, and those that do exist are sometimes contradictory. Even so, he provides an extremely insightful and understandable review of each type's strengths and weaknesses. In addition, what makes his analysis exceptional is the inclusion of numerous graphics of the possible maneuvers of each army, and as a result, he is able to determine the most reasonable method in which each army most likely fought.
The book is a welcome addition to our knowledge of ancient armies and is easy to read (even for the non-historian). I highly recommend it to those interested in ancient history, military history, and Roman/Greek/Macedonian history.
Swanton has written a much needed examination of ancient battle formations. He makes use of the available information: ancient texts, epigraphy, archeology, re-enactors, etc., and produces a thorough, well-thought out analysis. I was impressed with how up-to-date his historical facts/interpretations were. For example, it was long held among historians that Marius was responsible for numerous changes to the legions and that Vegetius was accurately describing a legion and warfare in his book. New findings have debunked both, and Swanton reports this.
Swanton initially provides an overview of the constituents of ancient armies, such as, heavy infantry, light infantry, cavalry, chariots, etc. He then moves on to a detailed analysis of three specific types of ancient armies: Greek hoplite phalanx, Macedonian pike phalanx, and the Roman triplex acies.
Swanton admits that there is a serious lack of ancient sources, and those that do exist are sometimes contradictory. Even so, he provides an extremely insightful and understandable review of each type's strengths and weaknesses. In addition, what makes his analysis exceptional is the inclusion of numerous graphics of the possible maneuvers of each army, and as a result, he is able to determine the most reasonable method in which each army most likely fought.
The book is a welcome addition to our knowledge of ancient armies and is easy to read (even for the non-historian). I highly recommend it to those interested in ancient history, military history, and Roman/Greek/Macedonian history.
January 12, 2023
An interesting and persuasive take on how ancient warfare was conducted, written not by an academic historian but by a war-gamer and graphic artist.
The author follows the history of fighting formations, starting with the Greek hoplite phalanx and concluding with the Roman's triplex acies or triple formation, examining the nuts and bolts of how they were equipped, ordered, and put through maneuvers. Although not an academic, the author is conversant with ancient Greek and Latin and reads the ancient sources carefully to find what they were really saying. An interesting bonus is that he uses his graphic skills to present detailed diagrams of the various formations and their movements. Along the way he makes many deductions that lead him to conclusions different from the received academic wisdom of how ancient armies behaved and fought.
As a layman, I can't comment on the accuracy of the material presented; but I can say that I found it convincing. After reading this book I have a much clearer idea of how ancient armies deployed themselves and how their battles were actually conducted. If you have an interest in ancient military history, then I'm tempted to say that this book is required reading.
The author follows the history of fighting formations, starting with the Greek hoplite phalanx and concluding with the Roman's triplex acies or triple formation, examining the nuts and bolts of how they were equipped, ordered, and put through maneuvers. Although not an academic, the author is conversant with ancient Greek and Latin and reads the ancient sources carefully to find what they were really saying. An interesting bonus is that he uses his graphic skills to present detailed diagrams of the various formations and their movements. Along the way he makes many deductions that lead him to conclusions different from the received academic wisdom of how ancient armies behaved and fought.
As a layman, I can't comment on the accuracy of the material presented; but I can say that I found it convincing. After reading this book I have a much clearer idea of how ancient armies deployed themselves and how their battles were actually conducted. If you have an interest in ancient military history, then I'm tempted to say that this book is required reading.
March 14, 2021
In Ancient Battle Formations, Justin Swanton attempts to expand our understanding of the armies that dominated the classical world and sometimes beyond. Swanton laments the lack of hard source material, so he puts his sources on ‘trial’, setting what they wrote against other evidence to establish their plausibility. He notes how controversial his conclusions might be. Swanton argues that battle formations were designed to instil confidence in the soldiers whose battle usually came down to their fight with the man in front of them. A list of typical troop types follows before Swanton gets into his battle formation descriptions and analysis. Before you get too excited, however, Swanton makes it clear he is only examining three formations: the hoplite and Macedonian phalanxes and the Roman Triplex Acies; the three-line formation used in the Republic.
The discussion of battle formations begins with a chapter on the fundamentals of formations, including heavy infantry, cavalry, skirmishing infantry, peltasts, elephants and chariots (!). Swanton moves on to the Hoplite phalanx. He describes the phalanx’s origins, panoply, the famous shield that gave the hoplite his label, swords, armour, the formation’s structure, deployment and performance in combat, and an analysis of its effectiveness. Swanton’s description of the Macedonian phalanx follows approximately the same structure with detours for specific issues with this formation such as the problems associated with close-order fighting. Like the other two formations, the Triplex Acies begins with a description of an exemplar battle, this time Vesuvius in 340 BCE. Swanton then follows the by now familiar structure with a bit more evolution evident in the Roman legion formation. He also takes the time to dismantle the Roman quincunx formation. Curiously, Swanton does not attribute Roman success to their battle formation, but martial stubbornness, the cost of a soldier’s kit, and citizen military experience. Swanton concludes with a chapter titled The Golden Age of Heavy Infantry, which summarizes and justifies Swanton’s choice of battle formations to analyse.
Ancient Battle Formations falls into the category of creative speculation, which stands or falls on the nature of the ‘extra’ evidence brought into assist the primary sources. Ironically perhaps, Swanton’s best arguments are situated in his translations of those sources. Other interpretations slide along the scale of validity, depending on Swanton’s method of inquiry. In addition, a lack of footnotes for some important points makes it difficult to know where some of the analysis is coming from, although many of the major points made by the sources are made available in the text. It is also difficult to take seriously field experiments conducted with home-made equipment, while asking readers to look up youtube videos as evidence is a strange approach to descriptive writing. Nevertheless, Ancient Battle Formations is a thought-provoking book and Swanton, a graphic designer by profession, incorporates many excellent illustrations to bolster his arguments. He is also immersed in his subject and is worthy of our attention. Readers in ancient military history of the Classical period will certainly find Swanton’s approach and conclusions stimulating.
The discussion of battle formations begins with a chapter on the fundamentals of formations, including heavy infantry, cavalry, skirmishing infantry, peltasts, elephants and chariots (!). Swanton moves on to the Hoplite phalanx. He describes the phalanx’s origins, panoply, the famous shield that gave the hoplite his label, swords, armour, the formation’s structure, deployment and performance in combat, and an analysis of its effectiveness. Swanton’s description of the Macedonian phalanx follows approximately the same structure with detours for specific issues with this formation such as the problems associated with close-order fighting. Like the other two formations, the Triplex Acies begins with a description of an exemplar battle, this time Vesuvius in 340 BCE. Swanton then follows the by now familiar structure with a bit more evolution evident in the Roman legion formation. He also takes the time to dismantle the Roman quincunx formation. Curiously, Swanton does not attribute Roman success to their battle formation, but martial stubbornness, the cost of a soldier’s kit, and citizen military experience. Swanton concludes with a chapter titled The Golden Age of Heavy Infantry, which summarizes and justifies Swanton’s choice of battle formations to analyse.
Ancient Battle Formations falls into the category of creative speculation, which stands or falls on the nature of the ‘extra’ evidence brought into assist the primary sources. Ironically perhaps, Swanton’s best arguments are situated in his translations of those sources. Other interpretations slide along the scale of validity, depending on Swanton’s method of inquiry. In addition, a lack of footnotes for some important points makes it difficult to know where some of the analysis is coming from, although many of the major points made by the sources are made available in the text. It is also difficult to take seriously field experiments conducted with home-made equipment, while asking readers to look up youtube videos as evidence is a strange approach to descriptive writing. Nevertheless, Ancient Battle Formations is a thought-provoking book and Swanton, a graphic designer by profession, incorporates many excellent illustrations to bolster his arguments. He is also immersed in his subject and is worthy of our attention. Readers in ancient military history of the Classical period will certainly find Swanton’s approach and conclusions stimulating.
May 25, 2025
Let me say from the outset that I consider this book to be an absolutely ground-breaking masterpiece! It is at odds with a great many accepted theories but argues the case for the new ideas with such a very persuasive text (giving detailed reasoning and also citing the original source) that it is difficult to refute them
It has to be said that the book doesn't actually cover "Ancient Battle Formations" - its coverage is essentially restricted to the infantry of Greek Hoplite Armies, Macedonian Armies and the Roman Armies up to the first century AD, but given the depth of research and the details of the arguments presented, anything further would have made the book unwieldy.
There have been other books over recent years which have attempted to understand the warfare of the period covered by Swanton, or some part of it, but I have to say that Swanton's book goes far beyond those and, in many cases, shows how far in error they are.
The book is not going to go down well with anyone whose concepts are atrophied but if you approach this book with an open mind you will almost certainly be persuaded.
For anyone with an interested in HOW these armies moved and fought I would say that this book is a must for your bookshelf and it is almost certain to become the standard text.
It has to be said that the book doesn't actually cover "Ancient Battle Formations" - its coverage is essentially restricted to the infantry of Greek Hoplite Armies, Macedonian Armies and the Roman Armies up to the first century AD, but given the depth of research and the details of the arguments presented, anything further would have made the book unwieldy.
There have been other books over recent years which have attempted to understand the warfare of the period covered by Swanton, or some part of it, but I have to say that Swanton's book goes far beyond those and, in many cases, shows how far in error they are.
The book is not going to go down well with anyone whose concepts are atrophied but if you approach this book with an open mind you will almost certainly be persuaded.
For anyone with an interested in HOW these armies moved and fought I would say that this book is a must for your bookshelf and it is almost certain to become the standard text.
January 28, 2023
Superb
Liked his review of the translations of the Latin texts to explain the the Roman tactical formation changes. Earlier books I have read on this had all been weak on this, Swanton has done great original thinking.
Liked his review of the translations of the Latin texts to explain the the Roman tactical formation changes. Earlier books I have read on this had all been weak on this, Swanton has done great original thinking.
April 3, 2021
Excellent! A must read if you have any interest in warfare of the Classical Ancient period.
April 25, 2022
Being a war gamer and casual student of strategy and tactics, I was really looking forward to reading this book. The first half of the book dives into the phalanx formations with a significant amount of historical exegesis combined with a fair amount of practical examination of the science/rationale behind them. The author inserts numerous references to historical descriptions of how these formations where reported used in famous battles to support his various hypotheses. While I had a good working knowledge of the over-all battle field strategies from this time period, I was a little fuzzy of the how the individual within the formation actually contributed to the battle. This book pretty much covers this in exhausting detail ... I must admit that I did not completely understand why these formations were so consistant before ... however, at times I still found myself skimming the detailed battle descriptions. One new detail that I learned was how the shield design facilitates or impedes a shield push before. Unfortunately we don't get the same detail for the non-Infantry formations (chariots and cavalry), either because the book is already big enough or because we don't have enough information to fully examine or compare various hypotheses.
This book is a solid, if somewhat narrow, reference book and highly recommended for anyone interested in historical warfare.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#AncientBattleFormations #NetGalley
This book is a solid, if somewhat narrow, reference book and highly recommended for anyone interested in historical warfare.
I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#AncientBattleFormations #NetGalley
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews