Bøger af William Woodthorpe Tarn

First published in 1930, this is a collection of essays by the noted classical scholar W. W. Tarn, originally delivered as Lees Knowles Lectures in Military History at Trinity College, Cambridge. Tarn draws on a range of sources to trace the history and development of warfare in the Hellenistic period, with particular emphasis on military strategy under Alexander the Great. The first lecture outlines the role of infantry, analysing the weaponry used in various battles. In the second lecture, Tarn examines the development of cavalry, its history in Macedonia, Thessaly and Iran, and its use of elephants and camels. The final lecture explores improvements in siege and naval methods, with particular attention to advancements in artillery. Providing valuable insight into a period of extensive military innovation, this book gives an overview of the military and naval arts and sciences of the Hellenistic era.

Written by a highly regarded scholar in the field, this is the first published study on the Greek kingdoms of Bactria and India that treats them as Hellenistic states. The book begins with an overview of the Seleucid settlement, providing a background to the relations between Greeks and Asiatics after the death of Alexander the Great. Covering the period from 206 to 145 BCE, the book analyses the reigns of Euthydemus I, Demetrius I and Menander I, and explains how they accomplished Alexander's dream of co-operation instead of domination in the eastern provinces. Tarn's work examines this little-discussed topic and presents it to the reader in a clear and accessible style, making this a great scholarly contribution that remains unsurpassed in breadth and depth. The second edition from 1966 (reissued here) includes an Addendum explaining the further discoveries since the work was first published in 1951.