War in Ancient Greece

Warfare in Greece Warfare played an extremely important role in Greek life. Being skilled in war tactics could be beneficial socially, economically, and politically. Socially, war is all about prestige and being the best warrior you can be. Economically, war is a smart way to boost your country’s money intake and spending. Politically, war is technique to show which countries excel and take over, and which do not. Ancient Greece experienced plenty of warfare throughout their years. Believe it or not, war has plenty of social aspects wound into it. In Ancient Greece the hoplite technique began to become more and more popular. In this technique, warriors would fight in a tight formation, also known as a phalanx. The warriors all held large shields as their protection. The warrior on the far right of the front line was always known as having the most prestige. The far left soldier would be the second most prestigious and so on.i These positions were obviously the ones that people wanted to be placed in, so they were recognized. Warfare was a well-guarded opportunity for social prestige, just as was seen in the Ancient Near East and Egypt.ii Allies are another social concept of war. All of the stories by Thucydides mention allies, but especially noted in the beginning, between the Athenians and Lacedaemonians.iii Allies was all about “making friends” with another country so that you could back each other up if needed. Warfare in Ancient Greece would not be possible without the presence of allies, because no army has everything they need at all times to be victorious. Economics and the war are direct links to each other. As Ancient Greece attained more wealth, they became more interested and able in war and war tactics.iv The more money your country had to spend on the battlefront, the better your army was probably going to be. If your army was good, but your economy was poor, winning some battles and conquering land could significantly boost your economy.