The book Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece gathers leading historians to challenge the "hoplite orthodoxy".
For decades, scholars argued that the development of the phalanx (around 700–650 BC) created a new class of middle-class "farmer-soldiers". Because these men provided their own armor and defended the state, they demanded and received political rights, leading to the rise of the polis (city-state) and early democracy. Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece
"Men of Bronze" typically refers to the heavily armored hoplites of ancient Greece, or specifically to the scholarly work edited by Donald Kagan and Gregory Viggiano. This volume explores the "hoplite debate"—the question of how these citizen-soldiers fought and whether their rise triggered a revolution in Greek social and political life. The Scholarly Debate: "Men of Bronze" The book Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in
Hoplite warfare was defined by its equipment and its rigid tactical formation. Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece "Men of Bronze" typically refers to the heavily
Modern scholars in this volume provide evidence that the transition to the phalanx was more gradual. They argue that individual prowess remained important long after the phalanx was established and that the connection between hoplite warfare and political revolution may not be as direct as previously thought. Core Elements of Hoplite Warfare