Ancient Warfare
At a glance:
- Series: Magill’s Guide to Military History
- Categories: Military History
- Subcategories: Wars, Battles, Empires, Dynasties, Barbarians, Nomads
- Curriculum: Asian History, Western Civilization/European History, Ancient History
Violent conflict must have existed before civilization—John Keegan wrote that “Warfare is almost as old as man himself.” However, only with the rise of great cities did organized warfare become possible. Between about 10,000 and 5,000 b.c.e., there was a shift from wandering and gathering to agricultural and village life in many places throughout the ancient world, beginning with the area that historians call the Ancient Near East. This change caused conflict between settled peoples and those who remained at least seminomadic. The surpluses of grain and other food made possible by...
[The entire page is 1605 words long]
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