Pratiques et identités culturelles des armées hellénistiques du monde méditerranéen

For several decades now, the theme of war in ancient Greece has been enriched by an abundant historiographic production that renews the traditional approach in multiple aspects. If the classical period essentially concentrated the interest of current research, the Hellenistic period (323-31 B.C.) benefited from fundamental studies that are open to more contemporary questions. We know that because of the financial and military power they deployed from the beginning of the 3rd century until the middle of the 2nd century B.C. – before Rome imposed itself on them politically in a definitive manner – the monarchic organisations were the major protagonists of the armed conflicts that broke out throughout the period. We also know that the cities, far from completely abdicating their military prerogatives, continued to maintain civic armed forces necessary to protect their territory. Finally, we know that certain populations, on the periphery of the Greek world, not only supplied these armies with mercenaries, but also fought them or were influenced by them, opening the way to numerous phenomena of acculturation or cultural transfers.

The proceedings of the Third International Hellinistic Warfare Conference, held in Tours on March 23 and 24, 2007, thus suggests to return to these Hellenistic armies, whether royal, civic, composed of subjects, allies, citizens or mercenaries. Taking examples from all over the Mediterranean basin, from Spain to Asia Minor, from Gaul to Egypt, the different presentations sought to specify various practices (military, political, economic, religious…) which defined the cultural identities of these multi-ethnic armies.