HIXENBAUGH ANCIENT ART - Art of War

Описание: Artist: New Exhibition
Exhibition Title: Art of War
Exhibition Dates: December 10 - Februrary 2016
Gallery Link: http://www.hixenbaugh.net/exhibition.cfm
Video Link:    • HIXENBAUGH ANCIENT ART - Art of War  

Website: http://nycgalleryopenings.com
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ART of WAR
Arms and Armor of Ancient Greece


We often think of Ancient Greece as the birthplace of so many things we cherish today as cornerstones of Western identity. Democracy, philosophy, athleticism, theater, sculpture, architecture and literature first come to mind when we think of the Ancient Greeks. Militarism is not immediately associated with them, but it pervaded every aspect of Greek society from the Bronze Age until the rise of Rome. Indeed a great deal of ancient Greek literature and art was devoted to the subject of warfare. This mirrored the reality of their times. As the Greek general and historian Thucydides observed in his day, “Peace is merely a period of armistice in the continuous war.”

Warfare is of course as old as humanity. Technological advances in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt rendered them militarily superior to their neighbors who soon fell under their dominions. As Iron Age metallurgy spread from the Middle East across the Mediterranean and Europe, many societies adapted new military technology that enabled them to challenge the supremacy of the old order. In Greece an arms race ensued whereby competing city-states fielded increasingly well-equipped troops in a continuous series of disputes over land and resources. This relentless fighting between competing city-states led to technological innovations which by the time of the Persian invasions of the early 5th BC demonstrated the unrivaled military dominance that the Greeks had achieved in terms of weapons, armor, strategy and tactics. For hundreds of years the Greek phalanx was superior to all other armies. This tradition was eventually passed on to Alexander the Great and ultimately to the Romans.