Can the secrets of ancient Greek warfare explain the dominance of the modern West?
From the vineyards of California to the battlefields of antiquity, Victor Davis Hanson explores a provocative thesis: that the survival of Western civilization depends on the enduring cultural legacies of the Greek city-state and the small family farmer.
A scholar of classics and military history, Victor Davis Hanson has built a career around the intersection of agriculture and combat. His PhD thesis, *Warfare and Agriculture*, challenged the assumption that classical wars irrevocably damaged farming, arguing instead that Greek warfare was inseparable from agrarian life. This perspective was echoed by Yale lecturer Donald Kagan, who described Hanson's work on the role of the small farmer in developing democracy as uniquely significant.
In works like *The Western Way of War* and *Carnage and Culture*, Hanson posits that Western military pre-eminence stems from cultural values—such as individualism, free markets, and consensual government—rather than racial or geographical advantages. He argues that the Greek *poleis* established a tradition of citizen-soldiers that continues to influence Western military practice. This thesis, however, faces scrutiny. Military officer Robert L. Bateman contested Hanson's claims regarding the Western preference for decisive battles, citing the Roman defeat at Cannae, though Hanson countered that the Romans only succeeded after eventually returning to decisive engagement.
Hanson’s influence extends beyond the academy into intense political commentary. A conservative voice, he has been a prominent commentator for the *Wall Street Journal* and *National Review*, and a recipient of the National Humanities Medal in 2007. While his defense of traditionalist classical education in *Who Killed Homer?* earned praise from thinkers like Francis Fukuyama, critics like Victoria Cech argue his idealized view of antiquity overlooks the harsh realities of the ancient state, such as the execution of dissenters like Socrates.
Source: Victor Davis Hanson
