Eich, Armin Die Söhne des Mars

Eine Geschichte des Krieges von der Steinzeit bis zum Ende der Antike

Regrettably, civilization and war do not constitute a pair of opposites. It is all the more intriguing, therefore, that reliable evidence of lethal acts of violence directed against entire groups of people appears only relatively latein Europe, for instance, not until the 6th millennium BC. The very first weapon developed exclusively for the purposes of warfarethe sworddid not even become widespread until the 2nd millennium BC. But what ignited the dynamics of war and progressively intensified them, such that war now appears to inexorably determine the course of human history right up to the present day? Armin Eich has written a fascinating book on the early history of warfare. He expertly elucidates the relevant findings of prehistoric research, describes the impact of advancements in weapon technology and strategy during the Bronze Age, and, in doing so, also turns his gaze toward the collapse of high civilizations such as the Mycenaean and the Hittite. In subsequent chapters, he examines the disquieting interconnections between the emergence of a trade in raw materials, early forms of statehood, and the monetization of warfare during the Classical era. The narrative concludes with an exploration of the traumatic conditions of a state of total wara boundless conflict in which constant exposure to the horrors of battle alters the psychological makeup of those involved, and in which organized violence, as a very way of life, becomes an inescapable fate in the ancient world.