Ancient Greek Mercenaries: Facts,Theories and New Perspectives

This article presents an overview of the historiography of Greek mercenaries and the proliferation of the phenomenon during the fourth century BC. It evaluates theoretical approaches to the political, economic and military roles that mercenaries played in Classical Greece during that century. In doing so, it considers the ways that interstate relations between the poleis shaped the development and recruitment of this form of soldier. The article disentangles the mercenary from a rich body of scholarship in economic history, demonstrating that analysis of the roles and functions of this figure can shed light on other dimensions of the Classical period, including international relations. Finally, it signals paths that the study of Greek mercenaries might take in the coming years.     

1677-1815年黑森-卡塞尔的雇佣兵事业

在历代邦伯的积极推动下,黑森-卡塞尔政府成为18世纪欧洲最著名的雇佣兵提供者之一.本文考察了黑森-卡塞尔雇佣兵事业的形成背景、发展过程、运作机制及其在国内和国际上的影响,指出雇佣兵事业不仅促进了黑森-卡塞尔经济的发展与社会矛盾的缓和,而且使这个原本积贫积弱的德意志小郑国在国际舞台上发挥了与其领土面积、人口规模不成比例的较大影响.