Christopher Matthew

A “practical and thought provoking” study of the ancient military tactic known as the phalanx—the classic battle formation used in historic Greek warfare (The Historian). In ancient Greece, warfare was a fact of life, with every city brandishing its own fighting force. And the backbone of these classical Greek armies was the phalanx of heavily armored spearmen, or hoplites. These were the soldiers that defied the might of Persia at Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea and—more often than not—fought each other in countless battles between the Greek city-states. For centuries they were the dominant soldiers of the classical world, in great demand as mercenaries throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. Yet, despite the battle descriptions left behind and copious evidence in Greek art and archaeology, there are still many aspects of hoplite warfare that are little understood or the subject of fierce academic debate. Christopher Matthew’s groundbreaking work combines rigorous analysis with the new disciplines of reconstructive archaeology, reenactment, and ballistic science. He examines the equipment, tactics, and capabilities of the individual hoplites, as well as how they used juggernaut masses of men and their long spears to such devastating effect. This is an innovative reassessment of one of the most important early advancements in military tactics, and “indispensable reading for anyone interested in ancient warfare (The New York Military Affairs Symposium).

Understanding the Greek Hoplite at War

A Storm of Spears

Diary of a Somebody

Eratosthenes and the Measurement of the Earth's Circumference (c.230 BC) is an innovative and thought-provoking examination of one of the pivotal moments in the history of science.This text analyses a debate that has been going on for more than 2,300 years over the accuracy of Eratosthenes' experiment and calculations and puts to rest all prior theories that have come before. This work engages with this long running debate by applying innovative and multi-disciplinary methods such as linguistic analysis, mathematical modelling, satellite mapping, archaeological investigation and historical examination that creates the first ever combined exploration of this importantevent in the history of astronomy.

Eratosthenes and the Measurement of the Earth's Circumference (C. 230 BC)

The path trodden by the middle-aged middle classes in Britain, smooth though it may appear to the less privileged, is in reality a peculiarly dangerous one, dogged by its own set of terrors, pitfalls and opportunities for social humiliation. In The Man Who Dropped the Le Creuset on his Toe Christopher Matthew follows up the huge success of Now We Are Sixty with a collection of mordant, witty, cautionary verses on the subject of the British bourgeoisie and its foibles and failings. Not only can expensive, enamelled, cast-iron cookware be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but so too can Pilates, open-air opera in evening dress, weekending in Wales with a pug, gastro-tourism in Tuscany, the mid-life parachute jump as an alternative to physiotherapy, and pushing a trolley in Waitrose. As for the middle-aged Lothario's quest for a younger, Mark Two model, this can all too often end in ignominy rather than fun and games and feather boas in Cap Ferrat. Sharply observed and gloriously mischievous, The Man Who Dropped the Le Creuset on his Toe gently punctures the pride and sense of entitlement enjoyed by the pesto-loving middle classes.

The Man Who Dropped the Le Creuset on His Toe and Other Bourgeois Mishaps

These days we feel almost as young at fifty as we did at thirty - give or take the odd twinge. However, we are also becoming increasingly aware that the cradle is a lot further off than the grave. Is this the moment to start shaking things up a bit? The last chance to realize those long-cherished dreams? To chuck in the humdrum job and strike out? To set the pulse racing, perhaps, with a view earthwards from a hang-glider, or over the handlebars of a Harley Davidson? Is this when you make it at last onto the main board? Or become the Gauguin de nos jours? Start a new life in Goa with Lindy from Personnel - or possibly Trevor from Accounts? Or just look forward to grandparenthood? Already well known as the bard of the over-sixties, Christopher Matthew now reverses through time to take a hard look at the hopes and fears of those who are still in the prime of life - just. The result is a brilliant collection of verses - inspired once again by A. A. Milne - mostly comic, some subversive, some touching, that should hit the spot for those who have reached their half centuries, or soon will, or can remember what it was like when they did.

When We Were Fifty

Stepping into the lower deck of Christopher Matthew's Triple-Decker Treat, we discover that not only can a Le Creuset casserole be very dangerous in the wrong hands, but so too can Pilates, open-air opera in evening dress, weekending in Wales with a pug, and pushing a trolley in Waitrose. Next deck up, we meet a menagerie of assorted dogs - among them a spaniel who was once a big star of TV commercials, a Camp Bastion war hero, an overweight pug with ambitions to be a sheepdog and a psychotic Great Dane called Cher Bebe. Finally, on the top deck, we negotiate the pleasures and pitfalls of romance in later years. Love is revealed in the most unlikely places, with the most unlikely people seeking it. Often very funny and always touching, these delightful and stirring verses about cast-iron cookware, rear-fixated puppies and late-flowering love are a celebration of everything life has to offer.

Collected Poems for Old Dogs and Young Hearts

A Triple-Decker Treat

Matthew Dillon

Michael Schmitz

Religion was integral to the conduct of war in the ancient world and the Greeks were certainly no exception. No campaign was undertaken, no battle risked, without first making sacrifice to propitiate the appropriate gods (such as Ares, god of War) or consulting oracles and omens to divine their plans. Yet the link between war and religion is an area that has been regularly overlooked by modern scholars examining the conflicts of these times. This volume addresses that omission by drawing together the work of experts from across the globe. The chapters have been carefully structured by the editors so that this wide array of scholarship combines to give a coherent, comprehensive study of the role of religion in the wars of the Archaic and Classical Greek world. Aspects considered in depth will include: Greek writers on religion and war; declarations of war; fate and predestination, the sphagia and pre-battle sacrifices; omens, oracles and portents, trophies and dedications to cult centers; militarized deities; sacred truces and festivals; oaths and vows; religion & Greek military medicine.

Archaic and Classical Greece

Religion & Classical Warfare

The perfect Christmas present for dog lovers. 'Delights on every page . . . the man knows what he's barking at' Lady 'Christopher Matthew is a comic genius' Sandi Toksvig From Ozymandias the Steve McQueen of Springers whose acrobatic sex life rivals Errol Flynn's, to terrier Ted, whose Falstaffian appetites (and over-indulgence following the loyal toast) lead to a shameful bender followed by a spell in re-hab, man's best friend comes in many guises, not all of them benign. In his latest collection of sly verse, Christopher Matthew celebrates the canine world in all its glorious diversity - and takes a sidelong glance at the human one along the way. Travelling from Camp Bastion to West Wittering via a sunlit Greek island, Matthew's compendium embraces comedy, tragedy and personalities great and small. There are exuberant, rear-fixated puppies and neglected latchkey dogs, there are dignified mongrel strays, war-heroes, a psychotic Great Dane called Cher Bebe and a top-drawer spaniel of theatrical lineage with Uggie-envy. And then there is man, with his cowardice, his commitment issues, his short attention span and his propensity for very silly names. . . The great question Matthew circles in this gloriously entertaining gallop through one of the world's great auld alliances, therefore, is not so much who is the master in this relationship, as who is the mutt. Touching, wicked, clever and kind, Dog Treats will bring delight and recognition to dog-lovers everywhere.

An Assortment of Mutts, Mongrels, Puppies and Pooches

Dog Treats

Essays examining the influence of gods, oracles, and omens in the wars of the Archaic and Classical Greek world. Religion was integral to the conduct of war in the ancient world and the Greeks were certainly no exception. No campaign was undertaken, no battle risked, without first making sacrifice to propitiate the appropriate gods (such as Ares, god of War) or consulting oracles and omens to divine their plans. Yet the link between war and religion is an area that has been regularly overlooked by modern scholars examining the conflicts of these times. This volume addresses that omission by drawing together the work of experts from across the globe. The chapters have been carefully structured by the editors so that this wide array of scholarship combines to give a coherent, comprehensive study of the role of religion in the wars of the Archaic and Classical Greek world. Aspects considered in depth will include: Greek writers on religion and war; declarations of war; fate and predestination, the sphagia and pre-battle sacrifices; omens, oracles and portents, trophies and dedications to cult centers; militarized deities; sacred truces and festivals; oaths and vows; religion & Greek military medicine. Praise for Religion & Classical Warfare: Archaic and Classical Greece “Comprised of ten erudite and impressively informative articles by experts in the field of Greek antiquity. . . . A work of meticulous and detailed scholarship, Religion & Classical Warfare: Archaic and Classical Greece must be considered as a core addition to community, college, and university library Antiquarian Greek History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.” —Midwest Book Review

The perfect Christmas present for dog lovers. 'Delights on every page . . . the man knows what he's barking at' Lady 'Christopher Matthew is a comic genius' Sandi Toksvig From Ozymandias the Steve McQueen of Springers whose acrobatic sex life rivals Errol Flynn's, to terrier Ted, whose Falstaffian appetites (and over-indulgence following the loyal toast) lead to a shameful bender followed by a spell in rehab, man's best friend comes in many guises, not all of them benign. In his latest collection of sly verse, Christopher Matthew celebrates the canine world in all its glorious diversity - and takes a sidelong glance at the human one along the way. Travelling from Camp Bastion to West Wittering via a sunlit Greek island, Matthew's compendium embraces comedy, tragedy and personalities great and small. There are exuberant, rear-fixated puppies and neglected latchkey dogs, there are dignified mongrel strays, war-heroes, a psychotic Great Dane called Cher Bebe and a top-drawer spaniel of theatrical lineage with Uggie-envy. And then there is man, with his cowardice, his commitment issues, his short attention span and his propensity for very silly names. . . The great question Matthew circles in this gloriously entertaining gallop through one of the world's great auld alliances, therefore, is not so much who is the master in this relationship, as who is the mutt. Touching, wicked, clever and kind, Dog Treats will bring delight and recognition to dog-lovers everywhere.

The Hellenistic pike-phalanx was a true military innovation, transforming the face of warfare in the ancient world. For nearly 200 years, from the rise of the Macedonians as a military power in the mid-fourth century BC, to their defeat at the hands of the Romans at Pydna in 168BC, the pike-wielding heavy infantryman (the phalangite) formed the basis of nearly every Hellenistic army to deploy on battlefields stretching from Italy to India. And yet, despite this dominance, and the vast literature dedicated to detailing the history of the Hellenistic world, there remains fierce debate among modern scholars about how infantry combat in this age was actually conducted.Christopher Matthews critically examines phalanx combat by using techniques such as physical re-creation, experimental archaeology, and ballistics testing, and then comparing the findings of this testing to the ancient literary, artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as modern theories. The result is the most comprehensive and up-to-date study of what heavy infantry combat was like in the age of Alexander the Great and his successors.

Understanding the Hellenistic Pike Phalanx in Action

An Invincible Beast

Daunted by the prospect of old age? Fearful of becoming a silly old fool? 'No need,' says Christopher Matthew. He has just hit eighty. He plays golf; walks the dog; has all his own hair; doesn't need a hearing aid, and no one ever stands up for him on crowded buses and tubes. By his own lights a late middle ager who intends to remain so. No one likes the idea of getting old, but in this wry, thoughtful and very funny guide to life in the last lane, the author of the million-selling Now We Are Sixty will surely persuade all late middle agers that they have a lot more to look forward to than they might imagine.

How to be a Golden Oldie

The Old Man and the Knee

This study looks at destroying the gods of Rome's enemies, wartime ceremonies, the role of women in Republican warfare and even the gruesome live burials of people during times of military crisis. Religion was integral to the conduct of war in the ancient world and the Romans were certainly no exception. No campaign was undertaken, no battle risked, without first making sacrifice to propitiate the appropriate gods (such as Mars, god of War) or consulting oracles and omens to divine their plans. Yet the link between war and religion is an area that has been regularly overlooked by modern scholars examining the conflicts of these times. This volume addresses that omission by drawing together the work of experts from across the globe. The chapters have been carefully structured by the editors so that this wide array of scholarship combines to give a coherent, comprehensive study of the role of religion in the wars of the Roman Republic. Aspects considered in depth will include: declarations of war; evocatio and taking gods away from enemies; dedications and ceremonies; the cult of the legionary eagle; the role of women in Republican warfare; omens and divination; live burials of people in times of military crisis; and the rituals of the Roman triumph.

Christopher Matthew

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