Book Review: The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece

Cover of The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece
The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece

Title: The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece: Modern Fighting Techniques from the Age of Alexander

Cover of The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece
The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece

Author: Kostas Dervenis and Nektarios Lykiardopoulos

Publisher: Destiny Books, an imprint of Inner Traditions • Bear & Company

Publication Date: October 22, 2007

Format: Paperback

Pages: 8 in x 10 in

Cover Price: $19.95

ISBN: 9781594771927

This book was so good that after I finished the Kindle edition, I bought the paperback!

The authors certainly know their craft. Kostas Dervenis is a martial arts instructor in jujutsu, pammachon, and t’ai chi chuan. Nektarios Lykiardopoulos has a degree in physical therapy and has been a member of the Technical Committee of the Hellenic Pankration Federation since 1999. Both authors live in Athens, Greece, the home of the defunct art of pankration, which is experiencing something of a revival thanks to the research and practice of various instructors. This is similar to the way historical European martial arts (HEMA) practitioners are reconstructing armed and unarmed combat methods using historical documents.

Content

The authors make a distinction between two related topics. The first is the “martial art of pammachon, which was based on blows to vital points that directly incapacitated an enemy, or locks and throws that controlled him in such a manner that he no longer presented a threat and could be quickly executed. In pammachon, the methodology and execution of defensive (or offensive) techniques also took into account the possibility that the enemy was armed, either openly or carrying concealed weapons, and that there could be more than one opponent involved in the battle.” 

The second is the combat sport of pankration. The authors cite the philosopher Plato’s definition: “This is a contest consisting partially of wrestling and partially of boxing.” Although the term pammachon was used alongside the other so-called “heavy” Olympic arts of boxing and wrestling, eventually the Greeks turned to pankration as being the term they preferred to attach to this mixed combat sport. (The authors would not call pankration a form of “mixed martial art,” as they reserve that term for preparation for actual combat. As they note, “pammachon included training with wooden and, subsequently, real weapons.”)

After two relatively short chapters on history and terminology, the bulk of the book consists of a massive third chapter, occupying 153 pages. This is my favorite part of the book, as it examines depictions of various martial arts techniques from Egyptian and Greek sources, then analyzes and recreates them with photographs of modern practitioners. The final chapter is a bit more esoteric and involves the so-called “inner path.”

Pros

I had seen limited depictions of ancient martial artwork, such as the wrestling art in the tomb of Baqet III, more popularly known as part of the Beni Hasan tombs in Egypt dating to the 21st century BCE. The 1995 book Combat Sports in the Ancient World by Michael B. Poliakoff was the first serious work that I read on the topic, and it included some of the Beni Hasan art, as well as depictions from Greek pottery and the like. In this book, however, Dervenis and Lykiardopoulos go to an entirely new level.

The authors include dozens of photographs of ancient art, with many close-ups of the Beni Hasan techniques, for example. They then reproduce the technique with modern human practitioners, usually offering several photos showing the technique in action. The photos are clear and easy to follow, which I do not take for granted in martial arts books. The authors’ interpretations and analysis are reasonable and thorough.

The Kindle version is clear enough to read, even on a small-screen e-ink device like the Paperwhite. However, when I learned that the print edition was a rather large 8 inch by 10 inch paperback, I decided I had to buy it. It was worth the price and made it even easier to follow along with the art and interpretations.

Cons

I have very few concerns with this book. It is evident the authors have strong feelings about competing modern interpretations of pankration. Then again, martial arts have a tendency to evoke strong opinions! I also didn’t completely follow the trail of logic that the authors outlined in the early chapters, but that did not greatly worry me. I was less interested in the spiritual and energy aspects of the final chapter. Readers like me can probably skip that section and still derive maximum value from the remainder of the book.

Conclusion

I give this book 5 out of 5 ninja stars.

The Martial Arts of Ancient Greece will undoubtedly be on the recommended reading lists compiled by Martial History Team. It’s the best book I’ve seen that combines historical research with compelling modern recreation and interpretation. There is no need to have a specific interest in history to enjoy the book, either. Readers know that there are limitations to learning martial arts or combat sports techniques from books. Nevertheless, the content in this one is so well-delivered that you may indeed pick up a few tricks from the Egyptian and Greek practitioners who lived and fought thousands of years ago.

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About Richard Bejtlich 35 Articles
Richard took his first martial arts classes in judo, karate, boxing, and combatives as a cadet at the US Air Force Academy in 1990, and continued practicing several styles until 2001. He resumed training in 2016 by practicing within the Krav Maga Global system, earning Graduate 1 rank. Richard now studies Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Team Pedro Sauer. Richard is married and has two daughters, and as a cybersecurity professional he helps organizations find and remove computer hackers. Richard is co-author, with Anna Wonsley, of the book Reach Your Goal: Stretching and Mobility Exercises for Fitness, Personal Training, and Martial Arts.

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