The War Cry in the Graeco-Roman World by James Gersbach;

Author:James Gersbach;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Unlimited)
Published: 2023-06-15T00:00:00+00:00

Paean

The singing of the paean20 by ancient Greek military forces, before and after the battle, was universally practiced throughout the Greek world.21 Central to Greek laws regarding warfare related to religious observance. Ancient Greek religion differed from most modern religions in that it was not associated with a creed or fixed belief system. The gods demanded recognition through sacrifice and other ritual acts. The laws of war arising from religious customs involved protecting the property of the gods and ensuring that rites and sacrifices proceeded without interruption.22 Ancient Greek armies, therefore, undertook battle with a religious orientation, explaining the customary practice of reciting the paean prior to battle. Literary evidence emphasises the pious nature of Greek armies when it came to battlefield custom.23 Homer refers to the inspiration and resolves Greek troops gained from the gods before the battle.24 The paean hymns that were offered up to Greek deities, Ares before battle and Apollo after a successful battle,25 were aimed to invoke the intercession of the deities adhered to.

Evidence reveals that the paean differed, in sound and lyrics, depending on the geographical origin of the army performing it. For example, Thucydides details a battle fought during Athens’ failed attempt to capture Syracuse in 415–413 BC between the invading Athenian force and the Syracusans. During this military engagement, the enemy and contingents of allies within the Athenian army sang a similar paean hymn that surprised and unnerved the Athenian army. The surprised and unnerving reaction of the Athenian force reveals that the Athenians were not prepared for this eventuality and might have questioned the loyalty and intention of their allied contingents within their own ranks. The Athenians clearly sang a different paean to other Greek states, and this difference in paean could jeopardise the fighting preparedness of a force that was unaccustomed to it. The unexpected outbreak of an unfamiliar paean, coupled with the loud noise that would have been generated on the battlefield by both the enemy and allied contingents, gives an understanding for Athens’ military failure:

But that which put the Athenians at the greatest disadvantage and did them most harm was the singing of the paean; for the song of both armies was very similar and caused perplexity. Whenever, that is, the Argives or the Corcyraeans or any Dorian contingent of the Athenian army would raise the paean, the Athenians were just as much terrified thereby as when the enemy sang.26

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