Breaking the Wall, Breaking the Rules? City Fighting, Urban Violence and the Normativity of Warfare in Classical Greece

BUIS, EMILIANO JERÓNIMO

Provo, Utah

Congreso; International Conference *War in Cities and the Law of Armed Conflict*; 2018

J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a more comprehensive image of violence in cities by exploring the nature and aspects of urban warfare in ancient Greece during the fifth-century BCE. I contend here that classical times can shed light on the scope and limitations of modern rules applicable to armed conflicts in civilian contexts. Beyond the obvious technological differences, challenges faced by troops acting in city contexts have remained unchanged. As I will try to show, the ancient Greek model can illuminate many modern issues arising from the risks involved in military operations within cities.