The Grreks invented the central act of Western warfare, the decisive infantry battle. Instead of ambush, skirmish, maneuver, or combat netween individual heroes, the Greeks of the fifth century B.C. devised a ferocious, brief and destructive headon clash between armed men of all ages. In this study, the author shows how this brutal enterprise was dedicated to the same outcome as consensual government - an unequivocal, instant resolution to dispute.