Dr Jason Crowley
Lecturer in Ancient History
My profile
Biography
My main research interest is in Socio-Military History. I am particularly interested in why men fight, and what effect fighting has on them.
My work concentrates on Classical Athens during the Peloponnesian War, but now that my first book has been published, The Psychology of the Athenian Hoplite: The Culture of Combat in Classical Athens, I have returned to a long running project exploring the human experience of war and combat in Classical Greece.
Words of wisdom
Do something you’re really interested in – if you’re interested in a subject, you will do better in it. And there’s nothing more interesting than ancient Greek socio-military history.
Academic and professional qualifications
After a misspent youth in and around the hills of Ramsbottom, I read history at the University of Manchester, where I also gained an MA in ancient history and a PhD in comparative military history.
Languages
In addition to lecturing on ancient history and related subjects, I also teach ancient Greek at the JACT Greek Summer School every year. This is 14 day residential summer school which aims to teach a whole year’s worth of Greek, at all levels, in one intellectually intense fortnight.
Anyone thinking of applying for an MA in Ancient History should consider attending. I can supply further details on request.
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
Review of M. R. Christ, The Bad Citizen in Classical Athens, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol.128 (2008), pp.223-4.
Review of J. W. I. Lee, A Greek Army on the March, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol.129 (2009), pp.177-8.
Review of J. R. Hale, Lords of the Sea, The Anglo-Hellenic Review, Vol.42 (2010), pp.22-3.
Review of A. Schwartz, Reinstating the Hoplite, The Classical Review, Vol.61 (2011), pp.188-90.
Review of D. Pritchard (ed.), War, Democracy and Culture in Classical Athens, Hermathena, Vol.190 (2011), p.134.
Review of G. Cawkwell, Cyrene to Chaeronea, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol.133 (2013), pp.240-1.
Review of D. Pritchard, Sport, Democracy and War in Classical Athens, The Journal of Hellenic Studies, Vol.134 (2014), p.194.
Review of K. Kagan & G. F. Viggiano (eds.) Men of Bronze: Hoplite Warfare in Ancient Greece, The Journal of Hellenic Studies (forthcoming).
Review of L. Mitchell, The Heroic Rulers of Archaic and Classical Greece, The Journal of Hellenic Studies (forthcoming).
Government and industry links
Manchester Postgraduate Fellowship
AHRC Award for MA and PhD
School of History and Classics Scholarship
T. E. Jones History Scholarship
John and Edith Lang Scholarship
Teaching
Why do I teach?
I do what I do because I greatly enjoy it: my research contributes to human understanding of war and conflict, and being able to teach on this topic is, to be frank, a unique and much cherished privilege.
How I’ll teach you
A very famous Athenian soldier, Xenophon, once said that if you want to get the best out of a man, you have to appeal to the best in him, and this is exactly my approach to teaching. I believe that every student has the ability to succeed at the highest level, and I’m always willing to invest the time and effort to ensure that everyone I teach has the best opportunity to do just that.
Postgraduate teaching
I am able to offer postgraduate supervision in the following areas:
Ancient Greek history and culture
Ancient Greek socio-military history
Military history
The psychology of combat
Supervision
Owen Rees (PhD Candidate)
Title: ‘Reactions to Combat in Classical Antiquity’ (in progress)
Research outputs
My main research interest is in socio-military history, and I am particularly interested in why men fight, and what effect fighting has on them. As a comparative historian, I work with theories and evidence generated by the experience of modern warfare, but my main focus is on the citizens of Classical Athens who served as hoplites, heavy-infantrymen, during the wars of the 5th and 4th Centuries BC. Following the publication of my first book, The Psychology of the Athenian Hoplite: The Culture of Combat in Classical Athens, I have returned to a long running project exploring the human experience of war and combat in Classical Greece.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
Crowley, J. (2010) The psychology of the athenian hoplite: The culture of combat in classical athens.
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Chapters in books
Crowley, J. 'Holding the Line with the Comrades of Chance: Classical Sparta, Social Conditioning, and Combat Effectiveness.' Brill’s Companion to Courage and Cowardice in Ancient Mediterranean Warfare. Brill,
Crowley, J. (2024) 'Fighting talk: war’s human cost in drama and law-court speeches.' In Pritchard, D.M. (ed.) The Athenian Funeral Oration: after Nicole Loraux. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 280-297.
Crowley, J. (2023) 'Thucydides and War.' In Low, P. (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Thucydides. Cambridge University Press, pp. 129-142.
Hurlock, K., Rees, O. (2022) 'Combat Trauma in Pre-modern Europe: An Introduction.' Combat Stress in Pre-Modern Europe. Palgrave, pp. 1-14.
Hurlock, K. (2022) 'Was there Combat Trauma in the Middle Ages? The Case for Moral Injury in the Pre Modern World.' In Crowley, J., Rees, O. (ed.) Combat Stress and Pre-Modern History. Palgrave, pp. 123-150.
Hurlock, K., Rees, O., Crowley, J. (2022) 'Combat Trauma in Pre-modern Europe: An Introduction.' Mental Health in Historical Perspective. Springer International Publishing, pp. 1-14.
Hurlock, K. (2022) 'Was There Combat Trauma in the Middle Ages? A Case for Moral Injury in Pre-modern Conflict.' Mental Health in Historical Perspective. pp. 123-150.
Crowley, J.P. (2020) 'Peace, Security and Deterrence in Classical Greece.' In Ager, S.L. (ed.) A Cultural History of Peace. Bloomsbury,
Crowley, J. (2020) 'Patriotism in Ancient Greece.' Handbook of Patriotism. pp. 29-46.
Crowley, J.P. (2017) 'Patriotism in Ancient Greece.' In Sardoc, M. (ed.) The Handbook of Patriotism. Springer,
Crowley, J.P. (2014) ''Beyond the universal soldier: combat trauma in classical antiquity'.' In Meineck, P., Konstan, D. (ed.) Combat trauma and the Greeks. Palgrave Macmillan,
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Journal articles
Crowley, J. (2020) 'Surviving Defeat: Battlefield Surrender in Classical Greece.' Ancient History, 8(1)
Press and media
Media appearances or involvement
‘The Psychology of the Athenian Hoplite Revealed’, BBC History Magazine Podcast (April, 2013).
‘Battle scars: Did Achilles suffer from PTSD?’, Times Higher Education (2014).
‘Combat trauma is nothing like in classical antiquity – so why are we still treating it as such?’, The Conversation (2014).
‘PTSD in Ancient Greece’, Ancient Warfare Magazine (2015).