War and Propaganda

Abstract

War needed to be justified by the propagation of new claims of legitimacy and even by the establishment of new definitions of legitimacy. The ancient sources for Greek and Macedonian warfare record numerous official justifications for making war. After Alexander’s death, resistance to Macedonian hegemony in the Lamian War, under a coalition headed by Athens, also invoked the liberation theme. The need to wage war to safeguard the peace formed another major theme of Greek war propaganda. In sum, the chief themes of Greek and Macedonian war propaganda are help and protection, liberation, revenge, safeguarding the peace, and fighting for one’s rights, often by invoking heroes and gods. Ideas of justice, lawfulness, and divine approval may blend, this last idea being crucial, each being defined in accordance with the political aims and intentions of ancient leaders.