Paul Edgar - Classics of Strategy and Diplomacy

Author: Paul Edgar

Paul Edgar is the associate director of the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. He studies the historical origins of diplomacy, war, and strategy in pre-classical antiquity. He is also a philologist of several ancient languages. Before entering academia, Edgar served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, and saw service in Korea, Italy, Iraq, and Afghanistan amongst other locations. Edgar holds a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern languages and cultures from the University of Texas, an M.A. from Tel Aviv University, and a B.S in chemistry from Saint Mary’s University. His writing has appeared in Foreign Policy, Task & Purpose, and Capital Commentary. His forthcoming book deals with the international diplomatic history of the Late Bronze Age.

Paul Edgar is the associate director of the William P. Clements, Jr. Center for National Security at the University of Texas-Austin. He studies the historical origins of diplomacy, war, and strategy in pre-classical antiquity. He is also a philologist of several ancient languages. Before entering academia, Edgar served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army, and saw service in Korea, Italy, Iraq, and Afghanistan amongst other locations. Edgar holds a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern languages and cultures from the University of Texas, an M.A. from Tel Aviv University, and a B.S in chemistry from Saint Mary’s University. His writing has appeared in Foreign Policy, Task & Purpose, and Capital Commentary. His forthcoming book deals with the international diplomatic history of the Late Bronze Age.

A Most Ancient Statecraft: The Idrimi Statue Inscription

December 22, 2021

The Idrimi Statue Inscription is perhaps the earliest complete biography of a political figure that has been discovered to date. Written on a statue of Idrimi sitting on a throne, the inscription is a generally chronological abridgement of King Idrimi’s political and military activities in fifteenth century northern Levant (BCE). While there exists more biographical information about the lives and acts of earlier political figures, information about those figures is usually spread among many sources, requiring synthesis in order to construct something that resembles a complete biography. In contrast, Idrimi’s inscription presents a whole story. It addresses his youth, his rise to power, his activities while in power, and, implicitly, his death.The advantage of an inscription like Idrimi’s is that it provides access to a complete political story of a known leader, composed by his political and familial associates in their own words, from their own perspective. While telling us about Idrimi and his work, the inscription also identifies what made for successful strategy and statecraft in a particular milieu.