Armies of the Germanic Peoples, 200 BC-AD 500: History, Organization & Equipment

by Gabriele Esposito

Overview

Gabriele Esposito presents an overview of the military history of the Germanic peoples of this period and describes in detail the weapons and tactics they employed on the battlefield. He starts by showing how, from very early on, the Germanic communities were heavily influenced by Celtic culture.  He then moves on to describe the major military events, starting with the first major encounter between the Germanic tribes and the Romans: the invasion by the Cimbri and Teutones.  Julius Caesar's campaigns against German groups seeking to enter Gaul are described in detail as is the pivotal Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which effectively halted Roman expansion into Germany and for centuries fixed the Rhine as the border between the Roman and Germanic civilizations. Escalating pressure of Germanic raids and invasions was a major factor in the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. 
            The author's analysis explains how Germanic warriors were able to crush the Roman military forces on several occasions, gradually transformed the Roman Army itself from the inside and, after the fall of the Empire, created new Romano-Germanic Kingdoms across Europe. The evolution of Germanic weapons, equipment and tactics is examined and brought to life through dozens of color photos of replica equipment in use.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526772718
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Series:	Armies of the Past
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	463,766
File size:	26 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialized magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713, published by Pen & Sword in 2018.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vii

Introduction viii

Chapter 1 The Early History of the Germani 1

Chapter 2 The Cimbrian War 14

Chapter 3 Julius Caesar and the Germani 37

Chapter 4 The Campaigns of Augustus in Germania 60

Chapter 5 Arminius and the Battle of Teutoburg 74

Chapter 6 The limes of the Rhine and the Marcomannic Wars 91

Chapter 7 The Migration Period and the Battle of Adrianople 108

Chapter 8 The Sacks of Rome and the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains 125

Chapter 9 Weapons and Tactics of the Germani 147

Bibliography 165

The Re-enactors who Contributed to this Book 167

Index 168