Roman Empire at War: A Compendium of Roman Battles from 31 B.C. to A.D. 565

by Don Taylor

Overview

In a single volume, Roman Empire at War catalogues and offers a brief description of every significant battle fought by the Roman Empire from Augustus to Justinian I (and most of the minor ones too). The information in each entry is drawn exclusively from Ancient, Late Antique, and Early Medieval texts, in order to offer a brief description of each battle based solely on the information provided by the earliest surviving sources which chronicle the event. This approach provides the reader a concise foundation of information to which they can then confidently apply later scholarly interpretation presented in secondary sources in order to achieve a more accurate understanding of the most likely battlefield scenario.

In writing the battle descriptions, the author has not sought analyze the evidence contained in the surviving accounts, nor embellish them beyond that which was necessary to provide clarity to the modern reader. He allows the original writers to speak for themselves, presenting the reader with a succinct version of what the ancient chroniclers tell us of these dramatic events. It is an excellent first-stop reference to the many battles of the Roman Empire.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781473869080
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Dr Don Taylor holds a PhD in European History with a concentration in Ancient Mediterranean Studies from Fulbright College of the University of Arkansas (USA). Since 1995 he has served as a university professor in European and Ancient History at Hardin-Simmons University, Texas and he has published and/or lectured on various topics of Greek and Roman history.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements vi

Preface vii

Part 1 Introduction to Roman Imperial Warfare 1

The Roman Imperial Army 3

The Roman Legion, First Century BC-early Fourth Century AD 3

The CohortalLegion, c.105 BC-AD313 5

The Cohortal Legion: the officers and career structure below the centuriate during the Principate 5

The Auxilia of the Principate, 27 BC-AD 284 9

The Roman Army, mid-Third-Fifth Century AD 13

Limitanei 16

Mobile Field Armies 16

Battlefield Elements: Late Roman Cavalry 17

Battlefield Elements: Late Roman Infantry 18

From the Decline of the Roman West to the Death of Justinian in the East 19

The Roman Navy from the early Principate to the Death of Justinian 22

The Ancient Sources 24

The Reliability of the Ancient Sources 24

Note regarding Battlefield Numbers 25

Ancient Authors and their Works Relevant to this Study 26

Part 2 Battles of the Roman Empire 37

Alphabetical and Chronological List of Battles 39

Alphabetical List of Battles 39

Chronological List of Battles 42

Battles of the Roman Empire, 31 BC-AD 565 46

Notes 189

Bibliography 196

Index 201

Editorial Reviews

Impressively informative and a welcome contribution to the growing library of Roman Military Histories… recommended to both academia and the non-specialist general reader.

Midwest Book Review

…the book is to be praised for its ease of reading and consultation, enhanced by the addition of explanatory maps and diagrams of some of the most complex descriptions… To conclude, this volume appears a decent reference book for undergraduates, teachers and, more generally, as a basic resource for beginning more thorough and in-depth studies of the battles of Republican Rome.

Bryn Mawr Classical Review

Prof. Taylor (Hardin-Simmons), who has specialized in Roman history, has complied a valuable reference guide to the battles of the Roman Empire through the reign of Justinian… This is an indispensable reference guide for any student of the Roman military.

The NYMAS Review

"...a handsome volume on the battles of the Roman Empire. While the book does provide some introductory material on the Roman army and the ancient and early medieval sources about this period, it is predominantly a list of battles with brief descriptions, some tactical maps, and lists of ancient sources for each battle. The latter is the best part and it is what sets this work apart from similar battle books, which merely provide descriptions and maps (e.g., An Encyclopedia of Battles). In addition, Taylor has provided a survey of the ancient authors with information on how readers can obtain translated copies (26-36). This is more helpful than Cambridge’s History of Greek and Roman Warfare, which provides its own list of ancient authors (485-497), but does not provide details on finding them in English...With more than 25 years as professor of European and Ancient History at Hardin Simmons University in Texas, I believe Taylor has much more to tell us about these battles. Still, undergrads and even grads will find Roman Empire at War immensely useful when beginning research of battles of the Roman Empire"

Historian on the Warpath

Prof. Taylor (Hardin-Simmons), who has specialized in Roman history, has complied a valuable reference guide to the battles of the Roman Empire through the reign of Justinian… This is an indispensable reference guide for any student of the Roman military.

NYMAS Review