Romans at War: The Roman Military in the Republic and Empire

by Simon Elliott

Overview

A comprehensive guide to this remarkable ancient fighting force: “Groundbreaking insights into the Roman military . . . sumptuously illustrated.” —Love Reading

The Roman military machine was pre-eminent in ancient times, projecting power across the known world over a vast chronology, and an increasingly huge and diverse geography. One of the most powerful instruments of war in the history of conflict, it proved uniquely adept at learning from setbacks, always coming back the stronger for it. In so doing, it displayed two of the most important traits associated with the world of Rome. Firstly grit, that key ability to remain steadfast and to overcome adversity even in the most challenging of circumstances, as faced for example by the Republic in the Second Punic War against Hannibal. Secondly, the ability to copy the successful technical and tactical innovations of their enemies, enabling the Roman military to always stay one step ahead of its opponents on campaign and in battle.

In this grand tour, covering every aspect of the Roman military, leading expert Dr. Simon Elliott first provides a detailed background to the Roman Republic and Empire to provide context for all that follows. He then looks specifically at the Roman military in its three key chronological phases: the Republic, the Principate Empire, and the Dominate Empire. Next he forensically examines specific instances of the Roman military on campaign and in battle, and of its engineering prowess. Finally, he investigates the many enemies faced by the Roman Republic and Empire. This all provides a firm structure to enable the reader to come to grips with this incredible military machine, one whose exploits still resonate in the world to this very day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612008868
Publisher:	Casemate Publishers
Publication date:	01/04/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	56 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Simon Elliott is an historian, archaeologist and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent where he studied for his PhD in Archaeology on the subject of the Roman military in Britain. He also has an MA in War Studies from KCL and an MA in Archaeology from UCL. For a day job he runs his own PR company, and is a former defense and aerospace journalist at titles including Jane's Defence Weekly and Flight International. He frequently gives talks on Roman themes and is co-Director at a Roman villa excavation.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
Timeline of the Roman Empire
Glossary
Chapter 1. Republic and Empire
Chapter 2. The Republican Military
Chapter 3. The Principate Military
Chapter 4. The Dominate Military
Chapter 5. On Campaign and in Battle
Chapter 6. Non-Conflict Roles of the Roman Military
Chapter 7. Allies and Enemies
Chapter 8. Conclusion
Select Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

This book is an excellent starting point for someone who wants to learn about the Roman system of war. It is also a handy reference guide for those of us who have already delved deeply into the field. Mr. Elliott has been able to do much more with these 300 pages than I thought possible. It is a pretty amazing feat… Do yourself a favor and check out some of the other books by the author.

A Wargamers Needful Things

"Ground-breaking insights into the Roman military presented a sumptuously illustrated package – this will make a glorious gift for Roman history aficionados… Elliott’s scholarly lucidity is shot-through with an engaging, entertaining style… Accompanied by a wealth of colour photography, and supported by a detailed timeline, thorough glossary and maps, this is a mightily impressive – and edifying – feat."

Love Reading