While conquering Greece and Macedonia the Romans defeated an
intervention by the Seleucid Empire, the most powerful of the
Hellenistic states founded by Alexander the Great's successors. Soon
Roman armies crossed to Asia for the first time to carry the war to the
Seleucids. Here they faced one of the most sophisticated armies of the
ancient world, evolved from Alexander's all-conquering war machine with
the exotic additions of elephants, scythed chariots and heavily armored
cataphract cavalry. The Seleucids also possessed a formidable navy.
The Roman army defeated the Seleucids at the epic battle of Magnesia in
190 BC, which marked the beginning of a long decline for Seleucid power
in Asia. This, however, allowed other states to come to the fore, most
notably Pontus. In the 1st century BC, Rome 's grip on its Asian
provinces was shattered by the onslaught of Mithridates VI of Pontus,
Rome 's most enduring foe. Mithridates was eventually overcome, after
many Roman reverses, but these wars in turn led to conflict with
Armenia.
Like the other volumes in this series, this book gives a clear narrative
of the course of these wars, explaining how the Roman war machine coped
with formidable new foes and the challenges of unfamiliar terrain and
climate. This volume draws on Dr Evans' expertise in studying topography
in relation to ancient events and specifically his original research
into the battlefield of Magnesia.
