The Roman centurion, holding the legionaries steady before the barbarian
horde and then leading them forward to victory, was the heroic exemplar
of the Roman world. This was thanks to the Marian reforms, which saw the
centurion, although inferior in military rank and social class,
superseding the tribune as the legion's most important officer. This
period of reform in the Roman Army is often overlooked, but the
invincible armies that Julius Caesar led into Gaul were the refined
products of 50 years of military reforms.
Using specially commissioned artwork and detailed battle reports, this
new study examines the Roman legionary soldier at this crucial time in
the history of the Roman Republic from its domination by Marius and
Sulla to the beginning of the rise of Julius Caesar.