"Ground-breaking insights into the Roman military presented [in] a
sumptuously illustrated package - this will make a glorious gift for
Roman history aficionados." - Love Reading
The Roman military machine was preeminent in the ancient world,
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.
