ROMANS AT WAR: The Roman Military in the Republic and Empire

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Provides a detailed background to the Roman Republic and Empire to provide context for an examination of the Roman military in its three key chronological phases: the Republic, the Principate Empire, and the Dominate Empire. Forensically examines specific instances of the Roman military on campaign, in battle, and engaged in engineering. Finally, investigates the many enemies faced by the Roman Republic and Empire. Over 250 color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations included.

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.