AUGUSTUS AT WAR: The Struggle for the Pax Augusta

2-218430

A new and penetrating assessment of Augustus as ancient Rome's military commander-in-chief. The words Pax Augusta - or Pax Romana - evoke a period of uninterrupted peace across the vast Roman Empire. Not exactly. In almost every year between 31 BC and AD 14, the Roman Army was in action somewhere, either fighting enemies beyond the frontier in punitive raids or outright conquest, or suppressing banditry and rebellions within the borders.

As a brilliant strategist, manager of war, and commander-in-chief (imperator), Augustus succeeded in nearly doubling the size of the Empire. He made changes to the political and military institutions to keep the empire together and to concentrate power to himself. His genius was to build a team of loyal but semi-autonomous deputies (legati) to ensure internal security and to fight his wars for him while claiming their achievements as his own. The book profiles more than 90 of these men, the military units under their command, and the campaigns they fought. Illustrated with 23 maps, 42 color plates, 13 black and white figures, and 5 order of battle schematics.