The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History - Softcover

Southern, Pat

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195328787 ISBN 13: 9780195328783

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2007

Synopsis

Written by a leading authority on Roman military history, this fascinating volume spans over a thousand years as it offers a memorable picture of one of the world's most noted fighting forces, paying special attention to the life of the common soldier.
Southern here illuminates the Roman army's history, culture, and organization, providing fascinating details on topics such as military music, holidays, strategy, the construction of Roman fortresses and forts, the most common battle formations, and the many tools of war, from spears, bows and arrows, swords, and slingshots, to the large catapulta (which fired giant arrows and bolts) and the ballista (which hurled huge stones). Perhaps most interesting are the details Southern provides about everyday life in the Roman army, everything from the soldiers pay (they were paid three times per year, but money was deducted for such items as food, clothing, weapons, the burial club, the pension scheme, and so on) to their often brutal life--if whole units turned and ran, about one-tenth of the men concerned were chosen by lot and clubbed to death and the rest were put on barley rations instead of wheat. Moreover, soldiers who lost weapons or their shields would fight savagely to get them back or would die in the process, rather than suffer the shame that attached to throwing weapons away or running from the battle.
Attractively illustrated, this book offers a fascinating look at the life of the Roman soldier, drawing on everything from Rome's rich historical and archaeological record to soldier's personal correspondence to depictions of military subjects in literature and art.

About this title

Book Description

From city-state to Republic to Empire, Rome's army embodied the nation it protected and expanded. But beyond the battlefield, the Roman army was a fundamental social force as well. It became the first full-time standing army, offering steady pay and pensions, while providing an essential career path for ambitious men from the upper echelons of society. What were the secrets behind the greatest army of all time?

About the Author

Pat Southern has published nine books on the Roman army and on Roman history, including The Roman Cavalry (with Karen R. Dixon) and The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine. She has also written biographies of Mark Antony, Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, Augustus, and Cleopatra. She lives in the UK.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0195328787
• ISBN 13: 9780195328783
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400