Fortissimi and Validissimi: The Batavian auxiliaries of the Roman army (From Alexander to Adrianople 3000 BCE-400 CE) - Softcover

Varga, Rada

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1804518263 ISBN 13: 9781804518267

Publisher: Helion and Company, 2025

Synopsis

Fortissimi and Validissimi, the strongest and bravest, was how Roman writers described the Batavians. Natives of the Lower Rhine, they were a community of soldiers who supplied the Roman army with men. Led by their native aristocracy, loyal and fierce, they became elite soldiers, personal bodyguards to the emperors and the empire’s most valued European auxiliaries.

The book draws on many sources, Roman historical writings, Latin inscriptions and archaeological finds. The author is a coordinator of the excavations at the site of a camp of a Batavian cavalry troop. The history of the Batavians in Roman service includes remarkable events: a rebellion against Rome on the Lower Rhine, a bloody battle with the Caledonians in Britannia, a cavalryman crossing the Danube in full armour in front of the Emperor Hadrian, and a troop commander being called ‘rex’ while being asked for more beer for his men.

Fortissimi and Validissimi is a compelling history for academic historians, enthusiasts of history and re-enactment communities.

About this title

About the Author

Rada Varga Is A Researcher At Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, And Specialises On Digital Epigraphy, Ancient Population Studies, Roman Occupations And Professions. She Is The Coordinator Of The Project That Hosted The Conference (Http://Romans1by1.Com), And Also Directs The Archaeological Excavations In The Civil Settlement Of The Auxiliary Fort Of Războieni (Ad Batavos), Dacia.

Edition details

• Publisher: Helion and Company
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1804518263
• ISBN 13: 9781804518267
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 110