Carrhae 53 Bc : Rome's Disaster in the Desert

Fields, Nic; O'brogain, Sean (ILT)

ISBN 10: 1472849043 / ISBN 13: 9781472849045

Published by Osprey Publishing, 2022

About this Item

Seller Inventory # 44094778-n

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Carrhae 53 Bc : Rome's Disaster in the Desert
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing
• Publication Date: 2022
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1472849043
• ISBN 13: 9781472849045
• Binding: Soft cover
• Illustrator: Ó?Brógáin, Seán
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

Explores the critical battle of Carrhae, a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats.

The Battle of Carrhae is from a heady moment in Roman history – that of the clever carve-up of power between the 'First Triumvirate' of Caius Iulius Caesar, Cnaeus Pompeius Magnus and Marcus Licinius Crassus (the Roman general who had famously put down the Spartacan revolt). It is a fascinating tale of treachery, tactics, and topography in which Rome experienced one of its most humiliating defeats at the hands of the Parthians, not far from a trade-route town hunkered down on the fringes of the arid wastes of northern Mesopotamia, sending shock waves through the Roman power structure.

In this work, classical historian Dr Nic Fields draws out the crucial psychological and political factors (including Crassus' lust for military glory and popular acclaim) that played a key role in this brutal battle. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Parthian general Surena's horsemen completely outmanoeuvered Crassus' legionaries, killing or capturing most of the Roman soldiers. The detailed battlescene artworks reveal the tactics and techniques of the Parthian horse archers, and Roman and Parthian equipment and weaponry, and the approach to battle is clearly explained in 2d maps and 3D bird's-eye views.

About the Authors

Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines. Having left the military, he went back to university and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School in Athens, Greece, and then a lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Edinburgh. Nic is now a freelance author and researcher based in south-west France.

Seán Ó'Brógáin lives and works in Donegal, Ireland. He has a BA (Hons) in Scientific and Natural History illustration from Lancaster University, and has worked for a wide range of clients. In addition to his stunning work for Osprey Publishing, he has collaborated with the University of Manchester, An Post, the National Museum of Ireland, the Irish Office of Public Works and a variety of media companies, museums, councils and private individuals.