Roman Warfare

Roman Warfare surveys the history of Rome’s fighting forces from their inception in the 7th century BCE to the fall of the Western Empire in the 5th century CE. In non-technical, lively language, Jonathan Roth examines the evolution of Roman war over its thousand-year history. He highlights the changing arms and equipment of the soldiers, unit organization and command structure, and the wars and battles of each era. The military narrative is used as a context for Rome’s changing tactics and strategy and to discuss combat techniques, logistics, and other elements of Roman war. Political, social, and economic factors are also considered. Full of detail, up-to-date on current scholarly debates, and richly illustrated with 39 halftones and 27 color plates, Roman Warfare is intended for students of the ancient world and military history.

Jonathan P. Roth is professor of history at San Jose State University. A scholar of Roman military history, he is the author of The Logistics of the Roman Army at War.