Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (1)

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472815386
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 52

Book Description
At its height the Roman Empire stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, maintained by an army of modest size but great diversity. In popular culture these soldiers are often portrayed in a generic fashion, but continuing research indicates significant variations in Roman armour and equipment not only between different legions and the provincially-raised auxiliary cohorts that made up half of the army, but also between different regions within the empire. With reference to the latest archaeological and documentary evidence Dr D'Amato investigates how Roman Army units in the Western provinces were equipped, exploring the local influences and traditions that caused the variations in attire.

Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (2)

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472833600
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50

Book Description
The appearance of Roman soldiers in the 3rd century AD has long been a matter of debate and uncertainty, largely thanks to the collapse of central control and perpetual civil war between the assassination of Severus Alexander in 235 and the accession of the great Diocletian in 284. During those years no fewer than 51 men were proclaimed as emperors, some lasting only a few days. Despite this apparent chaos, however, the garrisons of the Western Provinces held together, by means of localized organization and the recruitment of 'barbarians' to fill the ranks. They still constituted an army in being when Diocletian took over and began the widespread reforms that rebuilt the Empire – though an Empire that their forefathers would hardly have recognized. Fully illustrated with specially chosen colour plates, this book reveals the uniforms, equipment and deployments of Roman soldiers in the most chaotic years of the Empire.

Roman Army Units in the Eastern Provinces (2)

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472850483
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 50

Book Description
Drawing upon the latest literary and archaeological research, this is an in-depth study of the Roman Army units based in the Eastern Provinces during the turbulent third century of the Roman Empire. In this book, eminent Roman historian, Dr Raffaele D'Amato, looks at the notoriously under-represented history of the Roman armies during the middle 3rd Century whose records have been obscured by the chaotic civil wars of that period between usurpers to the Imperial authority of Rome. Following on from the previous title, MAA 527, Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (2): 3rd Century AD, this book considers the evidence for troops in the Eastern half of the Empire specifically around the Balkans, Mesopotamia, the Middle East and North Africa and looks at the weakness of Imperial central authority which inevitably led to local particularism and a wide range of appearance in regional commands. Dr D'Amato uses literary, painted, sculptural and archaeological sources to reconstruct this little-understood period of Roman military history and, with the aid of meticulous coloured artwork, photos and detailed charts, reconstructs the appearance and campaigns of the Roman forces stationed in the East.

Roman Centurions 31 BC–AD 500

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1780960395
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 129

Book Description
In the years between 31 BC and AD 500 the Romans carved out a mighty empire stretching from Britain to the deserts of North Africa. The men who spearheaded this expansion were the centurions, the tough, professional warriors who led from the front, exerted savage discipline and provided a role model for the legionaries under their command. This book, the second volume of a two-part study, reveals the appearance, weaponry, role and impact of these legendary soldiers during the five centuries that saw the Roman Empire reach its greatest geographical extent under Trajan and Hadrian, only to experience a long decline in the West in the face of sustained pressure from its 'barbarian' neighbours. Featuring spectacular full-colour artwork, written by an authority on the army of the Caesars and informed by a wide range of sculptural, written and pictorial evidence from right across the Roman world, this book overturns established wisdom and sheds new light on Rome's most famous soldiers during the best-known era in its history.

Roman Heavy Cavalry (1)

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472830032
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 65

Book Description
From the army of Marc Antony in the 1st century BC, Roman generals hired Oriental heavy armoured cavalry to serve in their military alongside the legions. These troops, both from the northern steppes and the Persian frontiers, continued an ancient tradition of using heavy armour and long lances, and fought in a compact formation for maximum shock effect. They were quite distinct from conventional Roman light cavalry, and they served across the Empire, including in Britain. They became ever more important during the 3rd century wars against Parthia, both to counter their cavalry and to form a mobile strategic reserve. Displaying these impressive and imposing cavalry units using vivid specially commissioned artwork, this first book in a two part series on Roman Heavy Cavalry examines their use over the Imperial period up to the fall of Western Empire in the 5th century A.D.

Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (1)

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472815394
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 106

Roman Centurions 753–31 BC

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 184908937X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 108

Book Description
A detailed glimpse into the weapons, equipment and uniforms worn by Roman Centurions from the Roman Kingdom right through to the height of the Republic. Including new research, photographs of artefacts and the signature Men-at-Arms artwork, this is an essential addition to the series and includes several artwork reconstructions of actual named individuals and two lavish scenes depicting combat between Centurions and a Triumphal procession.

Roman Battle Tactics 390–110 BC

Author: Nic Fields
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781846033827
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
By 390 BC, the organization of the Roman army was in need of change. Fighting in the Greek-style with a heavy infantry was proving increasingly outdated and inflexible, resulting in the Roman's defeat at the hands of the Gauls at the battle of Allia. Following on from this catastrophe and in the next fifty years of warfare against Gallic and Italian tribes, a military revolution was born: the legion. This was a new unit of organization made up of three flexible lines of maniples consisting of troops of both heavy and light infantry. However, at the end of the 3rd century BC, Rome's prestige was shattered once more by the genius of Hannibal of Carthage, causing Roman battle tactics to be revised again. The legendary general Scipio Africanus achieved this, finally destroying the Carthaginian army at the climactic victory of Zama. A wholly new kind of soldier had been invented, and the whole Mediterranean world was now at Rome's feet. This book reveals these two defining moments in Roman military history and the revolution in battle tactics that was the result, examining how the Roman army eventually became all-conquering and all-powerful.

Roman Standards & Standard-Bearers (2)

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472836502
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 134

Book Description
The Late Roman Empire was a period of significant change in the designs of standards and in the costumes of standard-bearers. During the middle decades of the chaotic 3rd century, evidence confirms the continued use of the old legionary eagle and the signa of the old cohorts and centuries, alongside flags and Imperial images. The two major trends over the later generations were the adoption of Christian symbols on standards (e.g. Constantine the Great's Chi-Rho), and the proliferation of different types of flags. This had begun in the late 2nd century with the adoption of the 'barbarian' dragon standard, the windsock-shaped draco, which continued to be displayed alongside various other flags in the Greek-speaking Eastern Empire, whose influence increased greatly. Meanwhile, the growing employment of foreign units was such that by the 5th century we have evidence of the use of Hunnic symbolism among a Roman general's suite of standards. The costumes of standard-bearers also evolved as 'Persian' styles spread from Constantinople. This title explores all these changes in depth, charting the development of various costumes and designs and the waxing and waning influence of various cultures and religious considerations. The text is supported by specially commissioned illustrations and artist's reconstructions of the standards and their bearers.

Imperial Roman Naval Forces 31 BC–AD 500

Author: Raffaele D’Amato
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9781846033179
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
The Roman navy, although somewhat overshadowed by the Legions, played an important role for the Roman Empire. For the army to conquer and rule its vast territories, control of the sea lanes was essential. The navy fleets needed to be structured and powerful in order to dominate the trade routes, transport Legions and defend and attack against pirates and other enemies. Under Augustus in 31BC, the navy consisted of 800 warships with many being sent to Ravenna and Misenus in Italy, and smaller squadrons to the external coasts (e.g. Gaul, Spain, Britain) and to the major rivers, to support land operations (e.g. Rhine, Danube, Seine and others). When Roman coasts came under attack from Teutonic raiders in the 3rd and 4th centuries, the navy played a key part in the defense of the empire. This book provides a detailed re-evaluation of the vital contribution made by the Roman navy to imperial power, covering the organization of the fleets and the everyday life of the soldiers. Previously unpublished research is complemented by superb color reconstructions of the uniforms and equipment, making this a central resource on a neglected piece of ancient history.