A Companion to the Roman Army: (Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World)

This companion provides an extensive account of the Roman army, exploring its role in Roman politics and society as well as the reasons for its effectiveness as a fighting force. An extensive account of the Roman army, from its beginnings to its transformation in the later Roman Empire Examines the army as a military machine – its recruitment, training, organization, tactics and weaponry Explores the relationship of the army to Roman politics, economics and society more broadly Considers the geography and climate of the lands in which the Romans fought Each chapter is written by a leading expert in a particular subfield and takes account of the latest scholarly and archaeological research in that area

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations x Notes on Contributors xii Abbreviations of Reference Works and Journals xvii Abbreviations of Works of Classical Literature xxii Introduction 1 Paul Erdkamp Part I Early Rome 5 1 Warfare and the Army in Early Rome 7 John Rich 2 The Army and Centuriate Organization in Early Rome 24 Gary Forsythe Part II Mid- and Late Republic 43 3 Army and Battle During the Conquest of Italy (350–264 BC) 45 Louis Rawlings 4 The Age of Overseas Expansion (264–146 BC) 63 Dexter Hoyos 5 The Late Republican Army (146–30 BC) 80 Pierre Cagniart 6 War and State Formation in the Roman Republic 96 Paul Erdkamp 7 Roman Manpower and Recruitment During the Middle Republic 114 Luuk de Ligt 8 Military Command, Political Power, and the Republican Elite 132 Nathan Rosenstein 9 Colonization, Land Distribution, and Veteran Settlement 148 Will Broadhead 10 Army and General in the Late Roman Republic 164 Lukas de Blois Part III The Empire (Actium to Adrianople) 181 The Structure of the Imperial Army 11 The Augustan Reform and the Structure of the Imperial Army 183 Kate Gilliver 12 Classes. The Evolution of the Roman Imperial Fleets 201 D. B. Saddington 13 Battle, Tactics, and the Emergence of the Limites in the West 218 James Thorne 14 The Army and the Limes in the East 235 Everett L. Wheeler 15 Strategy and Army Structure between Septimius Severus and Constantine the Great 267 Karl Strobel Military Organization 16 Military Documents, Languages, and Literacy 286 Sara Elise Phang 17 Finances and Costs of the Roman Army 306 Peter Herz 18 War- and Peacetime Logistics: Supplying Imperial Armies in East and West 323 Peter Kehne Army, Emperor, and Empire 19 The Roman Army and Propaganda 339 Olivier Hekster 20 The Army and the Urban Elite: A Competition for Power 359 Clifford Ando 21 Making Emperors. Imperial Instrument or Independent Force? 379 Anthony R. Birley Soldiers and Veterans in Society 22 Military Camps, Canabae, and Vici. The Archaeological Evidence 395 Norbert Hanel 23 Marriage, Families, and Survival: Demographic Aspects 417 Walter Scheidel 24 Recruits and Veterans 435 Gabriele Wesch-Klein 25 The Religions of the Armies 451 Oliver Stoll Part IV The Late Roman Empire (up to Justinian) 477 26 Warlords and Landlords 479 Wolf Liebeschuetz 27 The Foederati 495 Timo Stickler 28 Army and Society in the Late Roman World: A Context for Decline? 515 Michael Whitby 29 Army and Battle in the Age of Justinian (527–65) 532 Hugh Elton Index locorum 551 Index 555

About the Author :
Paul Erdkamp is Research Fellow in Ancient History at Leiden University. He is author of Hunger and the Sword: Warfare and Food Supply in Roman Republican Wars (264–30 BC) (1998) and The Grain Market in the Roman Empire (2005), and editor of The Roman Army and the Economy (2002).

Review :
"It is an excellent academic reference book and should prove a valuable resource for anyone interested in the development of the Roman Army as well as its interactions over a thousand years with the Empire it both served and influenced." (UNRV History, 1 April 2011) "This book, another in the burgeoning special series from Blackwell Publishing, is an unqualified success. Rather than a simple assemblage of vaguely related, overspecialized academic papers, it is truly what its title promises—a companion." (Michigan War Studies, May 2010) "This book is a valuable work for the reference shelf and a bible for military buffs." (Greece & Rome, 2008) "This volume is another in the growing range of period- or topic-focused Companions to the Ancient World published by Blackwell. The Roman army, as a central institution and influence in so many aspects of Roman imperial history, is an obvious subject for such a volume. Like other volumes in the series, this one boasts an impressive range of international authors, and the scholarship is of a very high order." (New England Classical Journal, February 2009) "It is no easy task to commission and co-ordinate 29 separate contributions, and the editor's energy in doing so should be recognized. The volume will happily sit on an academic bookshelf ... as a handy compendium of the views of the individual authors." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review, October 2008) "The most extensive and likely best researched overview on the Roman army that is currently available." (Ancient Warfare) "Highly readable, informative, and up-to-date survey.... The book constitutes an outstanding resource for many topics concerning the Roman army ... there is much to interest laymen ... and scholars alike." (Choice) "It is particularly valuable in providing up-to-date accounts of the army's manifold aspect and the bibliographies to support them." (Scholia Reviews)