The Roman army was one of the most successful fighting forces in history. Its highly advanced organization and tactics were unequaled until the modern era, and monuments to its perseverance and engineering skill are still visible today throughout Europe and the Mediterranean world.
This book is the first to examine in detail not just the early imperial army, but also the citizens' militia of the republic and the army of the later empire. Every aspect of the Roman army, from the daily lives of individual soldiers to the outcome of major campaigns, is explored:
- The Republican Army considers the earliest armies, the creation of the Roman navy, and the militia army that conquered the Mediterranean.
- The Professional Army describes reforms under Marius and his successors and the creation of the new legionary structure.
- The Life of a Roman Soldier looks in detail at all aspects, from recruitment and daily routine to equipment and off-duty life.
- The Army at War reveals how the army operated, from grand tactics to hand-to-hand combat and siege warfare.
- The Army of Late Antiquity examines the reorganization after the defeats of the third century and the rise in the use of cavalry.
The Pax Romana is famous for having provided a remarkable period of peace and stability, rarely seen before or since. Yet the Romans were first and foremost conquerors, imperialists who took by force a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates in the east to the Atlantic coast in the west. Their peace meant Roman victory and was brought about by strength and dominance rather than co-existence with neighbours. The Romans were aggressive and ruthless, and during the creation of their empire millions died or were enslaved. But the Pax Romana was real, not merely the boast of emperors, and some of the regions in the Empire have never again lived for so many generations free from major wars. So what exactly was the Pax Romana and what did it mean for the people who found themselves brought under Roman rule? Acclaimed historian Adrian Goldsworthy tells the story of the creation of the Empire, revealing how and why the Romans came to control so much of the world and asking whether the favourable image of the Roman peace is a true one. He chronicles the many rebellions by the conquered, and describes why these broke out and why most failed. At the same time, he explains that hostility was only one reaction to the arrival of Rome, and from the start there was alliance, collaboration and even enthusiasm for joining the invaders, all of which increased as resistance movements faded away.
