History of the roman legions book

There are a few factual errors in the book, which detracts from its reliability. The standard of a cavalry unit was emblazoned with the symbol of the serpent draconarius while a legion of infantry was represented by a totemic animal. For most of the roman imperial period, the legions formed the roman armys elite heavy infantry, recruited exclusively from roman citizens, while the remainder of the army consisted of auxiliaries, who provided additional infantry and the vast majority of the roman armys cavalry. In his book, legions of rome, stephen dandocollins traces the history of 44 known roman legions. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion. The primary source for the legions of this era is the notitia dignitatum, a late 4thcentury. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Beautifully illustrated, clearly laid out, and wellwritten, it is primarily for a general audience, but the references to and quotations of ancient. The author has spent the last thirty years collecting every scrap of available evidence from numerous sources.

The legions of rome were among the greatest fighting forces in history. Techniques 2002 and the illustrated history of the vietnam war 2000. This is our best selling roman book for students of history and the general reader. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion read. This book is a brilliant addition to thames and hudsons series on the ancient world. Every legions shield is pictured and the weapons that they used is discussed. A legion was about 5,000 men in several cohorts of heavy infantry legionaries. Legions of rome by stephen dandocollins fantastic fiction. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion e book free. Asked in war and military history, military terminology, roman. The complete history of every imperial roman legion and what it achieved as a fighting force, by an awardwinning historian. Roman legion simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The image of the roman legionary is as familiar today as it was to the citizens. What is considered to be the best book on roman warfare.

The definitive history of every roman legion first edition by stephen dandocollins isbn. The single most visually attractive book on the legions to appear in the english language in a. The roman elegiac poet propertius was one such author. I found this book to be closer to what i wanted than stephen dando collinss legions of rome q. Adrian goldworthys the complete roman army gives a pretty complete coverage of the roman legions during their heydays during the late republican and early imperial periods. Although there are repeats of information resulting from each legions description and the historical narrative which follows the rise and fall of the roman empire, i still found it very complimentary. It provides a good introduction to the roman empire and is a lucid and entertaining read. What nations did the roman legions conquer answers. In this landmark publication, stephen dandocollins does what no other author has ever attempted to do.

As for stephen dandocollins book legions of rome its a readable look on the history of the legions, although i should warn you that the. For almost half a millennium they secured the known world under the power of the caesars. Signum or signa romanum was a pennant, flag, or banner, suspended or attached to a staff or pole, which identified a roman legion infantry or equites cavalry. The roman empire history, rome ancient history, books. This series will cover the development of the roman war machine. A complete history of every imperial roman legion and what it achie. The legion itself was founded by mark anthony in 36 b. The roman legions crushed the macedonian phalanx twice, in 197 and 168 bc. This book goes beyond the stereotypes found in popular culture to. The primary source for the legions of this era is the notitia dignitatum, a late 4thcentury document containing all the civil and military offices of both halves of the roman empire revised in c. The anonymously authored augustan history, compiled in the 3rd century, provides further detail, noting that when hadrian became emperor, the britons could not be kept under roman. The structural history of the roman military concerns the major transformations in the organization and constitution of ancient romes armed forces, the most effective and longlived military institution known to history.

The complete roman legions, by nigel pollard and joanne berry, is a fine, linear assembly of the legions of rome from the republican period, the imperial age, and the late antiquity, by number. And titus calidius, a cavalry decurion who missed military life so much. From its origins around 800 bc to its final dissolution in ad 476 with the demise of the western roman empire, romes military organization underwent substantial structural. The origins of the legions of pompey, caesar, augustus, vespasian, trajan and marcus aurelius go back to the roman republic of the fifth century bc. In the plural, the legions, it may mean the entire roman army. The same year cornelius scipio aemilianus, the son of scipio africanus, destroyed the city of carthage, making it a roman province. In part 1, we will begin with the very founding of the city and the rule of kings. The title lives up to its claim, being a definitive history of every roman legion. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion by stephen dandocollins. Featuring more than 150 maps, photographs, diagrams and battle plans, legions of rome is an essential read for ancient history enthusiasts, military history experts and.

This wideranging study of the roman army covers its political, historical, and social aspects as well as its peacetime occupations and its operation in war. As the title suggests, the book covers everything from the evolution of the roman army to its structure and the daily life of its soldiers. This book looks into the history and organization of the legions as well as equipment and strategy. No book on roman history has attempted to do what stephen dandocollins does in legions of rome. The history of the legions is the collective story of those individuals, not just of romes famous generals. Of course the indoeuropean culture was fairly wide spread. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion 9781849162302 by dandocollins, stephen and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. This is by no means a complete history of the roman legions. A roman legion was the basic military unit of the ancient roman army in the period of the late roman republic and the roman empire. This final published collection, issued in 16 bce, has been traditionally read as an abandonment by propertius of his earlier flippant love poems for a more mature engagement with roman public.

Featuring more than 150 maps, photographs, diagrams and battle plans, legions of rome is an essential read for ancient history enthusiasts, military history experts and general readers alike. The complete roman legions by nigel pollard, joanne berry. Arminius victory against the roman legions in the teutoburg forest had a farreaching effect on the subsequent history of both the ancient germanic peoples and on the roman empire. Originally, there were just four roman legions legios i to iiii the legion number 4 was written as iiii, not iv. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion 9781250004710 by dandocollins, stephen and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. It was produced to accompany the hit tv series ancient rome the rise and fall of an empire dvd 2006.

The romans made no further concerted efforts to conquer and permanently hold. This pioneering account gathers together the stories of each and every individual legion, telling the tales of their triumphs and defeats as they policed the empire and enlarged its borders. This is a list of roman legions, including key facts about each legion, primarily focusing on the principate early empire, 27 bc 284 ad legions, for which. The first book to cover all 45 imperial legions, chronicling their. Structural history of the roman military wikipedia. If we were to take it as multiple legions bearing the number iii, then this legion had been involved in most battles, conflicts and wars during the entire existence of rome. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion by stephen dandocollins 2012, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. There are many other books available with more information and much greater accuracy, for example. Men such as titus flavius virilis, still serving as a centurion at the age of 70.

This book traces the history of every legion of rome from her beginning to the last sack of rome in the 5th century ad. This volume, coauthored by nigel pollard and joanne berry, lecturers of roman history and archaeology at swansea university, is a great general account of the roman legions. The definitive history of every roman legion by stephen dandocollins hardcover 9 dec 2010 the positioning of the roman imperial legions british archaeological reports international series paperback 15 jan 2006 by jerome h farnum i am covering legions of rome now, and it is a very good book. As she herself acknowledges in a concluding paragraph, we can simply make interim statements, with updates from time to time. It reflects on the gradual evolution of the roman army as it developed from a semiprofessional civilian army of the senate to a permanent professional forces under the caesars. The books final section is a sweeping chronological survey of the campaigns in which the armies were involved, told from the point of view of the legions. It was roughly equivalent to the modern word division. Roman legions had names, typically based on where they were originally located. The definitive history of every imperial roman legion read full ebook.