Romans at War
Journal Data
| Type | SOURCE_BOOK |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| ISBN-13 | 9781351063500 |
| Open Library | OL21657677W |
| Total publications | 7 |
| Coverage period | 2019 - 2019 |
| Language | EN |
| Impact factor | 0.429 |
This volume addresses the fundamental importance of the army, warfare, and military service to the development of both the Roman Republic and wider Italic society in the second half of the first millennium BC. It brings together emerging and established scholars in the area of Roman military studies to engage with subjects such as the relationship between warfare and economic and demographic regimes; the interplay of war, aristocratic politics, and state formation; and the complex role the military played in the integration of Italy. The book demonstrates the centrality of war to Rome’s internal and external relationships during the Republic, as well as to the Romans’ sense of identity and history. It also illustrates the changing scholarly view of warfare as a social and cultural construct in antiquity, and how much work remains to be done in what is often thought of as a "traditional" area of research. Romans at War will be of interest to students and scholars of the Roman army and ancient warfare, and of Roman society more broadly.
Romans at War
Poor man’s war – rich man’s fight
Warfare was a critical source of prestige and legitimation for the Roman elite in the early and middle Republic. In particular, the distribution of war spoils helped to cement relationships and promote social harmony between and across the various classes and divisions present in Rome’s armed forces. The inclusion of heterogeneous groups within the Roman army (with varying “investment” and motivations), combined with formal and informal structure…
Organized chaos
The second half of the fourth century BC was a period of immense change for the Roman army, most notably associated with the advent of Rome’s so-called “manipular” structure. This tactical shift has often been interpreted as the Roman response to external stimuli, and particularly the challenge posed by the Samnites. However, Rome’s distinctive mid-Republican military structure and the Romans’ ability to mobilize, integrate, and organize so many …
Uncovering a “Lost Generation” in the senate
Between 218 and 216 BC, approximately half of the Roman senate perished while serving in the war against Hannibal, the majority of them junior senators. This amounted to a “Lost Generation” of Roman elites. Though no ancient author mentions this “Lost Generation” explicitly, ancient sources combined with modern demographic techniques – including updated model life tables – reveal this phenomenon. Livy indicates that 177 senators died in the early…
The dilectus-tributum system and the settlement of fourth century Italy
The establishment of military pay by Rome in 406 BC necessitated state revenues to fund it, and the result was a war tax called “tributum.” The increasing regularity of war in the fourth century, and the eventual doubling of the legions in or before 311 BC, required not only more citizen recruits but also a strengthening of the tax base to fund military pay. Although the Romans nominally demanded manpower alone from their allies, the imposition o…
The manipular army system and command decisions in the second century
Roman commanders in the middle Republic were, in effect, amateurs, with their suitability to lead armies determined by their aristocratic status and character rather than professional training in the skills of command. Nevertheless, Roman armies enjoyed a very high degree of military success. This paradox can be understood through the lens of “system analysis.” The Roman manipular army of the late third and second centuries BC can be interpreted …
The transformation of the Roman army in the last decades of the Republic
Modern historians often argue that Gaius Marius introduced the most important change in late Republican military organization by reportedly dropping the minimum property qualification for military service and thus creating a professional army relying on volunteers from the lower social classes. However, there is little evidence for wide-ranging “Marian reforms.” Instead, another trend in the first century BC had far greater consequences for the e…
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Romans at War
Poor man’s war – rich man’s fight
Warfare was a critical source of prestige and legitimation for the Roman elite in the early and middle Republic. In particular, the distribution of war spoils helped to cement relationships and promote social harmony between and across the various classes and divisions present in Rome’s armed forces. The inclusion of heterogeneous groups within the Roman army (with varying “investment” and motivations), combined with formal and informal structure…
Organized chaos
The second half of the fourth century BC was a period of immense change for the Roman army, most notably associated with the advent of Rome’s so-called “manipular” structure. This tactical shift has often been interpreted as the Roman response to external stimuli, and particularly the challenge posed by the Samnites. However, Rome’s distinctive mid-Republican military structure and the Romans’ ability to mobilize, integrate, and organize so many …
Uncovering a “Lost Generation” in the senate
Between 218 and 216 BC, approximately half of the Roman senate perished while serving in the war against Hannibal, the majority of them junior senators. This amounted to a “Lost Generation” of Roman elites. Though no ancient author mentions this “Lost Generation” explicitly, ancient sources combined with modern demographic techniques – including updated model life tables – reveal this phenomenon. Livy indicates that 177 senators died in the early…
The dilectus-tributum system and the settlement of fourth century Italy
The establishment of military pay by Rome in 406 BC necessitated state revenues to fund it, and the result was a war tax called “tributum.” The increasing regularity of war in the fourth century, and the eventual doubling of the legions in or before 311 BC, required not only more citizen recruits but also a strengthening of the tax base to fund military pay. Although the Romans nominally demanded manpower alone from their allies, the imposition o…
The manipular army system and command decisions in the second century
Roman commanders in the middle Republic were, in effect, amateurs, with their suitability to lead armies determined by their aristocratic status and character rather than professional training in the skills of command. Nevertheless, Roman armies enjoyed a very high degree of military success. This paradox can be understood through the lens of “system analysis.” The Roman manipular army of the late third and second centuries BC can be interpreted …
The transformation of the Roman army in the last decades of the Republic
Modern historians often argue that Gaius Marius introduced the most important change in late Republican military organization by reportedly dropping the minimum property qualification for military service and thus creating a professional army relying on volunteers from the lower social classes. However, there is little evidence for wide-ranging “Marian reforms.” Instead, another trend in the first century BC had far greater consequences for the e…