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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vital work on the influence of the legions in the Empire,
By A Customer
This review is from: Army of the Caesars (Hardcover)
There are books covering the evolution of Roman army as an insturment of power that have far more information on the development of weapons, doctrines,and leadership than this work by the always great Michael Grant. However, you will find none that has a more concentrated focus on how the Army of the Empire evolved from a means to power for Emperors to a power unto itself and over the leaders and civilization it was meant to serve. Grant deftly traces how economic and social factors spurred the professionals of the legions into realizing their potential political influence over both Emperors and Empire and how this transitional dynamic influenced the course of Roman history. A definite must have for the builder of a classical history library.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irreplaceable Analysis,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Army of the Caesars (Hardcover)
Grant's enormously detailed, thorough description and assessment of the Roman army, its organization, staffing, management, finance, and relationship with Roman leaders from Julius on down (particularly illuminating is his commentary on how Octavian, later Augustus, changed what he inherited in the legions in such important ways rarely mentioned at all anywhere else), the citizens of Rome, and the peoples within and beyond Rome's borders, is peerless. Well written, too, an unfortunate rarity in classical histories. I cannot imagine how this invaluable reservoir of information on what surely was the most immportant piece of the machinery that took over most of the known world for so long has fallen out of print. If you are addicted to the study of ancient Rome, I urge you to get this before it disappears altogether. (I had to get mine used from an Amazon seller some years ago. I write this now because I am reading it again and am even more impressed with it today than I was at first.)
7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
army of men, army of gods,
By erin nowak (Florence, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Army of the Caesars (Hardcover)
ever wonder how those crazy roman emperors retained their power? in short, the army provided the roman imperators, or caesars, all the protection they needed. whether from the senate or the barbarians of foreign lands, the army protected the caesars almost every step of the way, unless, of course, the army decided to back another man for the job. The army was so powerful that after Nero (the last of the imperial caesars) the army began to decide who they wanted as emperor. the senate, which longed to have the republic back, knew that the state could never pay the army and therefore Rome would forever be under the rule of the emperor and his army. This book details the weaponry of the army, and the classes and sub-classes within the army. It explains the role of the praetorium guard and the tactical skills of archers, cavalry, and infantry. This book is necessary for a complete understanding of the Roman state. One can know Latin and all the emperors, but to know the guys who died on the front and looted for their personal gain enhances the scholarship of Roman history. By reading this book you will ascertain the importance the emperors and people of Rome had with the army.
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