The Cavalry of the Roman Republic [Hardcover]

Jeremiah B. McCall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 7, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0415257131 | ISBN-13: 978-0415257138 | Edition: 1

In this original and revealing work, Jeremiah B. McCall challenges the generally accepted view of the Roman cavalry and explores the fundamental connections between war and society in republican Rome, c.300-100 BC.
McCall describes the citizen cavalry's equipment, tactics, and motivation in battle, and argues for its effectiveness in the field. This success is proof that it cannot finally have been disbanded for purely military reasons; he shows that victories in the law-courts, and lavish displays of wealth, came to supersede cavalry service as a way of building the reputations of the Roman elite.
The clear structure and fresh approach of the book, combining insights from both Roman military and social history, will be useful to readers at all levels of study.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The first serious treatment of Republican cavalry since ... 1877 ... the book offers an alternative way into thinking about the big changes in Roman society in the last three centuries B.C. This engaging short work will be the first port of call for its subject.' -  The Classical Review

'This book is a clearly written and important study of a neglected topic ... it makes a unique and valuable contribution to the military and social history of the Republic.' - Journal of Roman Studies

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (December 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415257131
• ISBN-13: 978-0415257138
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,365,571 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeremiah McCall, has been teaching high school history for more than a decade, mostly at Cincinnati Country Day School, a school regarded nationally for its combination of academic excellence and effective learning technologies. His first professional love is high school teaching, especially designing instructional strategies that will engage and challenge his students to learn and grow. In addition to teaching more conventional courses that incorporate simulation gaming, he teaches senior electives on (tabletop) historical simulation design, and the intersection of serious computer games and contemporary global issues. McCall has a PhD in ancient history from Ohio State University; he authored a book on the cavalry of the Roman Republic (Routledge 2001) and continues to research and write on Roman history topics. McCall has spoken regularly at conferences on games and learning like the Education Arcade and the Games, Learning & Society Workshop, and delivers school workshops on using historical simulation games. He maintains the website historicalsimulations.org, one of the primary sites devoted to the use of historical simulations in classroom teaching.

Feel free to contact him for casual conversation or formal consultation about simulation design and educational gaming.

[e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate text on a little known subject, November 18, 2010

By 

Ben Kane (Nr Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Cavalry of the Roman Republic (Hardcover)

As many people know, information on the citizen cavalry of the mid Roman Republic is hard to come by. Ancient history, with its patchy details, is wide open to interpretation of one kind or another. Sometimes these interpretations become the accepted 'way things were', even if there's no real proof to back up the conclusions are made.

A case in point is the subject of this little volume, by Jeremiah McCall. Citizen cavalry, the Republic's staple mounted force from the fifth century BC until the first, had disappeared by the time of Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus. Until this excellent text came along, the widely held belief was that Roman citizen cavalry had become inferior to the enemies it faced, and was therefore dispensed with.

As McCall cogently argues, there is no hard proof for this at all, and in fact, the evidence points to the Roman citizen cavalry being, for the most part, just as good as the enemies they faced. When they weren't - for example in the Second Punic War - changes were made. (This is when McCall moots that the much debated change of equipment and weaponry took place.) The theory he comes up with for the demise of the citizen cavalry is also sensible: that by the first century BC, the route to success, fame and fortune for young equestrians no longer began with service in the cavalry, but in the political world.

Just seven chapters long, this text is well-written and presented. There is an exhaustive set of notes at the back mentioning all its classical sources. With its well-made challenge to another common assumption about Rome, it's a 'must read' for anyone interested in the Roman Republic's armies. And the good news is that a paperback edition is scheduled for March 2011. Bringing the price down significantly will definitely make it worth purchasing.

Ben Kane, author of The Forgotten Legion.