Early Roman Armies (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Nicholas Sekunda (Author), Richard Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 1995 | Series: Men-at-Arms (Book 283)

The early Romans were only one of a number of peoples that inhabited Iron Age central Italy. From the 8th to the 3rd century BC, the Romans undertook territorial expansion, and conflict with neighbouring tribes and cultures resulted in open war, most notably with the Samnites. Alliances were created, too, but the rise of Rome was unstoppable. This title covers the equipment, weaponry and dress of the early Romans, from the traditional foundation in 753 BC to the third century BC, where the dominance of Rome was beyond challenge. It also deals with developments in warfare, covering the early cavalry, the pre-Hoplite Army, the Hoplite Army and the Manipular Army. Etruscan, Latin, and Samnite warfare is also discussed.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Packed with specially commissioned artwork, maps and diagrams, the Men-at-Arms series is an unrivalled illustrated reference on the history, organisation, uniforms and equipment of the world's military forces, past and present.

About the Author

Nicholas Sekunda was born in 1953. After studying Ancient History and Archaeology at Manchester University, he went on to take his Ph.D. in 1981. He has taken part in archaeological excavations in Poland, Iran and Greece, participated in a research project on ancient Persian warfare for the British institute of Persian Studies. He has published numerous books and academic articles, and is currently teaching at the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology in Torun, Poland.
Simon Northwood is a former lecturer at Manchester University in the Department of History. He has a particularly passionate interest in the Ancient world. This is his first title for Osprey Publishing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (July 17, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325136
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325135
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whence the Roman legion?, June 25, 2001

By 

Aaron Larsen (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Roman Armies (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This book revolutionized my understanding of the Roman legion. Everyone acknowledges that the legion somehow evolved out of the Greek phalanx, which had come to dominate warfare in the years between 500-350 BC to such an extent that we know it was used by peoples as diverse as the Carthiginians and the Etruscans. In fact, it was from the Etruscans that whom most commentators assume that the Romans learned it, while under the rule of Etruscan kings. Sometime between about 400 and 275 BC, however, two new formations came to dominate warfare, the Macedonian phalanx and the Roman legion. Sekunda argues for a very different interpretation of the development of the legion, arguing that it was done in response, not to the Celtic invasion of the early 4th century, but much later due to the defeats at the hands of the nimble samnites. His interpretation may be radical (and may dim the reputation of Camillus, its traditional inventor), but it makes sense. Anyone who wants to weigh in on the early development of the legion needs to at least take his arguments into account to do the topic justice.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rather Good., April 2, 2006

By 

SUPPORT THE ASPCA. "PILUM THROWER!" (?????) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Early Roman Armies (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

For a book series like Osprey that is more devoted to regalia details and great color plates. This book was filled with a fine amount of historical details that have scarcely been mentioned in most military histories. The author proves his three main points. First, the legion came from the Etruscans, not the Greeks. Secondly, it was developed to meet the more formidable threat of the Samnites, rather than the Gauls. Lastly, he proves how resourceful and tenacious even the earliest of Roman armies were.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Origins of the "Classic" Roman Legion, April 4, 2008

By 

J. James - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Early Roman Armies (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

This book provides to the general reader a good account of how the "classic" Roman legion came into being. As the authors illustrate, it was a very long process of change and adaptation. They make scholarly use of a wide range of literary and archaeological evidence to describe this process. It is a somewhat technical work due to the nature of the surviving evidence, and one should keep this in mind.

Roman historical writing began in 200 BC, and this book studies Roman warfare from 753 BC to 275 BC. For those not too familiar with Roman historiography, Livy is our chief literary source for this period, and he is not always trustworthy. Do not expect this account of Roman military history to flow like a typical narrative of Caesar's Gallic War.

The title of the book is slightly misleading. Italic warfare was dynamic, with a myriad of peoples in close interaction. The book also covers Latin, Etruscan and Samnite armies. This was necessary for the author to explain Rome's early armies, which borrowed a great deal of ideas and equipment from their enemies. This book is certainly not the first to argue this, nor to suggest that the Romans' borrowed their manipular tactics from the Samnites. This book should be read as a supplement to other works like Parker's "Roman Legions", Salmon's "Samnium and the Samnites", and especially Connolly's "Greece and Rome at War".

The book does not provide a conclusion, nor does it provide an adequate context to put Rome's early armies into. This may be due to the book's very short length. What the last part of the book describes is one of the most important military revolutions in European history: the creation of the Roman manipular legion, which allowed Rome to master Italy and then become master of the Mediterranean world.

Overall this a book worth buying. It studies an important topic in Roman history. Osprey's tradition of excellent color illustrations continues here and complements the excellent text.