Late Roman Army [Paperback]

Karen R. Dixon (Author), Pat Southern (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0415222966 | ISBN-13: 978-0415222969 | Publication Date: January 22, 2000 | Edition: 1

Using a full range of original literary sources, modern Continental scholarship, and current archaeological research, Pat Southern and Karen R. Dixon provide a stimulating overview of the historical period, the critical changes in the army, and the way these changes affected the morale of the soldiers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The book is both readable and enjoyable, and it can be heartily recommended as a starting point for the study of the Late Roman army.' - The Classical Review

'There is much in this book to be lauded, and it will be a useful tool for students and teachers of Roman military history and archaeology.' - Jane Webster, University of Leicester

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415222966
• ISBN-13: 978-0415222969
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,620,268 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very useful book, November 16, 2004

By 

Florentius (New Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Late Roman Army (Hardcover)

If you're looking for a detailed overview of the development of the Roman army from the third century through the end of the fifth century, look no further. This period saw the transformation of the Roman army from its classical infantry-dominated form to a cavalry-heavy precursor of medieval armies. It also witnessed a shift in strategy from frontier defense, to defense-in-depth. This book covers both of these trends in great detail. It offers a narrative history of the troubled third century, the reforming reigns of Diocletian and Constantine, and the barbarization of the army during the fifth century, quoting numerous ancient sources including Ammianus, Zosimus, Vegetius, Procopius, and others. It supplements this with archaeological data, maps, architectural schemes, and plates.

Most useful is the thorough description of the arms, armor, and clothing worn by the Roman soldier during this period, coupled with photos of surviving bits of armor, helmets, swords, belts, etc. The authors also provide an excellent overview of how the dramatic changes in Roman society, economy, and law during this period affected the army.

In conclusion, I found this to be an extremely useful book and recommend it highly. It will be especially useful as an introduction for serious students to Roman military history.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Detailed Description, Highly Readable, April 5, 2010

By 

S. H. Wells (Tulsa, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Late Roman Army (Hardcover)

Southern and Dixon's book on the late Roman army breaks down their subject in various chapters and describe in a highly readable manner the organization, recruiting, equipment, and forts of the final centuries of the Western Roman Empire's armies.

The authors detail their subject from many points of view and often summarize older scholarship as well as primary sources and archaeology where they are available. They are also quick to point out where there are many gaps in the historical record that can only be filled in by educated guesswork. The main mode of the book is descriptive: while reading, I felt as though I were being given a personal tour of the sources and artifacts that came together to create a picture of the late roman army.

While the book contains many detailed citations, at no time does it veer off into the obtuse: it is at its core a highly readable book. The language is precise and the logical.

At the end of the book, I left seeing the late roman army in all its paradoxical glory. At once larger than during the principiate, yet unable to defend Rome. Highly organized, yet adaptable. More centralized, yet more barbarian. Any one interested in Roman history will enjoy this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Work on a Rarely Visited Subject, November 6, 2008

By 

Phillip J. Ramirez (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Late Roman Army (Hardcover)

The primary mission of this book is to give the reader a detailed and examined look at the Imperial Roman Army in Late Antiquity, roughly from the time of the 3rd Century Crisis to the fall of the Western Empire and into Justinian's reign in the East. Though being less than 200 pages long, the book gives the reader a sense of understanding on the army during the late Empire that few do. The entire book covers all aspects of the army from the sources that are used for the piece all the way to the Morale of the Army and shows the development from the old Imperial Army to one which imployed Limitani and Field Armies. The main primary sources used are Ammianus, Zosimus and Procopius and is supplamented with excellent secondary sources like A H M Jones and Ramsey MacMullen.

While the book may not be an engrossing read it is filled with evidence and information which answers the question, "What happened to the Roman Army? Why did this force which conquered much of the known world succumb to something so simple as barbarians?" and it disproves the popular theory that barbarization was the main cause of the fall of the army which led to the end of the Western Empire. Through extensive research the author's show that not only is this not the case but that the barbarization had more positive effects than negative.

Discussed is also how many scholars in the past have been quick to write so negatively on not only the army but the emperors of the period save for Diocletian, Constantine, Julian and Justinian. They are seen as the creators of the defense and rebirth of the empire while other emperors left it to ruin, yet credit is given to those which improved fortifications and defensive works across the borders. The author's devout a good chapter on all types of fortifications in the late empire, where and why they were built and the reasoning for their abandonment or transformation over time.

Also talked about is the equipment used by the army at this time and their change in tactics. Numerous plates and figure sketches of equipment from the period adorn this part of the book giving the reader a vivid picture of what a soldier in the late empire would have looked like and how well he would have been trained. The authors go into the changes in recruitment at different periods as well as the change in pay and compensation and the corruption which ate away at the army's structure to the point where civilians and citizens were more afraid of the army than of the enemies of the state.

A key aspect discussed at length is on the role of barbarians in the army from Constantine to Justinian. The authors show how different regions responded to the barbarization of the army, how these peoples were utilized by various Emperors and their policies toward them. One interesting point to note is the point made how two major Germanic groups were settled into the empire at Rome's desire. The Visigoths and the Burgandians were both settled on Roman land with Rome having the position of strength in the diplomatic discussions. The authors go on to discuss why integration and settlement were so important and of the positive and negative aspects of this policy.

Finally, the book leaves you with an excellent grasp at the severity of the situation faced by Rome in the 3rd-5th centuries AD and how the army faced with these difficulties still performed as well as they did, though by comparison to the Early and High Empire periods they are seen as falling quite short, and shows the resilience and adaptability of the Roman army and empire during times of extreme hardships and situations.

All in all, I would rate this a 4 1/2 out of 5; and would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the late Imperial Army and of causes for the decline and collapse of the western empire. It is a lot of information to take in and I would suggest this not to the casual reader due to the heavy dose of information and facts in such a short volume, though if you have a decent grasp on the late period of Rome you should adapt quickly and be able to take in a lot if not all the information presented to you.