Customer Reviews

Roman Military Institutions

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

An easy to read but fascinating insight into late antiquity. This book was written at a time when the Roman empire in the West was in steady decline. Under contunious pressure from barbarian tribes, Roman military men of the time were seeking ways to reform the Roman army, hearkening back to the glory days of the late Republic and early Imperial periods, when the Roman military machine had no equal in the known world.

Flavius Vegetius wrote this book as a set of recommended military reforms for the emperor. Alas, while it proved a matter of "too little, too late" for the west, it still offers us a very telling window into the past.

This Pavilion Press version of Vegetius is the well-worn 18th century Clarke translation of the first 3 books, ommiting altogether the 4th and 5th books. It's cheaply produced. Much to be preferred is the NP Milner translation, which is once again in print from Liverpool University Press, and is distributed in the USA by the University of Chicago Press.

The only thing of value here is a discussion of the organization of the Roman legion, and that is better described elsewhere. This edition is merely a public domain translation which has been many times reprinted. There's no reason to buy it.