Republican Roman Army 200-104 BC (Men-at-Arms) [Paperback]

Nick Sekunda (Author), Angus McBride (Author)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: April 15, 1996

The principal source of information on the Roman Republican Army is the sixth book of the Histories of the Greek historian Polybius, written a little before 150BC. This engaging text by Nicholas Sekunda draws heavily on this vital source to outline the equipment and organisation of the Roman Republican Army from 200–104 BC – a time when Rome was growing from a regional to a world power. With plenty of photographs and illustrations, including eight vivid full page colour plates by Angus McBride, this fascinating volume examines such topics as the Roman shield, helmets, the cuirass, greaves, the pilum, legion organisation, the principales and the tactics they employed.

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1855325985
• ISBN-13: 978-1855325982
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.1 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #583,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful Summary of Republican Army, July 4, 2006

By 

Steven Briley (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Republican Roman Army 200-104 BC (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

A concise and approchable summary description of the Roman Republican Army (before the Roman Empire). The book provides information about each type of soldier, their provisions and outfitting, and some discussion of how each type of soldier was employed in battle. This book was clearly written by an expert for reading by others already knowledgeable about Roman army practices, but it can also be used as a starting point to begin study of Roman armies. The drawings are outstanding.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good but not impartial, April 10, 2002

By 

Anibal Madeira (Lisboa Portugal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Republican Roman Army 200-104 BC (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Like almost all osprey books, this one is extraordinary; the archeological evidence is solid enough, the angus mcbride plates, altough not the best, are quite good and informative.

But after this favorable review why didn't I gave a 5 stars? Because Mr. Secunda is partial...He portrays the Romans like the "bad guys", he doesn't lie about what the romans did, but he forgets to mention that their foes were as vicious (sometimes worst) as the romans were.

All in all is a good book and I recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great plates, April 1, 2007

By 

K. Murphy "Fortune favors the Bold" (The thriving metropolis of Masury, OH) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Republican Roman Army 200-104 BC (Men-at-Arms) (Paperback)

Typical of its series, this book is full of useful information, but the plates alone give you a great and accurate picture of the subject. This book deals with the organization and battle gear of the Roman legionaries of one of the most crucial periods in Republican history-the century that saw the latter Punic Wars, the Conquest of Greece, and campaigns in Africa and Gaul-and saw the rise of some of Rome's greatest heroes, Caius Marius and the Scipios.