The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine (Men at Arms Series, 93) [Paperback]

Michael Simkins (Author), Ronald Embleton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Men-at-Arms | Publication Date: June 1, 1979

The year of 122 was the first time a Roman Emperor had set foot in the Province of Britannia since the invasion in AD 43. No doubt he had read many reports concerning the damage caused by marauding tribesmen crossing from what is now Scotland into the Province. Hadrian, therefore, decided - in the words of his biographer - 'to build a wall to separate the Romans from the Barbarians'. This engaging work from author Michael Simkins explores in depth the organisation, equipment, weapons and armour of the Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine, one of the most exciting periods in Roman history.

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

Michael Simkins is a respected author in the field of Ancient History, and he has written several titles for Osprey. He has a particular interest in, and knowledge of, the Roman Army in Britain, and is a keen re-enactor of this period. His interest extends to having personally recreated many of the weapon and armour pieces that the Roman leggionaire would have worn and used at this time.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (June 1, 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 085045333X
• ISBN-13: 978-0850453331
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,343,489 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An unbalanced overview, March 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine (Men at Arms Series, 93) (Paperback)

The book's title is slightly misleading; although the central color plates illustrate representative images from the full range of dates indicated by the reigns cited therein, the text leans the discussion heavily toward the earlier part of the period and Hadrian's Wall in particular. Also, a disclaimer is included stating that much background material (including, presumably, definitions of some military terms used) is to be found in the companion volume, "The Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan."
Relating to the comparatively extensive discussion of helmets, the illustrations are scattered widely and inconveniently throughout the book (sometimes pages after the discussion of their object without any indication an illustration is included, frustrating especially after reading a detailed description) and references are again made to the companion volume. This and other subsections on equipment collectively dwarf other topics such as religion and diet of soldiers.
The author includes some unhelpfully amateurish drawings of his own besides much better photographs of his equipment reconstructions and the illustrator's plates.
The end of this period is treated more fully in Osprey's "Late Roman Infantryman" and "Late Roman Cavalryman," the balance handled in "Imperial Roman Legionary," which I have not seen.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Needs to be replaced, January 8, 2008

By 

Ving Thorr (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine (Men at Arms Series, 93) (Paperback)

This is one of Osprey's oldest Men-at-Arms books, and is in dire need of replacement. The book never addresses its topic--the soldiers of the late imperial legions. The first half of the book covers Hadrian's Wall. The rest of the book discusses the archeological remains of armor, helmets, and swords. This book contains no discussion of the actual soldiers, battle formations, campaigns, tactics, historical antecdotes, or anything along the lines of what has become standard for the Men-at-Arms series. "The Rebuplican Roman Army, 200-104 BC" is hands down one of the best Men-at-Arms titles I've ever read, this book however is one of the worst, and I think a new one should be commissioned more along the lines of the former. For a better discussion of the soldiers of this period (and much better full-color plates), I recommend "Greece and Rome at War" by Peter Connonlly.

3.0 out of 5 stars etwas kopflastig, September 10, 2010

By 

Konrad Stein "El viejo lobo." (Hettstedt) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Roman Army from Hadrian to Constantine (Men at Arms Series, 93) (Paperback)

Diesem Heft mangelt es an einer ausgewogenen Darstellung. Über die römische Armee gibt es mittlerweile sehr gute Werke, über alle Jahrhunderte, von der Republik bis zur letzten Dynastie.
Hier aber kommt man nicht auf seine Kosten. Es fehlt an den versprochenen Informationen zum angekündigten Zeitabschnitt. Wir erfahren zwar einiges über den Hadrianswall, doch zu wenig über die römische Armee dieser Epoche.
Wer sich für das Thema interessiert, sollte auf andere Werke ausweichen.