From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies (Contributions in Military Studies) [Hardcover]

Richard A. Gabriel (Author), Karen S. Metz (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0313276455 | ISBN-13: 978-0313276453 | Publication Date: April 30, 1991

This in-depth work demonstrates that ancient battles rivaled those of the modern period in size, complexity, and lethality. The organization of armies of the ancient world, their performance, their military operations, and their ability to raise the art of warfare to towering heights are the focus of this carefully documented volume. An examination is made of all the major military establishments of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Pertinent evidence is gathered from a number of disciplines and integrated into a coherent whole. Corroborative evidence is drawn from modern analysis when accepting or rejecting the claims of ancient writers. Where that was lacking, the authors conducted empirical studies of ancient weapons, which led to a better understanding of how ancient battles were really fought. The book concludes with description and analysis of the armies of the ancient world placed in a modern perspective. From Sumer to Rome provides a detailed portrait of the world's earliest military establishments. A number of military innovations and developments that came to fruition in the Iron Age and that remained are traced. An empirical analysis of all the major weapons of the ancient armies is made. The factors that played dominant roles in outcomes are explored and thorough analysis of military medical care systems is provided. This book will be an excellent addition to the libraries of military historians, students of ancient warfare and weaponry, and the general reader.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is a fascinating book shedding new light on the killing power of early weapons and on the sophistication of ancient warfare. It also contains a stimulating section on the wounds caused by individual weapons, on the treatment of those wounds, and on the effect of disease in ancient armies. Although the book deals with the military history of the ancient Mediterranean, it treats many topics that are crucial for the study of military history down to modern times. All military historians will find this book useful. It is a welcome and important contribution to the history of warfare.”–Arther Ferrill Professor of History University of Washington

About the Author

RICHARD A. GABRIEL is a military historian, adjunct professor of Ethics and Humanities at Daniel Webster College, and a former Army intelligence officer.

KAREN S. METZ is an academic librarian and a former medical librarian.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (April 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313276455
• ISBN-13: 978-0313276453
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,520,885 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent study, July 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies (Contributions in Military Studies) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in ancient armies. Many such books simply present the weapons and armor, some about army organization, and an overview of tactics; Gabriel and Metz have gone far beyond that.

Weapons and armor are covered in detail, with information from experiments the authors performed with replicas of the weapons in question. Organization and tactics are also covered, with special attention to the tactics employed with each weapon.

However, the authors also present information and speculation on casualty rates, types of wounds suffered in combat, mortality, disease control, and military medicine, greatly enhancing the value of the book for those who want to understand ancient armies and combat.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating look at ancient warfare, September 27, 2001

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies (Contributions in Military Studies) (Hardcover)

This short work (some 150 pages) contains more information on ancient armies than the next six combined! The first chapter discusses the evolution of armies during the Bronze Age of Sumer and Egypt. The second chapter in entitled, The Military Revolution, and follows the advent of iron and its effect on warfare. Chapter three examines the weapons of the ancient world, and examines their lethality, particularly with respect to the evolution of armor. (This is the real gem of this book!) The fourth chapter examines injuries and death on the ancient battlefield, and chapter five examines the medical knowledge of military doctors throughout the ancient world.

This book is quite amazing! In such a short space, it contains a wealth of information, bringing a thorough understanding of ancient warfare. The sections on medical aspect of ancient warfare contained information I have never seen before, and the sections on weapons are quite informative as well.

My one complaint against this book is that it is not laid out in a chronological order. That is to say, if you are interested in (for example) the Assyrian army, you will not find many particulars about it. However, I will admit that such was not the scope of this book. What this book aims to be, it achieves brilliantly. I recommend this book to everyone interested in ancient warfare.

[If I can recommend a companion to this book, it would be Armies and enemies of ancient Egypt and Assyria, by Alan Buttery.]

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, November 7, 2005

By 

gino rehberger - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Sumer to Rome: The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies (Contributions in Military Studies) (Hardcover)

Excellent look at ancient warfare. As the author correctly discusses, chariots were used as shock units, rather than just as missile platforms. At the battle of Arbela in 331 BC, Alexander's phalanx troops sidestepped, allowing the chariots to pierce the phalanx, and then closed in to destroy the charioteers. Plainly they were not content to simply ride along, firing arrows at long range.