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The Roman Army at War, 100 BC-AD 200 (Oxford Classical Monographs) Published by: Oxford Classical Monographs, Clarendon Press (hardback 1996 and paperback 1998)

 

This detailed examination of the way in which the Roman Army operated during a war and how it fought a battle breaks away from existing studies, which mostly concentrate on the army in peacetime, and attempts to understand the army as an institution whose ultimate purpose was to wage war. Adrian Goldsworthy explores the influence of the Roman army's organization on its behaviour during a campaign, emphasizing its great flexibility in comparison to most of its opponents. He considers the factors determining the result of a conflict and proposes, contrary to orthodox opinion, that the Roman army was able to adapt successfully to any type of warfare. Following the technique pioneered by John Keegan in The Face of Battle (1976), Dr Goldsworthy builds up a precise picture of what happened during battle: tactics employed, weaponry, leadership, behaviour of individuals as well as groups of soldiers, and, of utmost importance, morale.

'Meticulously researched and well written, it addresses every aspect of the army as a fighting force. The Roman Army at War falls into that most welcome category of books with proper footnotes ... The whole package is wrapped up with a refreshingly comprehensive bibliography ... the work he has compiled will keep this reviewer quite satisfied for the foreseeable future.'

'He has written a book about the realities of warfare in the early Empire and we should be truly grateful.'

'The book does what it sets out to do, namely, it emphasizes the inherent flexibility of the Roman legion.'

'useful study ... the attempt to refocus the discussion of the Roman army along the lines of actual (and not idealized) warfare is welcome and largely successful.'

This is an academic book, based on the author's D.Phil thesis. It remains in print after more than a decade.

For more information see the OUP website:

http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780198150909

 

Adrian's comment:

‘My first book is an academic study based upon my thesis. Some new discoveries have already added to the information on the subject, and the increasing number of battlefield sites being located promises many more revelations in the future. If I was writing the book now I might modify a few points, but would not change any of the main arguments.’

 

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