For the Glory of Rome: A History of Warriors and Warfare - Couverture rigide

Cowan, Ross

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1853677337 ISBN 13 : 9781853677335

Editeur : Greenhill Books, 2007

Synopsis

Ancient Rome was uniquely bellicose. Her legions marched out to war every year and the fury of legionaries in combat was terrible. Officers and common soldiers gloried in single combat, taking heads and despoiling their enemies. Long before the Vikings emerged, Roman warriors were discarding their armor to fight berserk and bare-chested in battle, going so far as to maul opponents with their bare teeth and sometimes even drinking their blood. Generals would occasionally perform the act of devotio - sacrificing themselves to the gods of the Underworld - to secure victory. Yet these same warriors read philosophy, wrote history and recited poetry. Singing, too, was popular - in battle as much as elsewhere. At Pharsalus in 48 BC, where Julius Caesar routed his rival Pompey the Great, his more psychotic legionaries sang gleefully as they killed. Regimental anthems were popular, but at Pharsalus lyrical pronouncements on the parentage of your opponent, virtue of his mother, and reputation of his city were most prominent. Warriors of the Roman Empire introduces the heroic, sometimes contradictory, and utterly ruthless men who carved out the Roman Empire. Men like Siccius Dentatus, victor of eight single combats; Decius Mus, the consul who charged into the midst of the enemy at Sentinum to 'devote' himself to the gods; Claudius Marcellus, the last Roman to dedicate the spoils of honor to Jupiter; and Ennius, centurion and epic poet.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Ancient Rome was uniquely bellicose. Her legionaries are often cited as the original professional soldiers and famed for their iron discipline, but they were also formidable individual warriors, sometimes berserks, who gloried in single combat, taking heads and despoiling their enemies. They were men who believed they were sired by a god of war, driven by the need to create and sustain heroic reputations, and who disrobed in public to display battle scars. Yet these same warriors read philosophy, wrote history and recited poetry. For the Glory of Rome introduces the heroic, yet utterly ruthless, men who carved out the Roman Empire. The author examines the deeds of men like Siccius Dentatus, the victor of eight single combats and a hero of the common people; Decius Mus, the consul who charged into the midst of the enemy at Sentinum to devote himself to the gods of the Underworld; and the feuding centurions Pullo and Vorenus, rivals for every post and honour but bound together by their loyalty to Caesar. Ross Cowan explores the mindset of the Roman fighting men, examining their motivation, beliefs and superstitions, illuminating why they fought and died for the glory of Rome.

Revue de presse :

This book builds an eye opening picture of the true Soldier of Rome from the Republic to the late Empire...very well written and readable...I can recommend this book even if you do not have a direct interest in the Roman army as it is a good read for anyone with an interest in widening their knowledge of Roman history. --Military Modelcraft International, January 2009

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Greenhill Books
• Date d'édition: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1853677337
• ISBN 13: 9781853677335
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 272