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Early Roman Armies (Men-at-Arms) Paperback – July 17, 1995

by Nicholas Sekunda (Author), Simon Northwood (Author), Richard Hook (Illustrator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 15 ratings
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The early Romans were only one of a number of peoples that inhabited Iron Age central Italy. From the 8th to the 3rd century BC, the Romans undertook territorial expansion, and conflict with neighbouring tribes and cultures resulted in open war, most notably with the Samnites. Alliances were created, too, but the rise of Rome was unstoppable. This title covers the equipment, weaponry and dress of the early Romans, from the traditional foundation in 753 BC to the third century BC, where the dominance of Rome was beyond challenge. It also deals with developments in warfare, covering the early cavalry, the pre-Hoplite Army, the Hoplite Army and the Manipular Army. Etruscan, Latin, and Samnite warfare is also discussed.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    48 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  4. Publication date
    July 17, 1995
  5. Dimensions
    7.24 x 0.12 x 9.88 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1855325136
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1855325135
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military history

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military history

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military history

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military history

Full colour artwork

Beautifully illustrated scenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life.

Detailed uniform illustrations

Specially commissioned full colour illustrations are included alongside comprehensive captions to give a full breakdown of the attire and equipment used on the battlefield.

Photographs

Each volume features a wide range of photographs, which provide unparalleled detail of the uniforms and weaponry used by the combatants.

Men at Arms; Osprey series; military 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

Nicholas Sekunda was born in 1953. After studying Ancient History and Archaeology at Manchester University, he went on to take his PhD in 1981. He has taken part in archaeological excavations in Poland, Iran and Greece, and 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.

Richard Hook was born in 1938 and trained at Reigate College of Art. After national service with 1st Bn, Queen's Royal Regiment he became art editor of the much-praised magazine Finding Out during the 1960s. He earned an international reputation particularly for his deep knowledge of Native American material culture; and illustrated more than 30 Osprey titles. Richard's three children Adam, Jason, and Christa are all professionally active in various artistic disciplines. He died in 2010.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; First Edition (July 17, 1995)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1855325136
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1855325135
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.24 x 0.12 x 9.88 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 15 ratings

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Nick Sekunda

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4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
15 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Aaron Larsen
5.0 out of 5 stars Whence the Roman legion?
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2001
This book revolutionized my understanding of the Roman legion. Everyone acknowledges that the legion somehow evolved out of the Greek phalanx, which had come to dominate warfare in the years between 500-350 BC to such an extent that we know it was used by peoples as diverse as the Carthiginians and the Etruscans. In fact, it was from the Etruscans that most commentators assume that the Romans learned it, while under the rule of Etruscan kings. Sometime between about 400 and 275 BC, however, two new formations came to dominate warfare, the Macedonian phalanx and the Roman legion. Sekunda argues for a very different interpretation of the development of the legion, arguing that it was done in response, not to the Celtic invasion of the early 4th century, but much later due to the defeats at the hands of the nimble Samnites. His interpretation may be radical (and may dim the reputation of Camillus, its traditional inventor), but it makes sense. Anyone who wants to weigh in on the early development of the legion needs to at least take his arguments into account to do the topic justice.
23 people found this helpful
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James
4.0 out of 5 stars The Origins of the "Classic" Roman Legion
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2008
This book provides to the general reader a good account of how the "classic" Roman legion came into being. As the authors illustrate, it was a very long process of change and adaptation. They make scholarly use of a wide range of literary and archaeological evidence to describe this process. It is a somewhat technical work due to the nature of the surviving evidence, and one should keep this in mind.

Roman historical writing began in 200 BC, and this book studies Roman warfare from 753 BC to 275 BC. For those not too familiar with Roman historiography, Livy is our chief literary source for this period, and he is not always trustworthy. Do not expect this account of Roman military history to flow like a typical narrative of Caesar's Gallic War.

The title of the book is slightly misleading. Italic warfare was dynamic, with a myriad of peoples in close interaction. The book also covers Latin, Etruscan and Samnite armies. This was necessary for the author to explain Rome's early armies, which borrowed a great deal of ideas and equipment from their enemies. This book is certainly not the first to argue this, nor to suggest that the Romans' borrowed their manipular tactics from the Samnites. This book should be read as a supplement to other works like Parker's "Roman Legions", Salmon's "Samnium and the Samnites", and especially Connolly's "Greece and Rome at War".

The book does not provide a conclusion, nor does it provide an adequate context to put Rome's early armies into. This may be due to the book's very short length. What the last part of the book describes is one of the most important military revolutions in European history: the creation of the Roman manipular legion, which allowed Rome to master Italy and then become master of the Mediterranean world.

Overall this a book worth buying. It studies an important topic in Roman history. Osprey's tradition of excellent color illustrations continues here and complements the excellent text.
3 people found this helpful
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K. Murphy
3.0 out of 5 stars First legionaries
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2007
Verified Purchase
Describes and illustrates not only the early armies of Rome, but of their Etruscan, Gaulish, Samnite, Latin, Venetian, and Pyrhhian enemies. The Epiran elephants and the Gauls are especially neat.
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Jogger
3.0 out of 5 stars A difficult subject on which to find material
Reviewed in the United States on June 20, 2019
This Osprey title covers Roman armies from the founding of Rome, 753 BCE, through the Pyrhhic invasion, 275. Indeed, the first plate is of Romulus and Remus – it doesn’t get any earlier than that!

The first section is the history of the early conquests within Latium from the expulsion of the last Etruscan King, Tarquinius Superbus, in 509, through the Samnite Wars, 290 BCE. They use Peter Connolly’s excellent Greece and Rome at War as a major source, and list the cities conquered, including the sub-tribes, the Sabine, Aequi, and Volsci. Kudos for having maps of the areas. This early history includes discussions on the Salii priests.

The authors essentially divide the book into three major sections: pre-hoplite, hoplite, maniples. Sections are
Rome’s Early History
The Pre-Hoplite Army
The Hoplite Army
Early Cavalry
The Expansion of Roman Military Strength
Manipular Warfare

Rome learned of the phalanx from the Etruscans, and converted to it under Servius Tullius, ca. 550. The book shows the gradual organizational changes within the phalanx, emphasizing the recruiting aspect. The authors credit battling the Samnites -- and not the Gauls -- for the change from phalanx to maniples. They conclude it was a gradual transition in the 4th century. The text covers the Samnite army in detail, devoting about 4 pages. Oddly, the plate chosen for the cover of The Early Romans is one showing Samnites, who didn’t get incorporated into the Roman sphere until after the close of this book.

There is little to no information on battles. It is largely an archaeology book, as the authors search for any record of how the ancient Roman armies were recruited, organized, and equipped. They state their assumptions, and their conclusions are sound and not surprising. This is not one of Osprey’s better books, but then this is a difficult subject on which to find any material.
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Jeffrey Leow
3.0 out of 5 stars Must-read
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2000
This book is one that is informative. It gives depth and detail about the early roman armies that Caesar used to expand his vast empire. I recommend this book to all interested in history, or even warfare. It will be an eye opener to all new to Rome. Great book.
9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Manel
5.0 out of 5 stars Imprescindible
Reviewed in Spain on July 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
No todo el mundo sabe que antes de formar la legión, los Romanos adoptaron la falange.
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S. C. Roberts
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 23, 2016
Verified Purchase
Very vague, illustration had printed poorly
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