| Description |
xix, 506 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), maps ; 24 cm |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 429-480) and indexes. |
| Contents |
Introduction : The army of the emperors -- Strength and honour : Signing on in Caesar's army -- Gloria exercitus : Making soldiers -- Gold and silver : Pay, handouts and bequests -- A soldier's life : Garrisoning the empire -- Living off the land : The Roman army and the environment -- Ignominy and defeat : The Roman army's darkest days -- I came, I saw, I conquered : The Roman war machine victorious -- Living by the sword : Violence and atrocities -- Quinqueremes and triremes : The Roman army at sea -- Mutineers and rebels : King-makers for sale -- Peacetime duties : Jacks of all trades -- Leisure and leave : Hunting wild boar and other diversions -- Wives and lovers : Family life on the frontier -- Veterans : The emperor's die-hards -- Jupiter's men : Religion and superstition. |
| Summary |
"In this general-interest book, historian Guy de la Bédoyère takes us into the day-to-day life of a soldier in the imperial Roman army. His compelling narrative draws on archaeological evidence and the words of Roman historians and of the soldiers themselves, especially through their religious dedications, tombstones, private letters, and graffiti. The result is a window on how the men, their wives, concubines, and children lived, whether in bleak frontier garrisons or guarding the emperor in Rome. Bédoyère explores the history of how common soldiers fought the emperors' wars; mutinied over pay; marched in triumph; threw their weight around in city streets; and eventually, if they survived, enjoyed the benefits of an honorable retirement"-- Provided by publisher. |
| Subject |
Soldiers -- Rome.
|
|
Rome -- History, Military.
|
|
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / Military Science.
|
|
Soldiers. (OCoLC)fst01125233
|
|
Rome (Empire) (OCoLC)fst01204885
|
| Genre/Form |
Military history. (OCoLC)fst01411630
|
| ISBN |
9780226750231 (hardcover) |
|
022675023X (hardcover) |
|
9780226750378 electronic book |
|
