The War Machine
By Ashton Boone
Review of Roman Warfare by Adrian Goldsworthy (Cassell: Wellington House, 2000). Click here to buy it.
Born in 1969, Adrian Goldsworthy went to school at Westbourne Boys College in Penarth near Cardiff before reading Ancient and Modern History at St. John’s College, Oxford. His doctoral thesis formed the basis of his first book, The Roman Army at War 100 BC – 200 AD (1996), combining his lifelong interests in military history and the Roman World. He spent two years as a Research Fellow at Cardiff University and taught in several university departments, producing several articles on aspects of Greco-Roman warfare. He is currently writing a military history of the Punic Wars.
The works incorporated in the development of this book are truly vast, including nearly one hundred other pieces of literature from books, materials, and academic journals. Many other sources of information include works printed only from Greek and Latin sources. The accounts of a number of ancient historians are given as primary sources, including those of Polybius, who covers material on Roman warfare from 264 to 164 BC, Livy, who articulates on the proceedings of the 2nd Punic War, Dionysius, a Greek historian who wrote a history of Rome up to 443 BC, Plutarch, who details the lives of a number of prominent Roman politicians such as Marius, Sulla, and Caesar, and Julius Caesar, who wrote the Commentaries, which documents his campaigns in Gaul. Tacitus also provides a good history of Rome from 14 to 70 AD through his works of The Annals and The Histories. Not limited to these few men, many other highly esteemed historians, political figures, and military strategists are given as primary sources.
This work documents a general history of Roman military history ranging from the rise of the city of Rome around the early 6th century BC to the eventual dissolution of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It chronicles the evolution of the Roman Army, its tactics, equipment, traditions, and impacts on Roman society throughout its nearly 1000-year endurance. Major wars that Rome was involved in and significant military and political events in Roman history are discussed. The legacy of the Roman Army and its effects on later societies are also explained. Though intended for a general audience and those beginning in the study of the Roman military, it still functions as an excellent reference for those in the academic field and will provide a vast wealth of sources to further expand one’s knowledge and expertise.
Roman Warfare is written in a very concise and direct manner that effectively conveys a sizeable amount of information. I found the reading to be well-organized, fluid, and non-redundant, while still managing to emphasize key points of the subject in a fashion that made them very indelible upon the mind. Visual displays can be found throughout the book, including paintings and engravings of various battles, busts of significant leaders, illustrations of Roman military equipment, tactical maps, and strategic drawings. These graphic depictions are enjoyable and very useful in assisting a beginner in processing and synthesizing information about Roman military history. There is a very well detailed chronological timeline in the beginning of the text spanning six pages that is very helpful for those wanting to note the specific dates of events. Significant battles, military maneuvers, and political events are all listed. Appendices in the back of the book have tables that detail the career patterns of Roman senators, the organizational structure of Roman legions, and those of auxiliary units, which I found to be interesting information to survey. However, I did find a lack of detail concerning the specific campaigns and battles in which Rome was involved. I found myself desiring more of the specifics of the conflicts outside of the major events, such as where other engagements occurred over the course of the war and who were some of the men who exemplified courage and skill on the battlefield. As well, more information on the tactics and equipment of Rome’s foes could have been supplied in the text to help in developing a wider view of Roman warfare. I believe the impacts that the Roman state and its army have had on subsequent history in areas of the military, politics, and laws were rushed over too hastily in the conclusion. Information on surviving Eastern Roman Empire and its military affairs should have been expanded.
Overall, it is a very enjoyable read. It does not place as much of a focus on the specifics of Roman military history, rather, it is a study of the evolution of the Roman Army and the military ethos it carried. This I found to be indubitably fascinating. Marked over the course of the Roman Empire’s history, until the latter 300s and 400s AD, was an emphasis on total war and a complete and utter unwillingness to ever admit defeat. Victory was the only option for Rome, and victory was only acceptable when an enemy state either became a subordinate ally to Rome, or when the state was completely dissolved through conquest. This paradigm that prevailed in the Roman mindset seems to stem from conflicts in their early history, involving the sack of Rome by the Gauls in 390 BC and a massive defeat by the Samnites at the Caudine Forks in 325 BC. From that point on, there was always a latent fear of invasion etched into Roman thinking, and thus the creed of victory or annihilation became the standard. This thinking is exemplified throughout the Punic Wars especially. Roman military organization was superb after the 200s BC and the Battle of Zama, particularly during the Principate, a feat that is a likely product of their masterful abilities in engineering. Roman troops were highly disciplined and subjected to rigorous physical training throughout their military careers. An extensive road system made for quick mobilization of troops to any corner of the frontiers and their equipment was second to none. They were truly the world’s first professional army and the world would not see a force of such quality for the next one thousand years after Rome fell. Individual Roman soldiers were encouraged to show initiative and aggression. Roman military thinking after the 200s BC always emphasized rapid and direct contact with the enemy, oftentimes even if the circumstances were unfavorable for a Roman victory. However, high morale and overwhelming confidence in inevitable victory by the Roman legionnaires would often sway circumstances into their favor.
It is important and interesting to note that the conquests by Rome, especially before the establishment of the Principate when most of the conquests were done, was not necessarily motivated by an ulterior devotion to the Roman state as is commonly depicted in popular media. Rather, it was the acquisition of glory and personal prestige by Roman senators and motivation by the soldiers themselves to acquire booty, that drove the war machine that built the foundations of the world as we know it today.
