Product Description

From the Latin warriors on the Palatine Hill in the age of Romulus, to the last defenders of Constantinople in 1453 AD, the weaponry of the Roman Army was constantly evolving. Through glory and defeat, the Roman warrior adapted to the changing face of warfare. Due to the immense size of the Roman Empire, which reached from
the British Isles to the Arabian Gulf, the equipment of the Roman soldier varied greatly from region to region.Through the use of materials such as leather, linen and felt, the Army was able to adjust its equipment to these varied climates.

Arms and Armour of the Imperial Roman Soldier sheds new light on the many different types of armour used by the Roman soldier, and combines written and artistic sources with the analysis of old and new archaeological finds. With a huge wealth of plates and illustrations, which include ancient paintings, mosaics, sculptures and coin depictions, this book gives the reader an unparalleled visual record of this fascinating period of military history.

This book, the first of three volumes, examines the period from Marius to Commodus. Volume II will cover the period from Commodus to Justinian, and Volume III will look at the period from Romulus to Marius.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #50031 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Customer Reviews

"The Great Leather Debate" re-opened
Anyone who thought that this would be just another routine coffee-table book on the
Roman Army is in for a surprise .
Author Raffaele D'Amato argues strongly that the Romans made extensive use of leather body-armour , a view that has been unfashionable for many years .
He presents evidence that many of the body-defences shown on Roman monuments and
usually assumed to be mail or plate , may well be leather after all .
Readers may be surprised by Graham Sumner's colour plates showing Valerius Crispus
and Favonius Facilis clad in leather instead of the usual mail , or Caesarian
legionaries wearing Hellenistic-style linen armour .
It will be interesting to see how other modern Roman Army experts react to this book in the years ahead .
Controversy aside , this a well produced book , packed with black-and-white and
colour photos of archaeological finds and lesser known military monuments .
Although it might be heavy reading for a beginner , old hands will find much to
ponder over .