The day of the barbarians : the battle that led to the fall of the Roman Empire / Alessandro Barbero ; translated by John Cullen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Barbero, Alessandro.

Contributor:

Cullen, John, 1942-

Standardized Title:

9 agosto 378 : il giorno dei barbari. English

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Adrianople, Battle of, Edirne, Turkey, 378.

Rome--History--Empire, 284-476.

Rome.

Rome (Empire).

History.

Physical Description:

v, 180 pages : map ; 22 cm

Edition:

First U.S. edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Walker & Co., 2007.

Summary:

"In the early afternoon of August 9, 378, under a sun that was almost directly overhead, the imperial units were massed in perfect order around their dragonlike draco standards. They responded to the shouts of the barbarians with the deep lowing of the barritus, rhythmically beating their spears against their shields and raising a sinister, threatening din that spread across the plain. On the right wing of the Roman battle array, the cavalry pushed forward and quickly reached the line of high ground where the barbarians' wagon-circle stood. The cavalry on the Roman left wing, which had formed the rear guard of the column on the march, was late in reaching its position but hastening to make up for lost time. The infantry stood lined up in the center: around twenty regimental units, approximately fifteen thousand men. The soldiers of each regiment carried its distinctive insignia painted on their round shields; the insignia of the Lanciarii, for example, was a golden sun on a red background. As soon as the archers had moved within range of the wagon barricade, they started shooting their arrows, more to frighten the enemy than to do him any real damage. And the enemy, in fact, grew frightened; once again, a group of envoys came out from behind the wagons, and they were immediately ushered into the presence of the emperor."

Contents:

I The Roman Empire in the Fourth Century 3

II The Empire and the Barbarians 9

III The Goths and Rome 17

IV The Emergency of 376 33

V The Outbreak of War 51

VI The Battle by the Willows 59

VII The War Goes On 71

VIII Valens Moves 83

IX Adrianople, August 9, 378 93

X After the Disaster 113

XI Theodosius 127

XII The Antibarbarian Reaction 137.

Notes:

Originally published in Italy in 2005 by Gius. Laterza & Figli.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 147-172) and index.

ISBN:

0802715710 :

9780802715715 :

OCLC:

122335765