Roman military disasters : dark days and lost legions / by Paul Chrystal.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chrystal, Paul, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rome--History, Military.

Rome.

Rome--Army.

Rome--History--Republic, 265-30 B.C.

Rome--History--Empire, 30 B.C.-284 A.D.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (345 pages) : illustrations, maps

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Barnsley, England : Pen & Sword Military, 2015.

Summary:

"There is a tendency when dealing with world superpowers to focus on their successes. After all, these are what made them superpowers in the first place. However, reverses and disasters suffered on the way to preeminence are equally significant. The experience of ancient Rome is no different. This book is the first to examine the paradoxical role lost battles and defeat played in the success of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Over some 1200 years, the Romans proved adept at learning from military disaster and this was key to their eventual success and hegemony. Roman Military Disasters covers the most pivotal and decisive defeats, from the Celtic invasion of 390 BC to Alaric's sack of Rome in AD 410. Paul Chrystal details the politics and strategies leading to each conflict, how and why the Romans were defeated, the tactics employed, the generals and the casualties. However, the unique and crucial element of the book is its focus on the aftermath and consequences of defeat and how the lessons learnt enabled the Romans, usually, to bounce back and win"--Publisher description.

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Acknowledgements

List of Plates

List of Diagrams

List of Maps

Timeline

Introduction

Part One: The Republic

Chapter 1: Rome's Peninsular Wars

Chapter 2: The Roman War Machine

Chapter 3: The Sources

Chapter 4: The Fourth Century: the Gallic Invasion and the Samnite Wars

Chapter 5: The Third Century: the Wars with Pyrrhus, the Punic Wars and the Gallic Invasion

Chapter 6: The Second Century: the Spanish Wars, Viriathus and the Invasion of the Northmen

Chapter 7: The First Century: the Social War, Spartacus, Mithridates, Crassus, the Parthians and the Gauls

Chapter 8: 'Doom Monster' - Cleopatra VII

Part Two: The Empire

Chapter 9: The Early Empire: Clades Lolliana 16 BC, the Teutoburg Forest AD 9

Chapter 10: Boudica's Revolt AD 60

Chapter 11: Beth-Horon AD 66 and the Jewish War AD 68

Chapter 12: Carnuntum AD 170

the Crisis of the Third Century - Abritus AD 251, Edessa AD 260

Chapter 13: The Theban Legion Massacre AD 286

Chapter 14: Adrianople AD 378

Chapter 15: Alaric's Sack of Rome AD 410

Epilogue

Appendix 1: Typical Cursus Honorum in the Second Century BC

Appendix 2: Roman Assemblies

Appendix 3: The Seven Kings of Rome

Appendix 4: Some Carthaginian Generals

Appendix 5: Greek and Roman Authors

Appendix 6: Glossary of Greek and Latin Terms

Notes

Bibliography.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed February 17, 2016).

ISBN:

9781473873957

1473873959

9781473873964

1473873967