This is the first ever study to assess Emperor Domitian from a psychological point of view and covers his entire career from the early years and the civil war AD through the imperial rule to the dark years and the psychology of suspicion. Pat Southern strips away hyperbole and sensationalism from the literary record, revealing an individual who caused undoubted suffering which must be accounted for.

Using a full range of original literary sources, modern Continental scholarship, and archaeological research, Pat Southern and Karen R. Dixon provide an overview of the historical period, the critical changes in the army, and the way these changes affected the morale of the soldiers.

This study examines how - and how effectively - the Roman army adapted itself to meet the growing threats to the later Empire's survival: attacks on the frontier, internal unrest, revolts, upsurpations and civil wars. Examining the development and the morale of the Roman army following the reforms of Dio and Constantine, the book focuses particularly on the creation of the field and frontier armies as well as exploring the role of the army in the post-Constantinian period. Individual chapters are devoted to recruitment, conditions of service, equipment, fortifications and siege warfare.

Contents:
List of illustrations, List of plates, Preface and acknowledgements, 1. Sources, 2. Origins, unit strength, organization and titulature, 3. Equipment and unit armament styles, 4. Recruitment, 5. Conditions of service, 6. Training, 7. The hippika gymnasia, 8. The employment of cavalry in peacetime and wartime, 9. Military records and the supply of horses, 10. Roman cavalry mounts, 11. Stables and grooming, 12. Water and food supply, 13. Welfare, 14. Baggage animals, Glossary, Bibliography, Index.

This is the first ever study to assess Emperor Domitian from a psychological point of view and covers his entire career from the early years and the civil war AD through the imperial rule to the dark years and the psychology of suspicion. Pat Southern strips away hyperbole and sensationalism from the literary record, revealing an individual who caused undoubted suffering which must be accounted for.

The cavalry was a vital part of the army of Rome and it played a significant role in the expansion and success of the Roman Empire. Karen R. Dixon and Pat Southern describe the origins of the mounted units of the Roman army and trace their development from temporary allied troops to the regular alae and cohorts. They have drawn together evidence from a wide variety of sources: archaeological, epigraphic and literary, as well as comparing ancient testimony with more recent experience of the use of cavalry. The book covers the subject from the perspective of both the men and the horses. How were the horses selected and disposed of; how were they trained, stabled and fed? How were the men recruited, organized and equipped; and what were the conditions of service for a Roman cavalryman? The cavalry had to be employed in peacetime and this is discussed as well as its role in war. The image of the Roman cavalry is often one of excitement and glory but the authors are aware that a true picture must not overlook the routine and the suffering. This book provides a comprehensive account of the Roman cavalry and the current state of knowledge concerning it. The wide selection of illustrations includes original drawings by Karen R. Dixon.

This wide-ranging study of the Roman army covers its political, historical, and social aspects as well as its peacetime occupations and its operation in war. The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History offers a revealing portrait of a legendary fighting force in peacetime and at war from a soldier's-eye view. Organized thematically, it explores the army's history, culture, and organization, while providing fascinating details of the soldier's daily life and of the army's interactions with citizens, politicians, and the inhabitants of conquered territories. Written by a leading scholar of Roman military history, The Roman Army helps readers appreciate the distinctive traits that helped the army sustain itself for nearly 1,000 years, including its adaptability (soldiers did civilian police and military duty and the army continually modified its tactics and weapons), as well as its training methods, compensation system, strict regimen of punishment and rewards, and its skill at "Romanizing" foreign lands. Readers will also see how historians pieced together their understanding of the army's way of life, drawing on everything from Rome's rich historical record to depictions of military subjects in literature and art. Contains an appendix detailing the rank structure of the Roman army Includes illustrations of military equipment, sculptured tombstones, and portraits of generals and emperors Provides further reading lists at the end of each chapter and a complete bibliography of major works for further research Offers a glossary of important Latin and Greek terms as well as military and political terminology

Written by a leading authority on Roman military history, this fascinating volume spans over a thousand years as it offers a memorable picture of one of the world's most noted fighting forces, paying special attention to the life of the common soldier.
Southern here illuminates the Roman army's history, culture, and organization, providing fascinating details on topics such as military music, holidays, strategy, the construction of Roman fortresses and forts, the most common battle formations, and the many tools of war, from spears, bows and arrows, swords, and slingshots, to the large catapulta (which fired giant arrows and bolts) and the ballista (which hurled huge stones). Perhaps most interesting are the details Southern provides about everyday life in the Roman army, everything from the soldiers pay (they were paid three times per year, but money was deducted for such items as food, clothing, weapons, the burial club, the pension scheme, and so on) to their often brutal life--if whole units turned and ran, about one-tenth of the men concerned were chosen by lot and clubbed to death and the rest were put on barley rations instead of wheat. Moreover, soldiers who lost weapons or their shields would fight savagely to get them back or would die in the process, rather than suffer the shame that attached to throwing weapons away or running from the battle.
Attractively illustrated, this book offers a fascinating look at the life of the Roman soldier, drawing on everything from Rome's rich historical and archaeological record to soldier's personal correspondence to depictions of military subjects in literature and art.

From the reign of Septimius Severus at the end of the second century A.D., the Roman Empire was continuously beset by internal unrest, revolts, usurpations, civil wars, and attacks along its far-flung frontiers. Scarcely a part of the empire was unaffected, and some areas were forced to deal with several serious problems at the same time. This book is the first comprehensive discussion of the Roman army during this period, and it shows how the army adapted itself to meet these growing threats and how effective it was in combating them.
Using a full range of original literary sources, modern Continental scholarship, and current archaeological research, Pat Southern and Karen Dixon provide a stimulating overview of the historical period, the critical changes in the army, and the way these changes affected the morale of the soldiers. The authors discuss in fascinating detail the organization and fighting methods of the army: the recruitment of soldiers, the physical conditions under which they served, the equipment they used, the fortifications they built, and the siege warfare they waged. They also describe the reforms of Diocletian and Constantine--particularly the creation of the field army and the frontier army--that shaped the final version of the late Roman army up to the beginning of the sixth century. Numerous illustrations accompany the text.