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

The ancient sources for the life and times of Zenobia are sparse, and the surviving literary works are biased towards the Roman point of view, much as are the sources for two other famous women who challenged Rome, Cleopatra and Boudica. In "Empress Zenobia," Pat Southern seeks to tell the other side of the legendary 3rd century queen's place in history. As queen of Palmyra (present-day Syria), Zenobia was acknowledged in her lifetime as beautiful and clever, gathering round her at the Palmyrene court writers and poets, artists and philosophers. It was said that Zenobia claimed descent from Cleopatra, which cannot be true but is indicative of how she saw herself and how she intended to be seen by others at home and abroad. This lively narrative explores the legendary queen and charts the progression of her unequivocal declaration, not only of independence from Rome, but of supremacy. Initially, Zenobia acknowledged the suzerainty of the Roman Emperors, but finally began to call herself Augusta and her son Vaballathus Augustus. There could be no clearer challenge to the authority of Rome in the east, drawing the Emperor Aurelian to the final battles and the submission of Palmyra in AD 272. Zenobia's story has inspired many melodramatic fictions but few factual volumes of any authority have been published. Pat Southern's book is a lively account that is both up to date and authoritative, as well as thoroughly engaging. >

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.