Roman Army from Caesar to Trajan (Men at Arms Series 46)

This is one of Osprey's "Men-at-Arms" series of generally pretty good pictorial guides to historical military arms and uniforms, and while it's useful for the student of Roman expansionism, it does have a few problems. While no information is given about the author's qualifications, it's evident that he's a professional maker of museum-quality reproductions of arms and armor. Assuming his work is accurate, this means the reader can examine photos of new, undamaged helmets, cuirasses, and infantry swords, as well as the usual artwork depicting fully equipped soldiers of the period. But it also seems to be assumed that the reader will be as familiar with the jargon as the author is, which is unlikely to be the case -- especially for students. The text is generally well-written, with detailed descriptions and references to archaeological finds, but a glossary is badly needed to explain the meaning of such terms as splice-block, chape, baldrick, palmette, and phalerae. It would also have been useful, in captioning the color plates, to describe briefly the functions of the signifer and aquilifer.

A fine intro to the subject, but it makes for somewhat dry reading. A men-at-arms title also does not have nearly the space for plates or text that this broad of a period deserves, but the author does an impressive job of describing the equipment of not only the classic legionaries, but also of both infantry and mounted auxiliary cohorts. The plates are also pretty good.

The author and illustrator did an excellent job of breaking down the various items of Roman armor and weapons. The author's descriptions of the various shields, swords, and body armor is very detailed. The illustrator also does an excellent job. The book contains several pages of color drawings which depict various Roman soldiers at different points in history. The photographs in the book, however, do not show authentic artifacts. They do show accurate recreations of Roman hardware. In addition to the book's analysis of Roman war material, it contains a very concise chronology of Roman history. There is also a listing of where the various legions were stationed around the world. Bottom line: This is a great little reference book on Roman weapons and armor. At 40 pages, it is also a quick read.

Product arrived in good condition. It has proved a valuable tool in my study of the Romans.

This book has been around since the mid-1980's. It is well worth adding to your library of Roman Military books! The color drawings are not as fancy as the new style Osprey, but they show the details of Uniforms and equipments. The photographs and line drawings are excellent and make this well worth adding. Modern gladius copies use these sketches as the pattern for the decorations on scabbards. The descriptions and introductions of the Roman equipment are a good place to start learning.

Don't expect the artistic styles of later Osprey works, instead, you will find good scholarship from a master craftsman of Roman military equipment.