Download or read book The Age of Hippotoxotai written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Attila written by Michael Maas and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 529 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book considers the great cultural and geopolitical changes in western Eurasia in the fifth century CE. It focuses on the Roman Empire, but it also examines the changes taking place in northern Europe, in Iran under the Sasanian Empire, and on the great Eurasian steppe. Attila is presented as a contributor to and a symbol of these transformations.
Download or read book Britain in the Age of Arthur written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2020-02-19 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “[The] well known historian . . . attempts to find the elusive King Arthur through a study of the military of the period following the Fall of Rome.” —Firetrench King Arthur is one of the most controversial topics of early British history. Are the legends based on a real historical figure or pure mythological invention? Ilkka Syvänne’s study breaks new ground, adopting a novel approach to the sources by starting with the assumption that Arthur existed and that Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account has preserved details of his career that are based on real events. He then interprets these by using “common sense” and the perspective of a specialist in late Roman military history to form a probable picture of what really happened during the period (roughly AD 400-550). This approach allows the author to test the entire literary evidence for the existence of Arthur to see if the supposed events of his career match what is known of the events of the period, the conclusion being that in general they do. Arthur’s military career is set in the context of the wider military history of Britain and Europe in this period and along the way describes the nature of armies and warfare of the period. “Anything about Arthur is worth a read in my opinion, and this is a great addition to the growing body of work on the mythical King.” —Books Monthly
Download or read book Emperor Septimius Severus written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2023-05-31 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One ancient source called Severus the most warlike of all men who had lived up to that moment in time. The rise of Septimius Severus to power started the dominance of the military in Roman affairs and it was because of this that Septimiusâs advice for his sons was nothing less than: 'Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers, and scorn all other men!' Ilkka Syvanne explains in detail how the African Septimius Severus achieved his position, how he won his wars and battles and how he used his newly gained power to secure his familyâs position. He reveals how he reformed the state and its military, and how he used these remodeled forces in wars of conquest to prove his worth as emperor to both the soldiers and the populace. This biography offers the first complete overview of the policies, events and military campaigns of Severus' reign in the fullest detail allowed by the sources. It also explains how and why these contributed to the military crisis of the third century and discusses the legacy he left for his son, Caracalla, who followed him in both his good and bad traits.
Download or read book Caracalla written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2017-02-28 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This biography of the Roman Emperor Caracalla challenges his tyrannical reputation with a revealing narrative of his social reforms and military campaigns. Caracallahas one of the worst reputations of any Roman Emperor. Many ancient historians were very hostile, and the 18th century English historian Edward Gibbon even dubbed him the common enemy of mankind. Yet his reign was considered by at least one Roman author to be the apogee of the Roman Empire. He was guilty of many murders and massacres—including that of his own brother, ex-wife and daughter. Yet he instituted the Antonine Constitution, granting citizenship to all free men in the Empire. He was also popular with the army, improving their pay and cultivating the image of sharing their hardships. Historian Ilkka Syvanne explains how the biased ancient sources in combination with the stern looking statues of the emperor have created a distorted image of the man. He then reconstructs a chronology of Caracalla’s reign, focusing on his military campaigns and reforms, to offer a balanced view of his legacy. Caracalla offers the first complete overview of the policies, events and conflicts he oversaw and explains how and why these contributed to the military crisis of the third century.
Download or read book Military History of Late Rome 602 641 written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-12-29 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Military History of Late Rome 565-602 provides a fresh analysis of the Roman Empire from the reign of Phocas (602-10) until the death of Heraclius (610-41). This was an era of unprecedented upheavals which is usually considered to have resulted in the end of antiquity. The usurpations of Phocas and Heraclius led to the collapse of the Roman defenses; The Persians conquered Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt; The Avars and Slavs ravaged the Balkans; The Lombards held the upper hand in Italy; the Visigoths conquered Spain; But then happened one of the most remarkable reversals of fortune in the history of mankind. Heraclius began his holy war against the fire-worshippers. He launched a very effective counterattack against the Persians as a result of which the Romans not only defeated the Persians but actually even extended their domains at their expense, and not only this, because by 633 Heraclius was already restoring the Roman fortunes in the Balkans. This volume revises many of the previously held views of how this took place and what actually happened. The Roman armies seemed invincible and then happened yet another great reversal of fortune – the Muslims began their jihad to conquer the world. The author provides a fresh analysis of all of these upheavals; explains in detail why these reversals of fortune happened; what enabled the Romans to defeat the Persians; and why the Romans lost when they fought against the Muslims and, conversely, why the Muslims were so successful. This was an era of epic campaigns and battles all of which are explained in unprecedented detail. The epic campaigns needed equally talented commanders who include, for example, Heraclius, Chosroes II Parwez, Shahrbaraz, Shahin, Abu Bakr, Umar, Abu Ubaydah, and Khalid b. al-Walid, the Sword of Allah.
Download or read book Late Roman Combat Tactics written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2024-09-30 with total page 1019 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Late Roman Combat Tactics by Dr. Ilkka Syvänne is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand land combat in the period from the Tetrarchy to the death of Heraclius, a period when the Romans faced serious and growing military threats on many fronts. The author’s detailed analysis provides the reader with a complete understanding of the combat equipment worn by the soldiers, types of troops, tactics, different unit orders and formations used by the late Romans and their enemies. Importantly, he lays out the developments and changes in these aspects across this critical period, assessing how the Romans adapted, or failed to adapt to the varied and changing array of enemies, such as Persians, Avars and Arabs. The discussion examines how the Romans fought at every level, so that it covers everything from the individual fighting techniques all the way up to the conduct of large-scale pitched battles. There is an immense amount of technical detail but the human element and the experience of the officers and ordinary soldiers is not forgotten, with such factors as morale and the psychology of battle (the ‘face of battle’) given due consideration. The thoroughly researched text is well supported by dozens of diagrams and illustrations. A thoroughly illuminating read on its own, Late Roman Combat Tactics is also the perfect companion to Dr Syvänne’s eight-volume Military History of Late Rome.
Download or read book Byzantine Military Manuals as Literary Works and Practical Handbooks written by Georgios Chatzelis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 202 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book studies the Sylloge Tacticorum, an important tenth-century Byzantine military manual. The text is used as a case study to connect military manuals with the challenges that Byzantium faced in its wars with the Arabs, but also with other aspects of Byzantine society such as education, politics, and conventions in the productions of literary texts and historical narratives. The book explores when the Sylloge was written and by whom. It identifies which passages from classical or earlier works were incorporated in the Sylloge and explains the reason why Byzantines imitated works of the past. The book then studies the extent to which the Sylloge was original and how innovation and originality were received in Byzantine society. Despite the imitation, the author of the Sylloge adapted and updated his material to reflect the current operational needs as well as the ideological, cultural and religious context of his time. Finally, the book attempts to estimate the extent to which Byzantine generals followed the advice of military manuals, and to explore whether historical narratives can be safely used to draw information as to how the Byzantines and the Arabs fought. Therefore, along with a detailed study of the Sylloge Tacticorum, this monograph also addresses broader issues of the pen and the sword such as military manuals in connection with Byzantine warfare, politics, literature, historiography and education.
Download or read book Aurelian and Probus written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2020-06-24 with total page 535 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-depth military history of the emperors Lucius Domitius Aurelianus and Marcus Aurelius Probus. This is a narrative military history of the emperors Lucius Domitius Aurelianus (“Aurelian,” reigned 270-275) and Marcus Aurelius Probus (276-282) that also includes the other reigns between the years 268 and 285. It shows how these two remarkable emperors were chiefly responsible for the Empire surviving and emerging largely intact from a period of intense crisis. It was Aurelian who first united the breakaway regions, including Zenobia’s Palmyra, and it was Probus who then secured his achievements. The reigns of Aurelian and Probus have been subjected to many studies, but none of these have approached the extant material purely from the point of view of military analysis. Most importantly, the previous historians have not exploited the analytical opportunities provided by the military treatises that describe the strategy and tactics of the period Roman army. It is thanks to this new methodology that Ilkka Syvänne has been able to reconstruct the military campaigns of these two soldier emperors and their other contemporaries in far greater detail than has been possible before. Praise for Aurelian and Probus “A critical work... Aurelian and Probus is a very good look at a very confusing period in Roman history.” —The NYMAS Review
Download or read book Environmental History of Water written by Petri S. Juuti and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2007-02-01 with total page 642 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The World Water Development Report 2003 pointed out the extensive problem that: 'Sadly, the tragedy of the water crisis is not simply a result of lack of water but is, essentially, one of poor water governance.' Cross-sectional and historical intra-national and international comparisons have been recognized as a valuable method of study in different sectors of human life, including technologies and governance. Environmental History of Water fills this gap, with its main focus being on water and sanitation services and their evolution. Altogether 34 authors have written 30 chapters for this multidisciplinary book which divides into four chronological parts, from ancient cultures to the challenges of the 21st century, each with its introduction and conclusions written by the editors. The authors represent such disciplines as history of technology, history of public health, public policy, development studies, sociology, engineering and management sciences. This book emphasizes that the history of water and sanitation services is strongly linked to current water management and policy issues, as well as future implications. Geographically the book consists of local cases from all inhabited continents. The key penetrating themes of the book include especially population growth, health, water consumption, technological choices and governance. There is great need for general, long-term analysis at the global level. Lessons learned from earlier societies help us to understand the present crisis and challenges. This new book, Environmental History of Water, provides this analysis by studying these lessons.
Download or read book Gordian III and Philip the Arab written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-04-28 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a dual biography of the emperors Marcus Antonius Gordianus (‘Gordian III’, reigned 238-244) and Marcus Julius Philippus Augustus (‘Philip the Arab’, reigned 244-249), focusing mainly on the political and military events during this crucial stage of the ‘Third Century Crisis’. The tumultuous 'Year of the Six Emperors' saw Gordian raised to the purple at just thirteen years of age, becoming the youngest emperor in the Empire’s history at a time when the borders were threatened by the powerful Sassanid Persians and the Goths, among others. Gordian died on a campaign against the Persians, either in battle or possibly murdered by his own men. Philip, succeeded Gordian, made peace with Shapur I and returned to Italy. His reign encompassed the spectacular celebration of Rome’s millennium in 248 but the wars in the Balkans and East together with crippling taxation led to mutinies and rebellions. Philip and his brother had until then fought successfully against the Persians and others but this did not save Philip, who was killed by a usurper’s forces at the Battle of Verona in 249. He had been Rome’s first Christian emperor and the author considers why it was fifty years before she had another.
Download or read book Military History of Late Rome 518 565 written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-06-14 with total page 963 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An outstanding work . . . [the series] gives us a very good picture of the long process that has come to be known as the ‘Fall of Rome.’” —The NYMAS Review The Military History of Late Rome 518-565 provides a new, fresh analysis of the revival of Roman fortunes during the reigns of Justin I (518–527) and Justinian I (527–565). The book narrates in great detail the re-conquests of North Africa, Italy and southern Spain by Justinian’s armies. It also explores the massive encounters between the Romans and Persians in the east, and the apocalyptic fights in the Balkans between the Romans and barbarians. The author pays particular attention to the tactics and battles so there is detailed analysis of all of the period engagements, such as Dara, Satala, Callinicum, Ad Decimum, Tricamarum, Rome, Scalae Veteres, Antonia Castra, Gallica, Campi Catonis, Hippis River, Busta Gallorum, Mons Lactarius, Casilinum, Archaeopolis, Phasis, and others. The narrative features the military exploits of the great Roman heroes, such as Belisarius and Narses, while not forgetting the many other overlooked generals such as Germanus, Mundus, John the nephew of Vitalian, Martinus, Dagistheus and Sittas, not to mention the dashing hero John Troglita whose achievements were immortalized by the Roman epic poet Corippus.
Download or read book Muslim Expansion and Byzantine Collapse in North Africa written by Walter E. Kaegi and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2010-11-04 with total page 367 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book investigates the failure of the Byzantine Empire to develop successful resistance to the Muslim conquest of North Africa.
Download or read book Military History of Late Rome 361 395 written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2014-03-30 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive look at campaigns, battles, and military developments in these dramatic decades. Part of a multivolume history spanning from AD 284-641 that offers detailed accounts of campaigns, battles, and the changes in organization, equipment, strategy, and tactics among both the Roman forces and her enemies in the relevant period, this book covers the tumultuous period from the death of Constantius II in AD 361 to the death of Theodosius. Among the many campaigns covered are the Emperor Julian’s fatal campaign against the Sassanian Persians and the disastrous defeat and death of Valens at Adrianople in 378. Such calamities illustrate the level of external threat Rome’s armies faced on many fronts in this difficult period. Praise for Military History of Late Rome 425–457 “An outstanding work . . . [the series] gives us a very good picture of the long process that has come to be known as the ‘Fall of Rome.’ This is an invaluable read for anyone with an interest in Late Antiquity.” — The NYMAS Review
Download or read book Military History of Late Rome 565 602 written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-09-21 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh analysis of the Roman Empire in the aftermath of the reconquests of Justinian I. It is often claimed that Justinian overstretched the Roman resources, but the analysis in Military History of Late Rome 565-602 proves that view wrong. It demonstrates that the initial troubles were largely the result of the mistakes of Justin II, and that his successors, Tiberius II and Maurice, not only restored its fortunes but were, at the time of Maurice’s death, actually poised to complete the reconquests of Justinian. It was thanks to the reforms of Maurice, which were codified in the military treatise the Strategikon, that the Roman army had achieved a position of relative superiority over all of its enemies—so that by 602 the Romans had decisively defeated the Persians, Slavs, and Avars. These gains, however, were lost when Maurice was murdered in a military mutiny that brought Phocas to power. This volume explains why the Roman army overthrew one of the greatest Roman emperors who ever lived. This was an era of epic battles, so the author also pays particular attention to the period tactics and analyzes all the period battles in great detail. These include such battles as Melitene, Constantia, Sirmium, Nymphius River, Solanchon, Lake Urmiah, Plain of Canzak, Iatrus, and the epic battles of Priscus and Comentiolus in the Balkans. Praise for Military History of Late Rome 425–457 “An outstanding work . . . [the series] gives us a very good picture of the long process that has come to be known as the ‘Fall of Rome.’ This is an invaluable read for anyone with an interest in Late Antiquity.” —The NYMAS Review
Download or read book The Reign of Emperor Gallienus written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-05-30 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An unusual history of an unusual soldier of Rome who rose to Emperor . . . an engaging history of a fascinating subject—Very Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench This is the only fully illustrated military life of the Emperor Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus (253-268). Considered the most blatantly military man of all of the soldier emperors of the third century, Gallienus is the emperor in Harry Sidebottom’s bestselling Warrior of Rome novels. Gallienus faced more simultaneous usurpations and foreign invasions than any other emperor, but somehow he managed to survive. Dr. Ilkka Syvanne explains how this was possible. It was largely thanks to the untiring efforts of Gallienus that the Roman Empire survived for another 1,200 years. Gallienus was a notorious libertarian, womanizer, and cross-dresser, but he was also a fearless warrior, duelist and general all at the same time. This monograph explains why he was loved by the soldiers, yet so intensely hated by some officers that they killed him in a conspiracy. The year 2018 was the 1,800th anniversary of Gallienus’ date of birth and the 1,750th anniversary of his date of death. The Reign of Gallienus celebrates the life and times of this great man. “A beautiful book that investigates the life and works of an emperor undervalued by the ‘general public’ but who deserves to be known for his military and historical legacy.” —Old Barbed Wire Blog
Download or read book Military History of Late Rome 457 518 written by Ilkka Syvänne and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-01-26 with total page 584 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history and military analysis of the world-changing events following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The Military History of Late Rome 457–518 provides a fresh new look into the events that led to the collapse of West Rome, while East Rome not only survived but went on to prosper despite a series of major defeats that included, most notably, the catastrophic campaign against the Vandals in 468. The author explains what mistakes the West Romans made and what the East Romans did right to survive. He analyzes the role of the barbarian generals and military forces in this and also offers an analysis of the tactical developments during this pivotal period as a result of which the cavalry, so famous from the accounts of Procopius, became the dominant arm in the East. The book also offers a detailed study of a number of battles that have never before been subjected to such scrutiny, and puts these firmly into the context of their times. At the very end of this period in 518, East Rome was poised to start its reconquest under Anastasius’ successors Justin I and Justinian I. This book explains why this was possible.
