Download or read book The Army of Maximinus Thrax written by Jan Easchbach and published by . This book was released on 2020-11 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Maximinus Thrax written by Paul N. Pearson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2017-05-23 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first full-length biography of the half-barbarian emperor. Maximinus was a Thracian tribesman “of frightening appearance and colossal size” who could smash stones with his bare hands and pull fully laden wagons unaided. Such feats impressed the emperor Severus who enlisted Maximinus into the imperial bodyguard whereupon he embarked on a distinguished military career. Eventually he achieved senior command in the massive Roman invasion of Persia in 232 AD, and three years later he became emperor himself in a military coup—the first common soldier ever to assume the imperial throne. Supposedly more than seven feet tall (it is likely he had a pituitary disorder), Maximinus was surely one of Rome’s most extraordinary emperors. He campaigned across the Rhine and Danube for three years until a rebellion erupted in Africa and the snobbish senate engaged in civil war against him. This is a narrative account of the life and times of the Thracian giant, from his humble origins up to and beyond the civil war of 238 AD. Replete with accounts of treachery, assassination, and civil war, Maximinus Thrax is written for enthusiasts of Roman history and warfare. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in history--books about World War II, the Third Reich, Hitler and his henchmen, the JFK assassination, conspiracies, the American Civil War, the American Revolution, gladiators, Vikings, ancient Rome, medieval times, the old West, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
Download or read book Imperial Authority and Dissent written by Karen Haegemans and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume provides a highly detailed study of the short and troubled reign of Maximinus Thrax. Haegemans asks why Maximinus had such difficulty in consolidating his rule, examining the reasons behind senatorial hostility, the causes of the revolt which brought him down, and why it spread so widely.
Download or read book The Roman Empire in Crisis 248 260 written by Paul N. Pearson and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 471 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A clear, brisk writer, Pearson is also quite thorough, taking a holistic attitude to the many facets of a confused, turbulent period.” —NYMAS Review This book is a narrative history of a dozen years of turmoil that begins with Rome’s millennium celebrations of 248 CE and ends with the capture of the emperor Valerian by the Persians in 260. It was a period of almost unremitting disaster for Rome, involving a series of civil wars, several major invasions by Goths and Persians, economic crisis, and an empire-wide pandemic, the “plague of Cyprian.” There was also sustained persecution of the Christians. A central theme of the book is that this was a period of moral and spiritual crisis in which the traditional state religion suffered greatly in prestige, paving the way for the eventual triumph of Christianity. The sensational recent discovery of extensive fragments of the lost Scythica of Dexippus sheds much new light on the Gothic Wars of the period. The author has used this new evidence in combination with in-depth investigations in the field to develop a revised account of events surrounding the great Battle of Abritus, in which the army of the emperor Decius was annihilated by Cniva’s Goths. The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260 sheds new light on a period that is pivotal for understanding the transition between Classical civilization and the period known as Late Antiquity.
Download or read book Septimius Severus and the Roman Army written by Michael Sage and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The assassination of Emperor Commodus in 192 sparked a civil war. Septimius Severus emerged as the eventual victor and his dynasty (the Severans) ruled until 235. He fought numerous campaigns, against both internal rivals and external enemies, extending the Empire to the east (adding Mesopotamia), the south (in Africa) and the north (beyond Hadrian's Wall). The military aspects of his reign, including his reforms of the army, are the main focus of this new study. After discussing his early career and governorship of Pannonia, Michael Sage narrates his war with Pescennius Niger, the siege of Byzantium, and the campaign in northern Mesopotamia that added it as a province. The much more difficult campaign against Clodius Albinus in Gaul is also studied in detail, as is that in North Africa. The narrative concludes with an account of the last campaign in Britain and Severus’ death. The final chapters analyze Septimius’ reforms of the army and assess their impact on events of the next seventy years until the accession of Diocletian. His greatest weakness was his love for his family. Like Marcus Aurelius he loved his children too much. They failed to maintain what he had bequeathed them.
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 Coining Images of Power written by Erika Manders and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2012-01-05 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on a quantitative and qualitative analysis of 8227 coin types, this book describes and interprets the diachronic development of the representation of Roman emperors on imperial coins issued between 193 and 284.
Download or read book The Antonine Constitution written by Alex Imrie and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2018-05-29 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Antonine Constitution, Alex Imrie approaches the famous edict of AD 212 from a number of angles, offering an assessment of its author’s rationale that is firmly embedded in the dynamic period of the early third century.
Download or read book The Roman Imperial Succession written by John D. Grainger and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An investigation of how a man could become a Roman emperor, and the failure to create an enduring, consistent system for selecting the next emperor. John D. Grainger analyses the Roman imperial succession, demonstrating that the empire organized by Augustus was fundamentally flawed in the method it used to find emperors. Augustus’s system was a mixture of heredity, senatorial, and military influences, and these were generally antagonistic. Consequently, the Empire went through a series of crises, in which the succession to a previous, usually dead, emperor was the main issue. The infamous “Year of the Four Emperors,” AD 69, is only the most famous of these crises, which often involved bouts of bloody and destructive civil war, assassinations and purges. These were followed by a period, usually relatively short, in which the victor in the “crisis” established a new system, juggling the three basic elements identified by Augustus, but which was as fragile and short lived as its predecessor; these “consequences” of each crisis are discussed. The lucid and erudite text is supported by over 22 genealogical tables and 100 images illustrating the Emperors. Praise of The Roman Imperial Succession “For a general introduction to the question of how one becomes a Roman emperor, Grainger has provided a sound guide.” —Bryn Mawr Classical Review
Download or read book Army of the Roman Emperors written by Thomas Fischer and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2019-11-19 with total page 1105 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An illustrated history exploring the Imperial Roman army’s many facets, including uniforms, weapons, buildings, and their duties. Compared to modern standard, the Roman army of the Imperial era was surprisingly small. However, when assessed in terms of their various tasks, they by far outstrip modern armies—acting not only as an armed power of the state in external and internal conflicts, but also carrying out functions nowadays performed by police, local government, customs, and tax authorities, as well as constructing roads, ships, and buildings. With this volume, Thomas Fischer presents a comprehensive and unique exploration of the Roman military of the Imperial era. With over 600 illustrations, the costumes, weapons and equipment of the Roman army are explored in detail using archaeological finds dating from the late Republic to Late Antiquity, and from all over the Roman Empire. The army’s buildings and fortifications are also featured. Finally, conflicts, border security, weaponry, and artifacts are all compared, offering a look at the development of the army through time. This work is intended for experts as well as to readers with a general interest in Roman history. It is also a treasure-trove for re-enactment groups, as it puts many common perceptions of the weaponry, equipment, and dress of the Roman army to the test.
Download or read book Armies of Ancient Italy 753 218 BC written by Gabriele Esposito and published by Pen and Sword Military. This book was released on 2021-01-18 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A military history of ancient Italy, featuring details of the weapons, equipment, and tactics, as well as color photos showing how warriors looked. Before becoming the masters of the Mediterranean world, the Romans had first to conquer the Italian peninsula in a series of harsh conflicts against its other varied and warlike residents. The outcome was no foregone conclusion and it took the Romans half a millennium to secure the whole of Italy. In Armies of Ancient Italy 753–218 BC, Gabriele Esposito presents the armies that fought these wars, in which the Roman military spirit and their famous legions were forged. He not only follows the evolution of the Roman forces from the Regal Period to the outbreak of the Second Punic War but also the forces of their neighbors, rivals and enemies. The most notable of these, the Etruscans, Samnites and the Italian Greeks are given particular attention but others, such as the Celts and Ligures of the North and the warriors of Sicily and Sardinia, are also considered. Details of the organization, weapons, equipment and tactics of each army are described, while dozens of beautiful color photos of reenactors show how these warriors looked in the field. “Once more, a beautifully illustrated book, this time starting with the story of Rome from the Regal Period to the Second Punic War. The author follows the highly successful format of his books covering the late period of the Roman Empire.—Most Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench “An interesting look at all the people of the Italian era, but what really brings it to life are the countless full colour photographs of re-enactor groups in the correct armour and dress for the various tribes and regions they represent. Excellent production standards and a fascinating look at the history of early Rome.” —The Armourer
Download or read book The Roman Empire at Bay AD 180 395 written by David Stone Potter and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2004 with total page 788 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the outset of the period covered by this book, Rome was the greatest power in the world. By its end, it had fallen conclusively from this dominant position. David Potter's comprehensive survey of two critical and eventful centuries traces the course of imperial decline.
Download or read book Alaric the Goth An Outsider s History of the Fall of Rome written by Douglas Boin and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Denied citizenship by the Roman Empire, a soldier named Alaric changed history by unleashing a surprise attack on the capital city of an unjust empire. Stigmatized and relegated to the margins of Roman society, the Goths were violent “barbarians” who destroyed “civilization,” at least in the conventional story of Rome’s collapse. But a slight shift of perspective brings their history, and ours, shockingly alive. Alaric grew up near the river border that separated Gothic territory from Roman. He survived a border policy that separated migrant children from their parents, and he was denied benefits he likely expected from military service. Romans were deeply conflicted over who should enjoy the privileges of citizenship. They wanted to buttress their global power, but were insecure about Roman identity; they depended on foreign goods, but scoffed at and denied foreigners their own voices and humanity. In stark contrast to the rising bigotry, intolerance, and zealotry among Romans during Alaric’s lifetime, the Goths, as practicing Christians, valued religious pluralism and tolerance. The marginalized Goths, marked by history as frightening harbingers of destruction and of the Dark Ages, preserved virtues of the ancient world that we take for granted. The three nights of riots Alaric and the Goths brought to the capital struck fear into the hearts of the powerful, but the riots were not without cause. Combining vivid storytelling and historical analysis, Douglas Boin reveals the Goths’ complex and fascinating legacy in shaping our world.
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 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 The Roman Army written by David J. Breeze and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-02-11 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This authoritative short volume introduces readers to the Roman army, its structure, tactics, duties and development. One of the most successful fighting forces that the world has seen, the Roman army was inherited by the emperor Augustus who re-organized it and established its legions in military bases, many of which survived to the end of the empire. He and subsequent emperors used it as a formidable tool for expansion. Soon, however, the army became fossilized on its frontiers and changed from a mobile fighting force to a primarily defensive body. Written by a leading authority on the Roman army and the frontiers it defended and expanded, this is an invaluable book for students at school and university level, as well as a handy guide for general readers with an interest in military history, the rise and development and fall of the Roman legions, and the ancient world.
Download or read book Pertinax written by Simon Elliott and published by Greenhill Books. This book was released on 2020-12-19 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The son of a former slave, Pertinax was the Roman Emperor who proved that no matter how lowly your birth, you could rise to the very top through hard work, grit and determination. Born in AD 126, he made a late career change from working as a grammar teacher to a position in the army. As he moved up the ranks and further along the aristocratic cursus honorum, he took on many of the most important postings in the Empire, from senior military roles in fractious Britain, the Marcomannic Wars on the Danube, to the Parthian Wars in the east. He held governorships in key provinces, and later consulships in Rome itself. When Emperor Commodus was assassinated on New Years Eve AD 192/193, the Praetorian Guard alighted on Pertinax to become the new Emperor, expecting a pliable puppet who would favour them with great wealth. But Pertinax was nothing of the sort and when he then attempted to reform the Guard, he was assassinated. His death triggered the beginning of the Year of the Five Emperors from which Septimius Severus, Pertinaxs former mentoree, became the ultimate victor and founder of the Severan Dynasty. This previously untold story brings a fascinating and important figure out of the shadows. A self made everyman, a man of principle and ambition, a role model respected by his contemporaries who styled himself on his philosophizing predecessor and sometime champion Marcus Aurelius, Pertinaxs remarkable story offers a unique and panoramic insight into the late 2nd century AD Principate Empire.
