Download or read book Slingers and Sling Bullets in the Roman Civil Wars of the Late Republic 90 31 BC written by Lawrence Keppie and published by . This book was released on 2023-11-30 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Slingers were an element in the Roman army over many centuries. Their activities are frequently reported in literary accounts of battles and sieges during the civil wars of the Late Republic. Sling bullets, in stone, clay and lead, have been found at many scenes of conflict. Lead bullets often bear brief inscriptions addressed to the recipients, naming military units, their commanders and centurions; others carry sexual insults. This is an ever-expanding body of ancient evidence. Yet some books on the Roman army scarcely mention slingers. This monograph seeks to redress the balance and draws attention to their role and effectiveness. It covers the period between the Social War of 90-89 BC and the close of the civil wars at the battle of Actium in 31 BC, encompassing the campaigns of Julius Caesar in Gaul between 58 and 50 BC, including his expeditions to Britain, the wars between Caesar and Pompey the Great (and his sons) in 49-45 BC, and between Caesar's heirs and successors in 44-31 BC, including Mark Antony and the future emperor Augustus.
Download or read book Slingers and Sling Bullets in the Roman Civil Wars of the Late Republic 90 31 BC written by Lawrence Keppie and published by Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2023-11-30 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Slingers were an element in the Roman army over many centuries, their activities frequently reported in literary accounts of the Late Republic. Despite an ever-expanding body of ancient evidence, some books on the Roman army scarcely mention slingers. This monograph seeks to redress the balance and draws attention to their role and effectiveness.
Download or read book A Lucan Reader written by Susanna Morton Braund and published by Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Alesia 52 BC written by Nic Fields and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-06-20 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 52 BC is the key year of the Gallic Revolt, with the near-disastrous Roman defeat at Gergovia followed by the climactic victory over the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix at Alesia. In 52, BC Caesar's continued strategy of annihilation had engendered a spirit of desperation, which detonated into a revolt of Gallic tribes under the leadership of the charismatic young Arvernian noble Vercingetorix. Major engagements were fought at Noviodunum, Avaricum, and Gergovia, with the last action being the most serious reverse that Caesar faced in the whole of the Gallic War. However, Vercingetorix soon realized that he was unable to match the Romans in pitched battle. Taking advantage of the tribesmen's superior knowledge of their home territory, Vercingetorix began a canny policy of small war and defensive manoeuvres, which gravely hampered Caesar's movements by cutting off his supplies. For Caesar it was to be a grim summertime – his whole Gallic enterprise faced disaster. In the event, by brilliant leadership, force of arms, and occasionally sheer luck, Caesar succeeded in stamping out the revolt in a long and brutal action culminating in the siege of Alesia. Vercingetorix finally surrendered and Alesia was to be the last significant resistance to the Roman will. Never again would a Gallic warlord independent of Rome hold sway over the Celts of Gaul.
Download or read book The Roman Art of War written by Catherine Gilliver and published by Arcadia Publishing (SC). This book was released on 2001 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Roman army is recognised as one of the most effective fighting machines that the world has ever seen. However, the senior officer corps of the Roman army was essentially amateur, made up of aristocratic men pursuing political careers. What then was the secret of the Romans' success?Kate Gilliver provides the first comprehensive study of military theory - as well as practice - in the late Republic and early Empire. She draws not just on the ancient textbooks, but makes use of the other contemporary literary evidence and on the wealth of archaeological evidence for military activity.In five central chapters Dr Gilliver looks in detail at all aspects of the Roman army; at its organisation, the order of march, temporary encampments, pitched battles and siege warfare. These chapters reveal the army's very flexible organisation and skills, as well as it discipline.The book also contains a fine range of illustrations, an Appendix of all the key Roman military treatises and a full Glossary of key technical terms. The complete work will command a wide international readership, particularly among military historians, archaeologists and wargamers.
Download or read book Pax and the Politics of Peace written by Hannah Cornwell and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept of Roman peace (pax) did not just denote the absence of war but formed part of a much greater discourse on how Rome conceptualized herself. This volume explores its changing meaning from Republic to Principate, arguing that it is fundamental to understanding the shifting balance of power and the creation of the Roman Empire.
Download or read book Of Arms and Men written by Robert L. O'Connell and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1990-04-19 with total page 378 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The appearance of the crossbow on the European battle field in A.D. 1100 as the weapon of choice for shooting down knights threatened the status quo of medieval chivalric fighting techniques. By 1139 the Church had intervened, outlawing the use of the crossbow among Christians. With this edict, arms control was born. As Robert L. O'Connell reveals in this vividly written history of weapons in Western culture, that first attempt at an arms control measure characterizes the complex and often paradoxical relationship between men and arms throughout the centuries. In a sweeping narrative that ranges from prehistoric times to the nuclear age, O'Connell demonstrates how social and economic conditions determine the types of weapons and the tactics used in warfare and how, in turn, innovations in weapons technology often undercut social values. He describes, for instance, how the invention of the gun required a redefinition of courage from aggressive ferocity to calmness under fire; and how the machine gun in World War I so overthrew traditional notions of combat that Lord Kitchener exclaimed, "This isn't war!" The technology unleashed during the Great War radically altered our perceptions of ourselves, as these new weapons made human qualities almost irrelevant in combat. With the invention of the atomic bomb, humanity itself became subservient to the weapons it had produced. Of Arms and Men brilliantly integrates the evolution of politics, weapons, strategy, and tactics into a coherent narrative, one spiced with striking portraits of men in combat and penetrating insights into why men go to war.
Download or read book Carthaginian Warrior 264 146 BC written by Nic Fields and published by Osprey Publishing. This book was released on 2010-09-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The armies of Carthage were diverse, made up of men of various ethnic groups, military specializations, and even motivations. Whilst some were citizen soldiers fighting on behalf of their state, others were ruthless mercenaries who remained loyal only so long as they were paid. As the Punic Wars progressed and the merits of professional soldiers became appreciated, mercenaries became the backbone of Carthaginian armies. Backed up by detailed reference to historical sources, this book examines the life of a Carthaginian warrior, following his experiences from initial recruitment to final battle, and focusing on what he ate, the equipment he carried and the tactics he used on the battlefield. This in-depth analysis of warriors in daily life and battle is accompanied by archival photographs and vibrant illustrations from Steve Noon.
Download or read book The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume 7 written by Edward 1737-1794 Gibbon and published by Legare Street Press. This book was released on 2022-10-27 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Download or read book The Mindful Hand written by Lissa Roberts and published by Edita-The Publishing House of the Royal. This book was released on 2007 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although manual labour and theoretical invention might now seem separate ventures, history teaches us that they are closely linked processes. The Mindful Hand explores innovative areas of European society between the late Renaissance and the period of early industrialisation where the enterprise of knowledge and production relied on the most intimate connexions of thought and toil. This volume explains how philosophers and labourers collaborated in an environment where artisans and instrument-makers, administrators and entrepreneurs simultaneously pioneered technical change alongside knowledge formation. The essays gathered here help show how these projects were pursued together, yet why, in retrospect, the very categories of science and technology emerged as seemingly distinct endeavors.
Download or read book The Historiography of Late Republican Civil War written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-29 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Historiography of Late Republican Civil War represents a close and coherent study of developments and discussions concerning the concept of civil war in the late republican and early imperial historiography of the late Republic.
Download or read book Empire and Political Cultures in the Roman World written by Emma Dench and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-09 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book evaluates a hundred years of scholarship on how empire transformed the Roman world, and advances a new theory of how the empire worked and was experienced. It engages extensively with Rome's Republican empire as well as the 'Empire of the Caesars', examines a broad range of ancient evidence (material, documentary, and literary) that illuminates multiple perspectives, and emphasizes the much longer history of imperial rule within which the Roman Empire emerged. Steering a course between overemphasis on resistance and overemphasis on consensus, it highlights the political, social, religious and cultural consequences of an imperial system within which functions of state were substantially delegated to, or more often simply assumed by, local agencies and institutions. The book is accessible and of value to a wide range of undergraduate and graduate students as well as of interest to all scholars concerned with the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.
Download or read book War in the Hellenistic World written by Angelos Chaniotis and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2008-04-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploiting the abundant primary sources available, this book examines the diverse ways in which war shaped the Hellenistic world. An overview of war and society in the Hellenistic world. Highlights the interdependence of warfare and social phenomena. Covers a wide range of topics, including social conditions as causes of war, the role of professional warriors, the discourse of war in Hellenistic cities, the budget of war, the collective memory of war, and the aesthetics of war. Draws on the abundance of primary sources available.
Download or read book 50 Battles That Changed the World written by William Weir and published by Permuted Press+ORM. This book was released on 2018-05-29 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An informative look at the military conflicts that most altered the course of history and civilization, from ancient times to the modern world. Rather than celebrating warfare, 50 Battles That Changed the World looks at the clashes the author believes have had the most profound impact on world history. Ranked in order of their relevance to the modern world, these struggles range from the ancient past to the present day and span the globe many times over. Some of the battles in this book are familiar to us all—Bunker Hill, which prevented the American Revolution from being stillborn, and Marathon, which kept the world’s first democracy alive. Others may be less familiar—the naval battle at Diu (on the Indian Coast), which led to the ascendancy of Western Civilization and the discovery of America, and Yarmuk, which made possible the spread of Islam from Morocco to the Philippines. With remarkable accounts of both famous and lesser-known clashes, 50 Battles That Changed the World provides impressive insight into the battles that shaped civilization as we know it.
Download or read book The Spartan Way written by Nic Fields and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2013-02-28 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “One of the best books about the ancient world I’ve ever read. . . . lively and informative.” —Toy Solder & Model Figure For a period of some 200 years, Sparta was acknowledged throughout the Greek world as the home of the finest soldiers—Xenophon called them “the only true craftsmen in matters of war.” In this book, Nic Fields explains the reasons for this superiority, how their reputation for invincibility was earned (and deliberately manipulated), and how it was ultimately shattered. The Spartan Way examines how Spartan society, through its rigid laws and brutal educational system, was thoroughly militarized and devoted to producing warriors suited to the intense demands of hoplite warfare—professional killers inculcated with the values of unwavering obedience and a willingness to fight and die for their city. The role of Spartan women, as mothers and wives, in shaping the warrior ethic is considered, as are the role of uniform and rigorous training in enhancing the small-unit cohesion within the phalanx and the psychological intimidation of the enemy. The final chapters chart the course of Sparta’s successes through the period of the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, through the Corinthian and Theban wars of the fourth century BC, which culminated with the shattering military defeats at Leuctra and 2nd Mantinea, and the years of her decline with the Spartans as a source of mercenaries for the wars of other states. Includes maps
Download or read book The Mobile Wave written by Michael J. Saylor and published by Hachette+ORM. This book was released on 2013-05-28 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of international bestsellers, Future Shock and Megatrends, Michael J. Saylor, CEO of MicroStrategy, brings TheMobile Wave, a ground-breaking analysis of the impact of mobile intelligence -- the fifth wave of computer technology. The Mobile Waveargues that the changes brought by mobile computing are so big and widespread that it's impossible for us to see it all, even though we are all immersed in it. Saylor explains that the current generation of mobile smart phones and tablet computers has set the stage to become the universal computing platform for the world. In the hands of billions of people and accessible anywhere and anytime, mobile computers are poised to become an appendage of the human being and an essential tool for modern life. With the perspective of a historian, the precision of a technologist, and the pragmatism of a CEO, Saylor provides a panoramic view of the future mobile world. He describes how: A Harvard education will be available to anyone with the touch of a screen. Cash will become virtual software and crime proof. Cars, homes, fruit, animals, and more will be tagged so they can tell you about themselves. Buying an item will be as easy as pointing our mobile device to scan and pay.Land and capital will become more of a liability than an asset. Social mobile media will push all businesses to think and act like software companies. Employment will shift as more service-oriented jobs are automated by mobile software. Products, businesses, industries, economies, and even society will be altered forever as the Mobile wave washes over us and changes the landscape. With so much change, The Mobile Wave is a guidebook for individuals, business leaders, and public figures who must navigate the new terrain as mobile intelligence changes everything.
Download or read book Callias A Tale of the Fall of Athens written by Alfred John Church and published by Library of Alexandria. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is the second year of the ninety-third Olympiad and the Theatre at Athens is full, for the great dramatic season is at its height, and to-day there is to be performed a new play by Aristophanes, the special favorite of the Athenian public. It is a brilliant scene, but a keen observer, who happened to see the same gathering some five and twenty years ago, must now notice a certain falling off in its splendor. For these five and twenty years have been years of war, and latterly, years of disaster. Eleven years ago, the City wild with the pride of power and wealth, embarked on the mad scheme of conquering Sicily, and lost the finest fleet and army that it ever possessed. Since then it has been a struggle for life with it, and year by year it has been growing weaker and weaker. This has told sadly on the glories of its great festivals. The furnishing of the stage, indeed, is as perfect as ever, and the building itself has been pushed on several stages towards completion. However scarce money may be in the public treasury, the theatre must not be starved. But elsewhere there are manifest signs of falling off. The strangers’ gallery is almost empty. All the Greek world from Massilia in Gaul to Cyrene among the sands of Africa used to throng it in happier days. Now more than half that world is hostile, and the rest has little to hope or fear from the dispossessed mistress of the seas. Dionysius of Syracuse, has sent an embassy, and the democracy, which once would have treated with scant courtesy the representatives of a tyrant, is fain to flatter so powerful a prince. There are some Persian Envoys too, for the Persians are still following their old game of playing off one great state against another. A few Greeks from Sinope and from one of the Italian cities, persons of no importance, who would hardly have found a place in the gallery during the palmy times of Athens, make up the company of visitors. Look at the body of the theatre, where the citizens sit, and the spectacle is deplorable indeed. The flower of Athens’ sons has perished, and their successors are puny and degenerate. Examine too the crowd that throngs the benches, and you will see that the slaves, distinguished by their unsleeved tunics, fill up no small portion of space. And boys form an unusually large proportion of the audience. Altogether the theatre is a dispiriting sight to a patriotic Athenian.
