Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (3)

4th–5th Centuries AD

Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces (3) cover

Description

A fully illustrated account of the large-scale reformation of the Roman Army from the reign of Diocletian to the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476.

After the 50-year chaos of the mid-3rd century AD, Emperor Diocletian (r. AD 284–305) and his successor, Constantine I (r. AD 306–37), the first Christian emperor, undertook major administrative reforms to reflect new realities and improve defensive strategy. These changes saw the Roman Army completely reorganized, with its old structure of legions and auxiliary units giving way to central mobile field armies and various classes of garrison troops. In addition, the Army also began recruiting 'allied barbarians' in ever-increasing numbers and even promoted some to the level of senior command.

Roman military expert Raffaele D'Amato draws on the latest archaeological and written evidence to explore this turbulent final period of the Western Empire. Illustrated with photographs and drawings of surviving artefacts and imagery, this latest entry in a series charting the Roman Army's evolution also features eight newly commissioned colour plates depicting the uniforms and weaponry of Rome's reformed military.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
SELECT CHRONOLOGY (AD)
MILITARY ORGANIZATION
COMPOSITION
The Imperial Comitatus and the Palatini Limitanei or Ripenses Foederati and Laeti – Imperial Guards
UNIT DISTRIBUTION
WEAPONS, EQUIPMENT & CLOTHING
Barbaricum
Diocese of HispaniaProvinciae: Gallaecia, Tarraconensis, Cartagenensis, Lusitania, Baetica (Mauretania Tingitana) – Iconography – Archaeology: weapons – Equipment – Belt fittings, brooches, etc.
Diocese of BritanniaProvinciae: Britannia I and II, Maxima Caesariensis, Flavia Caesariensis, Valentia – Archaeology and iconography: weapons – Equipment – Belt fittings, brooches, etc.
Diocese of Galliae Provinciae: Germania I and II, Gallia Lugdunensis I, II, and IV, Belgica I and II, Maxima Sequanorum – Archaeology: weapons – Equipment – Belt fittings, brooches – Riding gear
Diocese of Septem ProvinciaeProvinciae: Viennensis, Aquitania I and II, Aquitania III Novempopulana,
Narbonensis I and II, Alpes Poenninae, Graiae, AlpesmMaritimae – Iconography – Archaeology
Diocese of ItaliaProvinciae: Italia Annonaria, Italia Suburbicaria, Raetia I and II – Iconography and archaeology: weapons – Equipment – Belt fittings, brooches
Diocese of Pannonia or IllyricumProvinciae: Pannonia I, Pannonia Valeria, Dalmatia, Noricum Ripense, Noricum Mediterraneum – Archaeology: weapons – Equipment – Belt fittings, brooches, etc.
Diocese of Africa Provinciae: Africa Proconsularis, Byzacena, Mauretania Sitifensis, Mauretania Caesariensis, Numidia Cirtensis, Numidia Militiana et Tripolitania – Iconography – Archaeology
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
PLATE COMMENTARIES
INDEX

Product details

Published Sep 24 2024
Format Paperback
Edition 1st
Extent 48
ISBN 9781472862686
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 8 colour artwork plates; black & white photographs and illustrations.
Dimensions 248 x 184 mm
Series Men-at-Arms
Short code MAA 557
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Raffaele D’Amato

Raffaele D'Amato, PhD, is the author of some 40 bo…

Illustrator

Raffaele Ruggeri

Raffaele Ruggeri was born in Bologna where he stil…

Resources

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