05-19-2011, 12:35 AM
02-08-2012, 12:01 AM
So, what did you make of Imperial General: The Remarkable Career of Petilius Cerealis?
Phil Sidnell
Phil Sidnell
02-09-2012, 12:09 AM
I have just finished reading it and found it a most enjoyable canter throught 1st C AD military history. Given the subject matter, it coudl not be a conventional military biography, but the use of an individual member of the Roman elite to tie together a series of events worked really well for me, a very effective device and a very welcome addition to the bookshelf.
It sort of prompts the thought that no-one has written a book or series of books to systematically describe the military history of the principate, which in one sense is slightly ironic as it is the period for which the army as an institution is probaly best-known.
There are various books in English on the rise of Rome in Italy, the Punic Wars/conquest of the Western Med, the Hellenistic wars/conquest of the Eastern Med, plenty on the fall of the Republic, at least two on the "third centry crisis" and a pile of works on the decline and fall of the Western Empire, but for a straight political-narrative of the period from Augustus to the end of the Severans, I don't think there is anything available (other than sections of works dealing with longer periods).
Now the obvious reason for this is that there are some fairly major wars for which the sources are not exactly copious, e.g. Trajan's Parthian War or the Second Jewish Revolt. It would be a tough challenge as the history such as it is and the archaeology/epigraphy would have to be brought together, but some sort of narrative could still be attempted by one of P&S's many excellent authors I would think, especially if broken down into smaller portions (e.g. Julio-Cladians, Flavians etc)? Surely a great seller if it could be brought to fruition - a sort of early Imperial companion series to the excellent "Roman Conquests" series.
It sort of prompts the thought that no-one has written a book or series of books to systematically describe the military history of the principate, which in one sense is slightly ironic as it is the period for which the army as an institution is probaly best-known.
There are various books in English on the rise of Rome in Italy, the Punic Wars/conquest of the Western Med, the Hellenistic wars/conquest of the Eastern Med, plenty on the fall of the Republic, at least two on the "third centry crisis" and a pile of works on the decline and fall of the Western Empire, but for a straight political-narrative of the period from Augustus to the end of the Severans, I don't think there is anything available (other than sections of works dealing with longer periods).
Now the obvious reason for this is that there are some fairly major wars for which the sources are not exactly copious, e.g. Trajan's Parthian War or the Second Jewish Revolt. It would be a tough challenge as the history such as it is and the archaeology/epigraphy would have to be brought together, but some sort of narrative could still be attempted by one of P&S's many excellent authors I would think, especially if broken down into smaller portions (e.g. Julio-Cladians, Flavians etc)? Surely a great seller if it could be brought to fruition - a sort of early Imperial companion series to the excellent "Roman Conquests" series.
09-05-2012, 03:36 PM
We have something in the pipeline on Augustus' wars but not the whole principate. Certainly a good thought.
Phil
Phil
12-23-2012, 11:50 PM
and when will it come out?
12-23-2012, 11:51 PM
I thought the book of Petilius Cerialis to be an excellent read.