Who Supplied Roman Military Equipment

[Andrew Magee]

I wanted to look into Roman military equipment supply throughout Roman history. Does anyone have any recommendations for primary or secondary sources through which I might be able to begin my search?

[Theodosius the Great]

"The Later Roman Empire 284-602" by AHM Jones.

"The Complete Roman Army" by Adrian Goldsworthy.

~Theo

[M. CVRIVS ALEXANDER]

Try these:

Bishop M.C. The military fabrica and the production of arms in the early principate // The Production and Distribution of Roman Military Equipment / British Archaeological
Reports Series. Vol. 275. Oxford: BAR Reports, 1985.

James S. The fabricae: state arms factories of the Late Roman Empire // Military Equipment and the Identity of Roman Soldiers. Proceedings of the Fourth Roman
Military Equipment Conference/ British Archaeological Reports Series. Vol. 394. Oxford: BAR Reports, 1988.

Fulford M. The organization of legionary supply: the Claudian invasion of Britain // Roman Fortresses and their Legions / ed. Brewer R.J.L., 2000.

MacMullen R. Inscriptions on armor and the supply of arms in the Roman Empire // American Journal of Archaeology. 1960. Vol. 64.

Rathbone D. Military finance and supply // The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare. Vol. 2. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Verboven K. Good for business. The Roman army and the emergence of a 'business class' in the northwestern provinces of the Roman empire // The Impact
of the Roman Army (200 BC–AD 476): Economic, Social, Political, Religious and Cultural Aspects (Proceeding of the 6th workshop of the network Impact of
empire. Capri 2005). Leiden–Boston: Brill, 2007.

[elagababbalus]

Hello,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

On this topic do any of the references mentioned or others (I have Goldsworthy and the Cambridge History Greek and Roman Warfare) actually provide information on equipment quality? Specifically I am interested in knowing if there was a decline in the quality of manufactures from the early empire to late antiquity to the early medieval period and this was tested on actual artifacts recovered. I don't know how such a thing could be measured since I know nothing about metallurgy. Perhaps greater levels of impurities etc

Also is there any information on when the western empire stopped supplying the military from its weapons factories: fabricae? I cant recall having seen anything in the material I have read, so any guidance here would be appreciated.