New Osprey Book about Centurions

[Narukami]

Just saw this listed on Amazon. Perhaps others have heard about this already, but for those of us who may have missed it -- a new book on Centurions to be released August 23, 2011.

Author: Raffaele D'Amato
Illustrator: Giueseppe Rava

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849085...d_i=507846



Narukami

[sulla felix]

Judging by the Author's previous works that should be an interesting book.

[Andrew Brozyna]

Rava! I love his illustrations. And judging by the date range, we can probably expect a second volume.

[Paullus Scipio]

Judging by the Author's previous works that should be an interesting book.

"Interesting"?.....like in the Chinese curse "May you live in 'interesting' times ! "

You can bet it will be highly controversial, to say the least !!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

[sulla felix]

I was trying to be a bit diplomatic, but yes certain to provoke debate at the very least

[Dan Howard]

Just insert the word "bollocks" in a sentence somewhere and you'll know my opinion.

[arminius]

… looking forward to see more leather-clad Romans! :-D

[Paullus Scipio]

Just to begin with the cover alone - neither figure depicts a Roman centurion !

Both are from sculptures, and most likely represent mythical Gods and Heroes;

The left hand one is taken from a sculpture c. 14 BC on the frieze of the Basilica Aemilia ( restored and with new additions by Augustus after a fire in that year). It shows the mythical scene of the punishment of Tarpeia, and depicts what the sculptor thought of as what "ye olde" Romans wore.....'modern' muscled cuirass ( the style is 1 C BC) and an "ancient" Attic style helmet ( which has had a Montefortino substituted for some reason on the 'reconstruction' presumably seen as more fitting to the junior officer/centurion - but in that case why the muscled cuirass, more appropriate to a senior officer, though Connolly also interpreted a 'centurion' in similar fashion - see below?)

Another sculpture shows an elaborate senior officers cuirass ( somtimes presumed to be a triumphal monument of Sulla), early 2 C BC, and it also shows 'tropaeums' topped with helmets with sideways falling crests and a plain bronze/iron (?) cuirass, not muscled, and of distinct Italian/Roman style ( Connolly used this sculpture to reconstruct his 'Caesarian' centurion on the (back)cover and P.24 of "The Roman Army" 1975)

If D'Amato's reconstruction resembled anything real,( assuming the cover is meant to represent 'Centurions', and if so, of an indeterminable period !) it was probably the uniform of Senior Officers ( Tribunes and above) of the late Republic/Augustan times. Strangely, he carries a weighted pilum not known before the Flavian Cancellaria Praetorian relief from which it is taken.

The figure on the right is also taken from a sculptured figure, in this case the Altar of Domitius Ahenobarbus c.100 BC which shows the enrolment ( or perhaps more likely discharge) of soldiers, and the triple 'suovotaurilia' ( Bull,Ram, Pig) sacrifice to Mars, who is shown standing beside his altar. He also apparently wears a plain cuirass ( not muscled), an Apulo-Corinthian helmet,( which has been changed to a Hellenistic type) traditional 'Hasta/spear' ( the army was , as far as we can ascertain, all pilum armed at this time), circular shield and the 'knot of Hercules' girdle that marked only senior officers ( duly reproduced on the 'centurion'). These are the traditional attributes of the God Mars, but conceivably just might represent what contemporary senior officers wore, like the other.

That 'centurions' appeared dressed thus can only be regarded as highly speculative, to say the least !!

It is not enough to just 'interpret' the iconography as seen, one must understand, so far as possible, what it represents or portrays, and what exactly the subject matter is - often open to several interpretations, and then probability enters the interpretation process.

The cover and its interpretations makes one wonder about the rest of the content......

[arminius]

Don’t worry Paul,
The pictures shown here on the cover are taken from an older Osprey-publication (Republican Roman Army) and will definitely not appear on the cover or in the content of the forthcoming book. Publishers tend to advertise future releases by using older pictures in lack of the actual artwork. Osprey has done it many times before.
This kind of practice can be quite embarrassing for the author on occasion: My publisher once advertised a forthcoming book by me about the army of Arminius by placing a 3rd century AD Germanic warrior on the cover. My protest when I found out was futile! Thank God, apparently nobody noticed the flaw except me!

So let’s see what is coming from Osprey than!

[D B Campbell]

This kind of practice can be quite embarrassing for the author on occasion: My publisher once advertised a forthcoming book by me about the army of Arminius by placing a 3rd century AD Germanic warrior on the cover.

Mons Graupius AD 83 began life with an Antonine sculpture on the cover! :roll:

[Vincula]

This kind of practice can be quite embarrassing for the author on occasion: My publisher once advertised a forthcoming book by me about the army of Arminius by placing a 3rd century AD Germanic warrior on the cover.

Mons Graupius AD 83 began life with an Antonine sculpture on the cover! :roll:

Ive SEEN that cover on http://antoninuspius.blogspot.com/ :grin:

[Paullus Scipio]

Not surprising really. Duncan IS 'Antoninus Pius', and uses a cloak of anonymity to extol his own works while carrying out "robust" criticisms of fellow authors on similar subjects ( such as his fellow Osprey author Nic Fields)

A pity really, for the site otherwise has a lot of stuff which is interesting.....