Those of us who have been collecting and reading the Osprey publications on the Roman army may scratch our heads at the release of new titles, but in the last few decades, the output of Osprey has definitely taken on a more scholarly flavor. We are familiar with the idea that Roman legionaries, auxiliaries and cavalry all had distinctive gear as outlined in the program of Trajan's column, but get ready to find out how all of that has changed based on archeological finds from the past few decades.
Osprey's earlier title Imperial Roman Legionary AD 161-284 brought the Osprey series more in line with recent interpretations of physical evidence such as sculptural representations as well as archaeological evidence to give us a broader idea of what Roman soldiers wore. As much as Roman military purists were disgusted with film representations of Roman soldiers wearing an abundance of muscle cuirasses, leather armor and Attic helmets dripping with plumage, get ready for Dr. D'Amato to show you that Hollywood may have been on to something. He hypothesizes that such items were indeed really worn and that sharp distinctions based on modern representations (like videogames or movies) that come after 200 years of uniformity and 100 years of industrially mass-produced equipment in modern armies are wrong. I look forward to more titles in this series on Roman army units, especially in their documentation of the changes of military gear and clothing from the days of Caesar to the rule of Septimius Severus. This volume also does some good in covering Osprey's lack of a book specifically devoted to Roman infantry auxiliaries.
The book is organized by evidence found within the old Roman provinces with at least a second volume in the pipeline focusing on the Eastern provinces.The illustrations were top rate, Raffaele Ruggeri's handling of color and draftsmanship has put him in line with Peter Dennis and Johnny Shumate to compete for the mantle of successor to the late Angus McBride!
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From the Publisher
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Full colour artworkBeautifully illustrated scenes are included to bring the narrative of the conflict to life. |
Detailed uniform illustrationsSpecially commissioned full colour illustrations are included alongside comprehensive captions to give a full breakdown of the attire and equipment used on the battlefield. |
PhotographsEach volume features a wide range of photographs, which provide unparalleled detail of the uniforms and weaponry used by the combatants. |
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Top reviews from other countries
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The picture was different from the book I received.
Reviewed in Canada on April 9, 2019Raul Belenguer
La variedad en la uniformidad de las tropas Romanas
Reviewed in Spain on March 14, 2018