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Roman Legionary Fortresses 27 BC–AD 378 (Fortress, 43) Paperback – April 25, 2006

by Duncan B Campbell (Author), Brian Delf (Illustrator)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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The concept of a legionary fortress as a permanent structure dates from the reign of Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). It is only from that time that we find a standing army distributed around the empire, and their permanent fortresses developed from the temporary field fortifications of the legions on campaign. This book describes the development, design and construction of these fortresses throughout the length and breadth of the Empire. It also deals extensively with the experience of life within a typical fortress and covers the operational history of these fortifications, including the famous siege of Vetera in AD 69.
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  1. Print length
    64 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Osprey Publishing
  4. Publication date
    April 25, 2006
  5. Dimensions
    7.26 x 0.19 x 9.86 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1841768952
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1841768953
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Duncan B Campbell is a specialist in ancient Greek and Roman warfare. He published his first paper in 1984, as an undergraduate at Glasgow University, and produced a complete re-assessment of Roman siegecraft for his PhD. His work has appeared in several international journals. He is a regular contributor to Ancient Warfare magazine.

BRIAN DELF began his career producing artwork for advertising and commercial publications. Since 1972, he has worked as a freelance illustrator on a variety of subjects, and books which he has illustrated have been published in more than 30 countries.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing; First Edition (April 25, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1841768952
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841768953
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.26 x 0.19 x 9.86 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

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Duncan B. Campbell

Duncan B. Campbell

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Dr Duncan B Campbell is a specialist in Greek and Roman warfare. He first became fascinated by Roman archaeology after a childhood visit to Hadrian's Wall and the subsequent purchase of Peter Connolly's excellent book *The Roman Army* (1975). He published his first academic paper in 1984, as an undergraduate at Glasgow University (Scotland), and produced a complete re-assessment of Roman siegecraft for his PhD. He has made some of his research accessible to a wider readership through Osprey's New Vanguard, Elite, and Fortress series, and he is a regular contributor to Ancient Warfare magazine. Besides writing occasional academic articles, he is a frequent reviewer for Bryn Mawr Classical Review.

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Top reviews from the United States

  • K. Murphy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Source
    Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2007
    Verified Purchase
    This title in the Osprey fortress series examines the fortified camps of the Roman legionaries, many of which gradually evolved into complete townships. It covers the Roman era from the foundation of the Empire to the Battle of Adrianople (378), but it suffers the typical tendency of overlooking the 3rd and 4th Centuries, focusing largely on the era between Augustus and Domitian.

    Like all titles in this series, this book is very powerful visually. In addition to 7 fine color plates by Brian Delf, it also contains several maps and numerous photographs, some of which, unusually for Osprey, are actually in color.

    The book is opened with a useful chronology of the Roman Legions from the Augustan era to the beginning of the 3rd Century. The next section is 'The deisgn and development of legionary fortresses', which examines what the forts under individual emperors 27 BC-AD 217 were like in layout. After this is 'The elements of a legionary fortress', which, discussing the various buildings within the fortress, may well be the most useful and interesting section of the book. The last major section, 'living in a legionary fortress' is similar. The book is closed with a brief, 5-page summary of the forts of the last two centuries of this era.

    Overall it is a solid resource on the forts of Rome's elite soldiers, and a useful addition to one's Roman military library.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • m ziemann
    5.0 out of 5 stars Legionary fortresses
    Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    If you have ever wondered how the forts were built this book will give you a good idea how it was done. Truely a team effort. No wonder your life probably depended of the construction of your posting. Enjoyed reading and aggain I wish some oun would manufacture a Roman fort for sale
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  • M. M. Matthews
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Condition
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    The book was in good condition. Delivery was prompt ~1 week.
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  • wal
    5.0 out of 5 stars I thought some of the pictures showing current terrain might have been better illustrated. But this book helped me understand th
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very informative. I thought some of the pictures showing current terrain might have been better illustrated. But this book helped me understand the problems facing the Romans more vividly.
    Helpful
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  • John William Lewis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent
    Helpful
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  • JPS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good and well-structured introduction
    Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013
    As other reviewers have already mentioned on both the US and the UK site, this is a very good introduction to Roman legionary fortresses. It is also well-structured and covers a lot of ground (three centuries and a half) without seeming superficial. I may have wished to have a bit more on the fourth century fortresses although, to some extent, this is quibbling and a bit unfair because of the plates is a (rather superb) reconstruction of a fourth century fort on the eastern frontier. Brian Delf also does a good job in illustrating a legionary fortress under attack and the main types of buildings to be found within such a camp (headquarters, barracks and bath complex, in particular, with each example taken from a different fortress).

    Having mentioned this, I believe this booklet combines four elements which make it outstanding when compared with a number of other volumes in the same collection. One is that there are few, if any, works with such a wide scope that bring together all legionary fortresses. Most of the scholarly literature on the subject tends to focus on individual fortresses, on certain regions or looks at fortresses only as part for a wider discussion of the Roman legions.

    A second and very interesting element is the care taken in showing how and when legions got cross-posted from one place to another, sometimes destroyed and sometimes replaced or supplemented by newly raised legions when a major campaign was planned. The author's ability identify where each legion was stationed or moved to another location is underpinned by a huge amount of research since knowledge of which legion occupied which site partly depends upon the archaeological finds at each site.

    The third element, and another of the main point that the author makes rather well, is to show the link and evolution from the original marching camps, to the static fortress offensive and defensive bases, mostly built along rivers for supply purposes, to the stone fortresses. Related to this, there also seems to have been a trend towards more and more elaborate defences, with at least some fortresses becoming the nucleus of towns and cities that still exist today (whether Cologne or Strasburg on the Rhine or Vienna or Belgrade on the Danube, although there are a number of other cases as well).

    The two sections I preferred and found the most instructive, however, were the "Elements of a legionary fortress and the section on living conditions within such a fortress. Both show that these fortresses developed into real military towns, including workshops and granaries and more generally everything that was necessary to make them as self-supporting as possible. Also fascinating was the degree in sophistication involved in the construction of these permanent bases and fortresses, with baths, but also a complex system of drainage and of water gathering, including by aqueducts in some cases.

    Finally, and despite having outlined these common traits, the author is careful to insist on what we still do not know (quite a lot in fact) and to point at what are at best assumptions. He also makes the point that no two fortresses were identical as each and every one was adapted to its environment. If anything, this rather excellent introduction demonstrates, if need be, the Roman talent for engineering. Five stars.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Andy McKinney
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent example of what the Osprey books can be at their very best. Highly recommended.
    Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2015
    Roman Legionary Fortresses 27 BC-AD 378
    This 62 page volume in the Osprey Fortress series represents the very best of the Osprey line. The Illustrations by Brian Delf we can only describe as beautiful. He provides us with a view, many views, of the forts in question and thus with a grand visual of exactly what a Roman Legionary Fortress would look like. We can easily see how and where the troops found their quarters, where the store houses and shops existed and where the higher ranking officers had their much grander housing.
    Dr. Duncan B. Campbell, PhD., writes with a lucid, flowing style. Unlike many academics, his writing is at once informative, accessible and unpretentious. He writes as if he wants the reader to read his work and be informed rather than nod through impenetrable prose and be impressed. I like that.
    I also like the extended format that Osprey sometimes uses with more pages, 62 as opposed to the 48 pages some other Osprey editions.
    Within the confines of the short work, Campbell provides a complete look at the subject. We have a look at many existing ruins, forts that spanned several centuries temporally and geographically from Scotland to the Middle East.
    A couple of things that I had not expected included a rather comprehensive peek at the adding and subtracting of Legions (by number, title and station) and of the shifting of units from province to province over the years. I found that interesting.
    Campbell also dips into the question of the double strength first cohort. I had always thought, having read it in numerous places, that the first cohort had twice as many men as the other. I won't disclose Campbell's contribution to the subject, but I followed his thinking with great interest.
    I would have picked up “Roman Legionary Fortresses” just for the wonderful drawings. The equally valuable test by Dr. Campbell I think of as a free bonus.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • JPS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good and well-structured introduction
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 2, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    As other reviewers have already mentioned on both the US and the UK site, this is a very good introduction to Roman legionary fortresses. It is also well-structured and covers a lot of ground (three centuries and a half) without seeming superficial. I may have wished to have a bit more on the fourth century fortresses although, to some extent, this is quibbling and a bit unfair because of the plates is a (rather superb) reconstruction of a fourth century fort on the eastern frontier. Brian Delf also does a good job in illustrating a legionary fortress under attack and the main types of buildings to be found within such a camp (headquarters, barracks and bath complex, in particular, with each example taken from a different fortress).

    Having mentioned this, I believe this booklet combines four elements which make it outstanding when compared with a number of other volumes in the same collection. One is that there are few, if any, works with such a wide scope that bring together all legionary fortresses. Most of the scholarly literature on the subject tends to focus on individual fortresses, on certain regions or looks at fortresses only as part for a wider discussion of the Roman legions.

    A second and very interesting element is the care taken in showing how and when legions got cross-posted from one place to another, sometimes destroyed and sometimes replaced or supplemented by newly raised legions when a major campaign was planned. The author's ability identify where each legion was stationed or moved to another location is underpinned by a huge amount of research since knowledge of which legion occupied which site partly depends upon the archaeological finds at each site.

    The third element, and another of the main point that the author makes rather well, is to show the link and evolution from the original marching camps, to the static fortress offensive and defensive bases, mostly built along rivers for supply purposes, to the stone fortresses. Related to this, there also seems to have been a trend towards more and more elaborate defences, with at least some fortresses becoming the nucleus of towns and cities that still exist today (whether Cologne or Strasburg on the Rhine or Vienna or Belgrade on the Danube, although there are a number of other cases as well).

    The two sections I preferred and found the most instructive, however, were the "Elements of a legionary fortress and the section on living conditions within such a fortress. Both show that these fortresses developed into real military towns, including workshops and granaries and more generally everything that was necessary to make them as self-supporting as possible. Also fascinating was the degree in sophistication involved in the construction of these permanent bases and fortresses, with baths, but also a complex system of drainage and of water gathering, including by aqueducts in some cases.

    Finally, and despite having outlined these common traits, the author is careful to insist on what we still do not know (quite a lot in fact) and to point at what are at best assumptions. He also makes the point that no two fortresses were identical as each and every one was adapted to its environment. If anything, this rather excellent introduction demonstrates, if need be, the Roman talent for engineering. Five stars.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 4, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Good condition
    Report
  • Mark Le Sueur
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well written and easy to follow
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Well written and easy to follow history of Roman Legionary Fortresses
    Report