The twilight of the Roman Empire saw a revolution in the way war was waged. The drilled infantryman, who had been the mainstay of Mediterranean armies since the days of the Greek hoplite, was gradually replaced by the mounted warrior. This change did not take place overnight, and in the 3rd and 4th centuries the role of the cavalryman was primarily to support the infantry. However, by the 6th century, the situation had been completely reversed. This book gives a full account of the changing experience of the mounted soldiers who defended Rome's withering western empire.

Between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD the traditional legions of heavy infantry were whittled away and eventually replaced by a force of various arms and nationalities dominated by cavalry and supported by missile troops. However, in spite of this trend towards cavalry, the pedes remained the backbone of the Roman army until well into the 5th century. This book details a warrior who was very different from the legionary who preceded him; perhaps he was not as well disciplined, but in many ways he was more flexible – ready for deployment to trouble spots, and for fighting both as a skirmisher and a heavy infantryman.

An illustrated guide to the organization, structure, equipment, weapons, combat history, and tactics of the Late Roman military forces. This guide to the Late Roman Army focusses on the dramatic and crucial period that started with the accession of Diocletian and ended with the definitive fall of the Western Roman Empire. This was a turbulent period during which the Roman state and its armed forces changed. Gabriele Esposito challenges many stereotypes and misconceptions regarding the Late Roman Army; for example, he argues that the Roman military machine remained a reliable and efficient one until the very last decades of the Western Empire. The author describes the organization, structure, equipment, weapons, combat history and tactics of Late Roman military forces. The comitatenses (field armies), limitanei (frontier units), foederati (allied soldiers), bucellarii (mercenaries), scholae palatinae (mounted bodyguards), protectores (personal guards) and many other kinds of troops are covered. The book is lavishly illustrated in color, including the shield devices from the Notitia Dignitatum. The origins and causes for the final military fall of the Empire are discussed in detail, as well as the influence of the “barbarian” peoples on the Roman Army. Praise for Armies of the Late Roman Empire, AD 284–476 “An excellent introduction to the subject for the novice, and seasoned students of the subject may find it of use as well.” —The NYMAS Review “This beautifully illustrated book depicts the very different arms and armour of the late Roman Empire as Roman soldiers adapted to the challenges of the rising barbarian armies . . . Very Highly Recommended.” —Firetrench “Superbly well-illustrated . . . historians, re-enactors and war gamers will find invaluable to understanding and picturing the Roman forces.” —Hoplite Association

An overview of the Germanic peoples’ military history from this period and an examination of the weapons and tactics they employed on the battlefield. Gabriele Esposito begins this study by showing how, from very early on, the Germanic communities were heavily influenced by Celtic culture. He then moves on to describe the major military events, starting with the first major encounter between the Germanic tribes and the Romans: the invasion by the Cimbri and Teutones. Julius Caesar’s campaigns against German groups seeking to enter Gaul are described in detail as is the pivotal Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, which effectively halted Roman expansion into Germany and for centuries fixed the Rhine as the border between the Roman and Germanic civilizations. Escalating pressure of Germanic raids and invasions was a major factor in the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. The author’s analysis explains how Germanic warriors were able to crush the Roman military forces on several occasions, gradually transformed the Roman Army itself from the inside and, after the fall of the Empire, created new Romano-Germanic Kingdoms across Europe. The evolution of Germanic weapons, equipment and tactics is examined and brought to life through dozens of color photos of replica equipment in use.

In the twilight of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th–6th centuries, the elite of the field armies was the heavy armoured cavalry – the cataphracts, clad in lamellar, scale, mail and padded fabric armour. After the fall of the West, the Greek-speaking Eastern or Byzantine Empire survived for nearly a thousand years, and cavalry remained predominant in its armies, with the heaviest armoured regiments continuing to provide the ultimate shock-force in battle. Accounts from Muslim chroniclers show that the ironclad cataphract on his armoured horse was an awe-inspiring enemy: '...they advanced against you, iron-covered – one would have said that they advanced on horses which seemed to have no legs'. This new study, replete with stunning full-colour illustrations of the various units, offers an engaging insight into the fearsome heavy cavalry units that battled against the enemies of Rome's Eastern Empire.

Over recent decades, scholars of ancient Roman history have begun to peel back the veils on the realm of intelligence within the Roman State, exploring its integral role in shaping Rome’s defensive grand strategy. While the consensus posits a noticeable shift from indifference during the Republic era (509-27 BCE) to a more engaged stance in the imperial epoch post 27 BCE, it particularly highlights the Dominate period (284-476 CE) as the ‘Golden Age’ of Roman intelligence endeavors. However, a veil of ambiguity still shrouds Rome’s engagement in external or foreign intelligence operations, notably espionage. Amidst this scholarly dissonance, The Speculatores: The Men Who Spied for Rome embarks on an exploratory voyage to unearth the roots of this disagreement. With a keen eye on the historical narrative and a robust analysis, this book endeavors to bridge the gap in understanding, delving into the very rationale that questions the existence and extent of Roman espionage activities As you traverse through the pages, The Speculatores unveils the clandestine world of those who might have operated in the shadows for the glory of Rome, offering a fresh lens through which to understand the unseen sinews that perhaps bolstered the mighty Roman machinery of statecraft and defense.

Late Roman Combat Tactics by Dr. Ilkka Syvänne is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand land combat in the period from the Tetrarchy to the death of Heraclius, a period when the Romans faced serious and growing military threats on many fronts. The author’s detailed analysis provides the reader with a complete understanding of the combat equipment worn by the soldiers, types of troops, tactics, different unit orders and formations used by the late Romans and their enemies. Importantly, he lays out the developments and changes in these aspects across this critical period, assessing how the Romans adapted, or failed to adapt to the varied and changing array of enemies, such as Persians, Avars and Arabs. The discussion examines how the Romans fought at every level, so that it covers everything from the individual fighting techniques all the way up to the conduct of large-scale pitched battles. There is an immense amount of technical detail but the human element and the experience of the officers and ordinary soldiers is not forgotten, with such factors as morale and the psychology of battle (the ‘face of battle’) given due consideration. The thoroughly researched text is well supported by dozens of diagrams and illustrations. A thoroughly illuminating read on its own, Late Roman Combat Tactics is also the perfect companion to Dr Syvänne’s eight-volume Military History of Late Rome.