1300 187 187
In the closing years of the second century B.C., the ancient world watched as the Roman armies maintained clear superiority over all they surveyed. But, social turmoil prevailed at the heart of her territories, led by an increasing number of dispossessed farmers, too little manpower for the army, and an inevitable conflict with the allies who had fought side by side with the Romans to establish Roman dominion. "Storming the Heavens" looks at this dramatic history from a variety of angles. What changed most radically, Santosuosso argues, was the behavior of soldiers in the Roman armies. The troops became the enemies within, their pillage and slaughter of fellow citizens indiscriminate, their loyalty not to the Republic but to their leaders, as long as they were ample providers of booty. By opening the military ranks to all, the new army abandoned its role as depository of the values of the upper classes and the propertied. Instead, it became an institution of the poor and drain on the power of the Empire. Santosuosso also investigates other topics, such as the monopoly of military power in the hands of a few, the connection between the armed forces and the cherished values of the state, the manipulation of the lower classes so that they would accept the view of life, control, and power dictated by the oligarchy, and the subjugation and dehumanization of subject peoples, whether they be Gauls, Britons, Germans, Africans, or even the Romans themselves.
| List of Figures | p. ix |
| Acknowledgments | p. xi |
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| All--Rich and Poor, Well-Born and Commoners--Must Defend the State | p. 5 |
| Recruiting All Citizens | p. 10 |
| Soldiers' Pay | p. 14 |
| The Equipment of the Roman Soldier | p. 16 |
| The Making of the Roman Man | p. 22 |
| Armies of Pillagers | p. 29 |
| The Social Wars | p. 30 |
| The Face of the New Soldier | p. 34 |
| Spartacus and the Slave Revolt | p. 43 |
| Caesar's Soldiers | p. 46 |
| Typology of Warfare in the Last Days of the Republic | p. 50 |
| Julius Caesar: Thoughts and Actions of a Commander | p. 57 |
| The Conquest of Gaul | p. 58 |
| War According to Caesar: Psychological, Strategic, and Tactical Concepts | p. 64 |
| The Matter of Logistics | p. 76 |
| Of Gods, Military Leaders, and Politicians | p. 81 |
| Murder as a Religious Sacrifice | p. 81 |
| The Symbols of Political Power | p. 84 |
| How to Deify a Leader | p. 85 |
| "My Soldiers, My Army, My Fleet" | p. 91 |
| The Emperor's Men | p. 92 |
| Commanders and the Rank and File | p. 98 |
| Recruitment and Social Status | p. 99 |
| Discipline, Pay, and Rewards | p. 102 |
| The New Army | p. 106 |
| The Reluctant God | p. 109 |
| A Physician for a Disease-Ridden Body | p. 111 |
| How to Manage an Empire: Strengths and Pitfalls | p. 119 |
| The Limits of Roman Imperialism | p. 120 |
| The Emperor as Manager of War | p. 130 |
| The Verdict of the Battlefield | p. 132 |
| Boudicca's Rebellion | p. 136 |
| The Germans | p. 139 |
| The Stand at Masada | p. 148 |
| How to Make Your Subjects Roman | p. 153 |
| Enemies on the Borders, Violence at Home: Soldiers as the Makers of Emperors | p. 167 |
| Blood on the Pretorians' Swords | p. 169 |
| The Emperor from Africa | p. 172 |
| The Field Army and the Cavalry | p. 180 |
| Rome Is No more: The End of the Empire | p. 191 |
| The Late Roman Army | p. 192 |
| The Invaders | p. 197 |
| Defeat at Adrianople | p. 200 |
| The Battles of Ad Salices and Strasburg | p. 211 |
| The Illnesses of the Empire | p. 218 |
| Epilogue | p. 225 |
| Glossary | p. 231 |
| Time Line, 218 B.C.--A.D. 476 | p. 235 |
| Roman Emperors, 27 B.C.--A.D. 476 | p. 241 |
| Selected Bibliography | p. 245 |
| Table of Contents provided by Rittenhouse. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780813341606
ISBN-10: 0813341604
Series: History & Warfare
Audience:
Professional
Format:
Paperback
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 288
Published: 1st August 2003
Dimensions (cm): 22.9 x 15.3
x 1.6
Weight (kg): 0.386
9am - 4pm AEST, Monday - Friday
