The Rise and Decline of the Late Roman Field Army

104 Pages·1998·5.19 MB·English

by  Richard S. Cromwell

itSUll 1-J7WeW/eA $40.00
Facing unprecedented pressures from
within and without, in the early fourth cen­
tury A.D. the Emperor Constantine formed
a new military force, a permanent Roman
field army. He levied detachments from
his legions defending the frontiers, and in
a drastic step with far-reaching conse­
quences, he recruited soldiers from the un­
conquered Germans east of the Rhine.
Those new detachments of auxilia gave
the western Roman army a strongly Ger­
manic, but basically loyal character.
Was Constantine’s decision one of the ma­
jor causes of the fall of the Western Em­
pire? Dr. Cromwell argues that misuse of
that army by later generals who wanted to
intimidate their enemies rather than defend
the empire led to the final economic and
military disasters. Using original charts
and clear explanations of terms, Cromwell
shows both how the Roman field army was
organized and why it was initially success­
ful. He also illustrates the geographical
and political differences which made the
Eastern Empire based on Constantinople
more viable than that of the West. This
study makes a significant contribution to
understanding the military and social situ­
ation of the late Roman Empire.
Detail from Roman sculptured slab set up by the
Second Legion at the eastern end of the Antonine
Wall. About A.D. 143
National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland
Jacket design by Michele R. Fritz

The Rise and Decline
of the
Late Roman Field Army

The Rise and Decline
of the
Late Roman Field Army
Richard S. Cromwell
White Mane Publishing Company, Inc.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cromwell, Richard S.
The rise and decline of the late Roman field army / Richard S.
Cromwell,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-57249-087-X (alk. paper)
1. Rome—Army—History. 2. Rome-Army-Recruiting, enlistment,
etc. 3. Germanic peoples—Employment. 4. Sociology, Military-
-Rome-History. 5. Rome-History, Military-30 B.C.-476 A.D.
I. Title.
U35.C76 1998
355' .00937—dc21 97-46692
CIP
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Old soldiers never die;
They only fade away.
British army song (c. 1915)