The period covered in this book sees the Roman Republic facing its greatest military challenges. In 264, the Romans found themselves confronting the might of Carthage in the first of three Punic Wars, which would push Rome to its limits but end with the destruction of this great rival city. In the next two centuries, they would repeatedly clash with the Gauls, a persistent threat that would ultimately be overcome by Caesar's campaigns in Gaul. During this period, they defeated the Hellenistic Successor States, proud heirs of the military legacy of Alexander the Great, in a process completed with the annexation of Egypt in 30 BC. These wars, and others, made the Romans dominant throughout Western Europe and the entire Mediterranean, although failures against the Parthians limited their ambitions in the East. The Roman armies of this era were also used against each other in the brutal civil wars that marked the end of the Democratic period.

Gabriele Esposito describes the tactics, organization, weapons, and equipment of the Roman forces involved in these wars. He shows how the lessons from defeats and victories against diverse opponents in distant regions, as well as social changes, forced a process of evolution and reform that transformed the Roman armies throughout this tumultuous period. As usual, his clear and accessible text is supported by numerous color images of replica weapons and equipment in use.

Pages: 192, Dimensions: 17.2x17.2cm