Roman Centurions 75331 BC (Men-at-arms) [Paperback]

This is a very interesting volume, looking at the most famous of Roman military figures. As well as detailing the history of the rank in relation to the various organisations of the Roman army we also get a look at the various `Italian' opponents. There are `case studies' of individual centurions where evidence exists.

The Contents are -
P03: Introduction
P03: The Age of Kings
.Centurions in the armies of the first kings; centurions in the army of Servius Tullius
P05: The Early Consular Period
.Organization of the manipular legion; the legion in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC; the centurions
P09: The Late Consular Period
.The Marian reforms; the cohortal legion
P11: Career and Status
.The early periods: L. Siccius; Ennius, the puzzle of the promotion sequence; Spurius Ligustinus;
.The Late Consular Period: centurions of equestrian status; the civil wars; the qualities expected of centurions; pay and rewards
P17: Duties and Service
.Training and discipline; camp duties; punishment for failure; guarding standards; detached service; centurions in council;
.Courage and high casualties; Laevinus; P. Sextus Baculus; Caesius Scaeva
P24; Arms and Equipment
.Weapons
P34: Defensive Equipment
.Helmets; shields; body and leg armour
P37: Clothing and distinctions
.Clothing; the Centurion's vine-staff; military decorations
P41: Bibliography
P43: Plate Commentaries
P48: Index

The colour plates:
A - The Age of Kings: three very colourful characters from the 6th & 5th centuries BC, one Roman, one Latin and one Etrusco-Tarquinian.
B - Expansion in Italy, 4th-3rd Centuries BC: fight scene at a ford with four figures, Etruscan hoplite and centurion, Roman princeps and centurion.
C - The Sardinian Revolt, 215 BC: big battle scene, with a duel in the foreground between a Roman centurion and a Sardinian noble, and a background of Romans, Carthaginians, Spanish and local tribesmen.
D - The Second Punic War, 3rd-2nd Centuries BC: after Zama, a Carthaginian officer of the Sacred band is surrendering to a Roman and an Etruscan centurion, in the background is the aftermath of the battle.
E - Marius's Triumph over Jugurtha, 104 BC: Marius in his chariot, Jugurtha and sons walking ahead, with a centurion leading, various other characters in the background.
F - Sacrifice of Purification, 101 BC: A centurion in ceremonial dress in a parade to sacrifice a ram, with various ceremonial characters and some legionaries.
G - Caesar's Centurions, 58-46 BC: three figures in detailed costumes.
H - The Last Consular Centurions, 44-30 BC: two armoured, one unarmoured figures.

The colour plates are excellent, with a mixture of figures and action scenes, as well as showing allies and enemies. This is a very good companion volume to the other Ospreys on the early Roman army.

Further reading:
Roman Battle Tactics 390110 BC (Elite)
Early Roman Armies (Men-at-arms)
Early Roman Warrior 753321 BC
Roman Republican Legionary 298-105 BC (Warrior)

Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome (Hellenistic Culture and Society)
Andrea Palladio and the Architecture of Battle with the Unpublished Edition of Polybius' Histories
New Perspectives on Ancient Warfare (History of Warfare (Brill))

Not so many years ago, it was easy to publish a book on roman military matters; there were so few in print that it would sell anyway. Today any book on this subject MUST bring added value to their readers. And that is the main strength of Professor Raffaele D'Amato and his favorite illustrator Giuseppe Rava. This tag team publishes magnificent works with photos that I've never seen before (and I study this field for 20 years). You will find brilliant interpretations of known reliefs and other less known sources. If not for the author I would never have found the frieze from an Augustan funerary monument representing an officer's panoply which is preserved inside the church of St Domenico; or a photo of details of the arch of Orange in 1902 (before the damage of pollution and wear took most of the details of the reliefs); or the masked helmet with a stylized face of a Silenus (current location unknown).

But this book is much more than a compilation of rarely seen images (alongside the more well known representations of roman centurions); the reader gets a good overview of the evolution of the centurion through the monarchy until the later consular period. Their responsibilities, what was expected of them, their weapons and armor, some anecdotes of famous centurions feats like Dentatus, Baculos or Scaeva. You will get a glimpse of both the bravery (they really led from the front and used their exemplary courage as badges of office) and the brutal (to their legionaries, enemies, etc) facets of centurion's lives.

There is another title from the same author focusing on the centurions of the principate and dominate periods that will be available in February 2012.

The plates are very, very good, Rava never disappoints his fans. I advise reading Mr. Simon Review for a detailed description of the color plates.

For such a small book, who could ask for more? Highly recommended.

it was a good book very informative, i would recomend it for any one looking for info about centurions. overall good read