War in Late Antiquity : A Social History

by Lee, A. D.

• ISBN13: 9780631229261
• ISBN10: 0631229264
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-09-11
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

War in Late Antiquity is the first book to focus on the social impact of warfare and the Roman army from the third to the early seventh century AD. Drawing on the rich and varied source materials for the period, Doug Lee investigates how the prominence of the army and of military affairs in Late Antiquity affected the broader political, economic, and social life of the Roman Empire. From the third century onwards, the Roman Empire was exposed to much more serious military threats than it had faced for centuries. This social history explores the implications of these changed circumstances for all aspects of Roman life, and assesses the experience of war by both combatants and non-combatants. Lee also examines the interplay between the military and the religious upheavals of the period, with special reference to the Christianisation of the Roman army and its role in implementing religious policy. Approaching familiar subjects from new perspectives, War in Late Antiquity offers novel insights into many facets of late Roman history.

Author Biography

A. D. Lee is Associate Professor in the Department of Classics at the University of Nottingham, and the author of Information and Frontiers: Late Roman Foreign Relations (1993), and Pagans and Christians in Late Antiquity: A Sourcebook (2000).

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. ix
List of Maps	p. x
List of Tables	p. xi
Preface	p. xii
Acknowledgments	p. xv
Selected Roman Emperors during Late Antiquity	p. xvi
Selected Persian Kings during Late Antiquity	p. xviii
Table of Significant Events	p. xix
Glossary	p. xxi
List of Abbreviations	p. xxiv
Introduction	p. 1
War and its Causes in Late Antiquity: An Overview	p. 3
The Evolution of the Late Roman Army: An Outline	p. 9
Ancient Sources for War and the Army in Late Antiquity: A Guide	p. 14
Emperors and Warfare	p. 21
Changing Patterns of Imperial Involvement in Warfare	p. 21
The Unchanging Ideology of Victory	p. 37
Military Loyalties and Civil War	p. 51
Retaining Soldiers' Loyalties	p. 51
Civil War and Military Unrest	p. 66
The Infrastructure of War	p. 74
Manpower	p. 74
Supplying the Army	p. 85
Fortifications	p. 98
The Economic Impact of War	p. 101
Economic Benefits of War	p. 101
Economic Costs of War	p. 105
The Experience of War	p. 123
Soldiers	p. 125
Urban Communities	p. 133
Rural Communities	p. 138
Women	p. 141
Soldiers and Society	p. 147
Soldiers and their Families	p. 147
Interaction between Military and Non-Military Elites	p. 153
Military-Civilian Interaction at Non-Elite Levels	p. 163
Army, Warfare, and Religion	p. 176
The Changing Religious Complexion of the Army	p. 176
The Army and Religious Policy	p. 193
A Christian Empire at War	p. 205
Notes	p. 212
Bibliography of Ancient Sources	p. 234
Bibliography of Modern Works	p. 240
Index of Ancient Sources	p. 263
General Index	p. 270
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