In the Name of Rome

The Roman Empire was created and maintained by military might. As a consequence generals were immensely important figures throughout Rome’s history. Often the same men who commanded the legions in battle dominated the State in peacetime.

From Scipio Africanus, who combined apparent mysticism with iron determination, to Caeser, the aggressive and charismatic aristocrat, Adrian Goldsworthy looks at Rome’s greatest generals and at how and why they won their victories. At the same time he tells the story of Roman warfare, from the bitter struggle with Carthage and the brilliant Hannibal in the third century BC to the last desperate attempt to win back the Western Empire in the sixth century AD. He also traces the evolution of the Roman army and the Roman political system which directed it.