From Sumer to Rome

The Military Capabilities of Ancient Armies

Richard A. Gabriel, Karen S. Metz

• Publisher: Praeger
• Year: 1991
• Print ISBN: 9780313276453
• eBook ISBN: 9780313368806
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

This in-depth work demonstrates that ancient battles rivaled those of the modern period in size, complexity, and lethality. The organization of armies of the ancient world, their performance, their military operations, and their ability to raise the art of warfare to towering heights are the focus of this carefully documented volume. An examination is made of all the major military establishments of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Pertinent evidence is gathered from a number of disciplines and integrated into a coherent whole. Corroborative evidence is drawn from modern analysis when accepting or rejecting the claims of ancient writers. Where that was lacking, the authors conducted empirical studies of ancient weapons, which led to a better understanding of how ancient battles were really fought. The book concludes with description and analysis of the armies of the ancient world placed in a modern perspective. From Sumer to Rome provides a detailed portrait of the world's earliest military establishments. A number of military innovations and developments that came to fruition in the Iron Age and that remained are traced. An empirical analysis of all the major weapons of the ancient armies is made. The factors that played dominant roles in outcomes are explored and thorough analysis of military medical care systems is provided. This book will be an excellent addition to the libraries of military historians, students of ancient warfare and weaponry, and the general reader.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Illustrations
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. The World’s First Armies
• 2. The Military Revolution
• 3. Weapons and Lethality
• 4. Death, Wounds, and Injury
• 5. Military Medical Care
• 6. The Legacy of the Ancients
• Notes
• Selected Bibliography
• Index