Late Roman Combat Tactics

Ilkka Syvänne

• Publisher: Pen and Sword Military
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN: 9781526793966
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Roman Ancient History
• Index: History

Late Roman Combat Tactics by Dr. Ilkka Syvänne is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand land combat in the period from the Tetrarchy to the death of Heraclius, a period when the Romans faced serious and growing military threats on many fronts. The author's detailed analysis provides the reader with a complete understanding of the combat equipment worn by the soldiers, types of troops, tactics, different unit orders and formations used by the late Romans and their enemies. Importantly, he lays out the developments and changes in these aspects across this critical period, assessing how the Romans adapted, or failed to adapt to the varied and changing array of enemies, such as Persians, Avars and Arabs. The discussion examines how the Romans fought at every level, so that it covers everything from the individual fighting techniques all the way up to the conduct of large-scale pitched battles. There is an immense amount of technical detail but the human element and the experience of the officers and ordinary soldiers is not forgotten, with such factors as morale and the psychology of battle (the 'face of battle') given due consideration. The thoroughly researched text is well supported by dozens of diagrams and illustrations. A thoroughly illuminating read on its own, Late Roman Combat Tactics is also the perfect companion to Dr Syvänne's eight-volume Military History of Late Rome.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• List of Plates
• List of Maps, Diagrams and Battle Formations
• Introduction
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1 The Military Manuals and Combat Tactics in Ca. 211-641
• Chapter 2 Background
• Chapter 3 Strategy and Pitched Battles
• Chapter 4 Cavalry Unit Orders and Formations
• Chapter 5 Cavalry Battle Formations
• Chapter 6 The Cavalry Battle
• Chapter 7 Late Roman Cavalry Tactics
• Chapter 8 The Infantry Unit Orders
• Chapter 9 Infantry Battle Formations and Tactics
• Chapter 10 The Infantry Battle
• Chapter 11 Late Roman Infantry Tactics
• Chapter 12 Other Fighting Methods on Land
• Chapter 13 Conclusions
• Appendix 1: The Cavalry Battle in Mesopotamia in 422
• Appendix 2: The Battle of Mursa on 28 September 351
• Appendix 3: The Battle of Casulinus River in ad 554
• Appendix 4: The Bowshot in the Strategikon Notes
• Notes
• Select Sources
• Plates