{"product_id":"gladius-the-world-of-the-roman-soldier-paperback","title":"Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGuy de la Bédoyère\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGladius \u003c\/i\u003edelivers a stunning ground-level recreation of what it was like to be a soldier in the fighting force that made the Roman Empire. \u003cbr\u003e Empire. \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The Roman army was the greatest fighting machine in the ancient world. More than that, it was the single largest organization in Western antiquity, taking in members from all classes, from senators to freed slaves. The Roman Empire depended on its army not just to win its wars, defend its frontiers, and control the seas, but to act as the very engine of the state. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eGladius\u003c\/i\u003e, Guy de la Bédoyère takes us straight to the heart of what it meant to be a part of the Roman army. Rather than a history of the army itself, or a guide to military organization and fighting methods, this book is a ground-level recreation of what it was like to be a soldier in the army that made the empire. Surveying numerous aspects of life in the Roman army between 264 BCE and 337 CE, \u003ci\u003eGladius\u003c\/i\u003e--the Latin word for sword--draws not only on the words of famed Roman historians, but also those of the soldiers themselves, as recorded in their religious dedications, tombstones, and even private letters and graffiti. \u003ci\u003eGladius \u003c\/i\u003ereveals the everyday life of these soldiers and their families, whether stationed in a bleak frontier garrison in Britain or North Africa, tasked with guarding the emperor in Rome, fighting on foreign battlefields, mutinying over pay, marching in triumph, throwing their weight around on city streets, or enjoying esteem in honorable retirement. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e By illuminating the history of one organization that reflected all corners of the Roman world, \u003ci\u003eGladius \u003c\/i\u003egives us a portrait of an ancient society that is unprecedented in both its broad sweep and gritty intimacy.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGuy de la Bédoyère\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of many books about the Roman world and was a longtime cohost of Channel 4's \u003ci\u003eTime Team\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 526\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.09 x 8.96 x 6.08 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e November 05, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47392239288498,"sku":"9780226823904","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/34a1a39061a130e08d6ced63a65f8ba8.webp?v=1777958787","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/gladius-the-world-of-the-roman-soldier-paperback","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}