Digital Maps of the Ancient World

The Legions of the Roman Army

Embark on a journey through the formidable legions of the Roman army with our meticulously curated reading list, designed to illuminate the military prowess and organizational brilliance that characterized these elite fighting forces.

Delve into the rich tapestry of Roman military history, from the early manipular legions of the republic to the iconic cohorts and centuries of the imperial era. Explore the strategies and tactics employed by legions on the battlefield, from the disciplined formations of the phalanx to the innovative siege techniques that conquered empires. Uncover the daily lives of legionaries, from their rigorous training and harsh discipline to their camaraderie and shared sense of duty. Whether you’re interested in the triumphs of Caesar’s legions in Gaul, the legendary campaigns of Trajan’s Dacian Wars, or the defense of Rome’s frontiers along Hadrian’s Wall, our reading list offers a comprehensive overview of the legions’ indelible impact on the ancient world.

General

• Bishop, M.C., Handbook to Roman Legionary Fortresses, Barnsley, 2012.
• Pollard, N. & Berry, J., The Complete Roman Legions, Farnborough, 2015.

Further Reading

• Bahat, D., ‘A roof tile of the legio VI ferrata and pottery vessels from Horvat Hazon’, IEJ 24.3, 1974, 160-169.
• Balty, J.C., ‘Apamea in Syria in the second and third centuries AD’, JRS 78, 1988, 91-104.
• Balty, J.C. and Rengen, W. van, Apamea in Syria. The Winter Quarters of Legio II Parthica, Bruxelles, 1993.
• Bidwell, P.T., The Legionary Bath-House and Basilica and Forum at Exeter, Exeter, 1979.
• Bidwell, P.T. & Boon, G.C., ‘An antefix type of the second Augustan legion from Exeter’, Brit 7, 1976, 278-280.
• Birley, A.R., Officers of the Second Augustan Legion in Britain: The Third Annual Caerleon Lecture. In Honorem Aquilae Legionis II Augustae, Cardiff, 1990.
• Breeze, D.J., ‘The organisation of the legion: the first cohort and the equites legionis‘, JRS 59, 1969, 50-5.
• Brewer, R.J. (ed.), Roman Fortresses and their Legions, London, 2000.
• Campbell, D.B., Roman Legionary Fortresses, 27 BC-AD 378, Oxford, 2006.
• Campbell, D.B., Roman Legionary vs. Carthaginian Warrior, Oxford, 2018.
• Cole, M., Legion Versus Phalanx: The Epic Struggle for Infantry Supremacy in the Ancient World, Oxford, 2018.
• Cowan, R., Roman Legionary: 58 BC-AD 69, Oxford, 2003.
• Cowan, R., Imperial Roman Legionary: AD 161-284, Oxford, 2003.
• Cowan, R., Roman Legionary: AD 69-161, Oxford, 2013.
• Cowan, R., Roman Legionary: 109-58 BC, Oxford, 2017.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Centurions: 753-31 BC, Oxford, 2011.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Centurions: 31 BC-AD 500, Oxford, 2012.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Army Units in the Western Provinces, 31 BC-AD 195, Oxford, 2016.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Army Units in the Eastern Provinces, 31 BC-AD 195, Oxford, 2017.
• D’Amato, R., Roman Standards & Standard-Bearers: 112 BC-AD 192, Oxford, 2018.
• Dando-Collins, S., Legions of Rome: The Definitive History of Every Roman Legion, London, 2010.
• Farnum, J.H., The Positioning of the Roman Imperial Legions, Oxford, 2005. 
• Fields, N., Early Roman Warrior: 753-321 BC, Oxford, 2011.
• Fields, N., Roman Republican Legionary: 298-105 BC, Oxford, 2012.
• Keppie, L., ‘The changing face of the Roman legions (49 BC-AD 69)’, Papers of the British School at Rome 65, 1997, 89-102.
• MacDowall, S., Late Roman Infantryman: AD 236-565, Oxford, 1994.
• Mann, J.C., ‘The raising of new legions during the Principate’, Hermes 91, 1963, 483-89.
• Mann, J.C., Legionary Recruitment and Veteran Settlement During the Principate, London, 1983, 49-68.
• Parker, H.M.D., The Roman Legions, Cambridge, 1958.
• Rankov, B., The Praetorian Guard, Oxford, 1994.
• Roth, J., ‘The size and organization of the Roman imperial legion’, Historia 43, 1994, 346-62.
• Speidel, M.P., ‘Eagle-bearer and trumpeter: the eagle-standard and trumpets of the Roman legions illustrated by three tombstones recently found at Byzantium’, Bonner Jahrbücher 176, 1976, 125-63.
• Speidel, M., The Framework of an Imperial Legion, Cardiff, 1992.