Digital Maps of the Ancient World

The Enemies of Rome

Embark on a captivating journey through the annals of ancient history with our curated reading list focusing on the adversaries and foes of Rome.

From formidable adversaries like Carthage and the Parthian Empire to fierce Celtic tribes and Germanic confederations, our selection of scholarly works delves into the complex relationships, military conflicts, and diplomatic intrigues that shaped Rome’s interactions with its enemies. Explore the rise and fall of rival powers, the strategies employed in epic battles, and the cultural exchanges that occurred amidst clashes of civilizations. Delve into the motivations and aspirations of Rome’s adversaries, from ambitious conquerors seeking to challenge Roman hegemony to indigenous peoples defending their lands and traditions against imperial expansion. Whether you’re interested in the military campaigns of Hannibal, the diplomatic maneuvers of Mithridates, or the cultural exchanges along the Roman frontier, our reading list offers a diverse array of perspectives to illuminate the dynamic interplay between Rome and its adversaries throughout the ancient world.

General

• Allen, S., Lords of Battle: The World of the Celtic Warrior, Oxford, 2007.
• Bagnall, N., The Punic Wars: 264-146 BC, Oxford, 2002.
• Ferris, I.M., Enemies of Rome. Barbarians Through Roman Eyes, Stroud, 2000.
• Penrose, J. (ed.), Rome and her Enemies, Oxford, 2008.

Further Reading

• Allen, S. Celtic Warrior: 300 BC-AD 100, Oxford, 2001.
• Brzezinski, R. & Mielczarek, M., The Sarmatians: 600 BC-AD 450, Oxford, 2002.
• Campbell, D.B., The Rise of Imperial Rome, AD 14-193, Oxford, 2013.
• 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.
• Coulston, J.C., ‘Roman, Parthian and Sassanid tactical developments’, in P. Freeman & D. Kennedy (ed.), The Defence of the Roman and Byzantine East, BAR International Series 297, Oxford, 1986, 59-75.
• Coulston, J.C.N., ‘Tacitus, Historiae I.79 and the impact of Sarmatian warfare on the Roman empire’, in C. von Carnap-Bornheim (ed.), Kontakt – Kooperation – Konflikt: Germanen und Sarmaten zwischen dem 1. und 4. Jahrh. n. Chr., Neumünster, 2003a, 415-33.
• Coulston, J.C.N., ‘Overcoming the barbarian: depictions of Rome’s enemies in Trajanic monumental art’, in L. de Blois, P. Erdkamp, O. Hekster, G. de Kleijn & S. Mols (ed.), The Representation and Perception of Roman Imperial Power, Amsterdam, 2003b, 389-424.
• Coulston, J.C.N., ‘Immortalising victory: votive weapons depositions in northern Europe and the Roman empire’, in A. Abegg-Wegg and A. Rau (ed.), Aktuelle Forschungen zu Kriegsbeuteopfern und Fürstengräbern im Barbaricum, Neumünster, 2008, 307-30.
• D’Amato, R. & Salimbeti, A., The Etruscans: 9th-2nd Centuries BC, Oxford, 2018.
• Farrokh, K., Sassanian Elite Cavalry: AD 224-642, Oxford, 2005.
• Fields, N., The Hun: Scourge of God, AD 375-565, Oxford, 2006.
• Fields, N., Spartacus and the Slave War 73-71 BC, Oxford, 2009.
• Fields, N., Carthaginian Warrior: 264-146 BC, Oxford 2010.
• Fields, N., Hannibal, Oxford 2011.
• Fields, N., Boudicca’s Rebellion AD 60-61, Oxford, 2011.
• Fields, N., Attila the Hun, Oxford, 2015.]
• Gilliver, C.M., Caesar’s Gallic Wars: 58-50 BC, Oxford, 2002.
• Goldsworthy, A., The Roman Army at War, 100 BC-AD 200, Oxford, 1996.
• Goldsworthy, A., Caesar’s Civil War: 49-44 BC, Oxford, 2002.
• Green, M. (ed.), The Celtic World, London, 1995.
• James, S., Exploring the World of the Celts, London, 1993.
• Jones, R. & Heckel, W., Macedonian Warrior: Alexander’s elite infantryman, Oxford, 2006.
• Maenchen-Helfen, J. O., The World of the Huns: Studies in their History and Culture, Berkeley, 1973.
• MacDowall, S., Germanic Warrior: AD 236-568, Oxford, 1996.
• McNally, M., Teutoburg Forest AD 9, Oxford, 2011.
• Nicolle, D., Rome’s Enemies: The Desert Frontier, Oxford, 1991.
• Powell, L., Roman Soldier vs. Germanic Warrior, Oxford, 2014.
• Powell, L., The Bar Kokhba War: AD 132-136, Oxford, 2017.
• Salimbeti, A. & D’Amato, R., The Carthaginians 6th-2nd Century BC, Oxford, 2014.
• Sheppard, S., The Jewish Revolt AD 66-74, Oxford, 2013.
• Souza, P. de (ed.), The Ancient World at War, London,
• Thompson, E.A., The Huns, Oxford, 1996.
• Todd, M., The Northern Barbarians, 100 BC-A.D.300, London, 1975.
• Trevino Martinez, R., Rome’s Enemies: Spanish Armies, Oxford, 1986.
• Webber, C., The Thracians: 700 BC-AD 46, Oxford, 2001.
• Webster, J., ‘Ethnographic barbarity: colonial discourse and ‘Celtic warrior societies’, in J. Webster & N. Cooper (ed.), Roman Imperialism: Post-Colonial Perspectives, Leicester, 1996, 111-23.
• Wilcox, P., Rome’s Enemies: Germanics and Dacians, Oxford, 1982.
• Wilcox, P., Rome’s Enemies: Gallic & British Celts, Oxford, 1985.
• Wilcox, P., Rome’s Enemies: Parthians & Sassanid Persians, Oxford, 1986.
• Wilcox, P. & Trevino Martinez, R., Barbarians Against Rome: Rome’s Celtic, Germanic, Spanish and Gallic Enemies, Oxford, 2000.
• Wilkes, J.J., ‘Romans, Dacians and Sarmatians’, in B. Hartley & J. Wacher (ed.), Rome and Her Northern Provinces, Gloucester, 1983, 255-289.
• Wise, T., The Armies of the Carthaginian Wars: 265-146 BC, Oxford, 1982.