Duncan B Campbell

This volume is up to the usual high standard and illustrative pictures that accompany these Osprey series. The difference here is that since the topic is about the auxiliary forts the illustrations show in recreations, sketched form, and in ruins what is known about these forts.

The work is also important for the location and series of fortifications built especially as Rome's defensive posture needed to be strengthened as outside pressures mounted during the Principate and especially during show more the latter Empire. The work could be coupled with strategic studies such as Lutwack's to compare how the defensive posture of the Romans evolved during the latter years of Rome. show less

Preserved only in truncated form, the Ektaxis kat' Alanon, or "Deployment Against the Alans", is a curious text, prescribing the march order, deployment, and tactics for an army that Adrian led against the Alans* in the form of a classicizing literary essay.

Campbell introduces, edits, translates, and comments the text - the commentary accounts for well over half the page count. Much of it consists of disagreements with previous translators, but the is also in-depth discussion of all the show more units of the Roman army involved, and elucidation of obscure passages.

A must for those interested in ancient military texts.

* A nomadic people of the Caucasus region. The modern Ossetes are their descendants. show less