title: The Roman Army: The Greatest War Machine of the Ancient World
author:  Chris McNab 
description: Chris McNab's latest title for Osprey follows the Roman Army from the first armed citizens of the early Republic through the glorious heights of the Imperial legions to the shameful defeats inflicted upon the late Roman army by the Goths and Huns. Tracing the development of tactics, equipment and training through detailed text, illustrations, diagrams, and photographs, this book will give the reader an accessible yet detailed insight into the military force that enabled Rome to become the greatest empire the world has ever seen, to defeat its enemies, subdue its neighbors and control vast territories. 
  
  This book describes the organization of the forces, equipment and weaponry, uniforms, and development in tactics and warfare of the Roman Army. Each of the four historical sections will focus on the changes in the army, but will also look at the talented men who transformed and led the army, such as Scipio Africanus, Caesar and Marcus Aurelius, and the momentous battles fought, including Cannae, Pharsalus, and Adrianople.
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  For Richard McEnroe
  
  
  
  
  
  No one can work in a vacuum. I would like to thank some people whose
  continuing help and support has kept me going. I am extremely grateful to
  Jeffrey Kraus and William Renn of Hofstra University, George Gordon of Fordham
  University, Tom Curley of CBS, Karl Hansen of the planet Mars, Don Kayne, the
  people at Finnegan's Tavern in Huntington/Long Island, Jack Dann, Gardner
  Dozois and Edward Bryant. I'd also like to thank my parents, the cast and
  crew, and all the little people...
  
  
  ****
  
  
  
  
  
  ## PROLOGUE
  
  
  Lucas Priest, Sergeant Major, United States Army Temporal Corps, was trying to
  figure out how to stop a charging bull elephant with nothing but a Roman short
  sword. Scipio had given the order to advance and Lucas wondered if the legion
  commander really believed that Rome's famed phalanx formations would
  intimidate a berserker like Hannibal. Sending foot soldiers against his
  pachyderms was not unlike attempting to stop a Panzer column with tr