THE DE RE MILITARI OF VEGETIUS
Christopher Allmand
Vegetius’ late Roman text became a well-known and highly respected ‘classic’ in the Middle Ages, transformed by its readers into authority on waging of war. Christopher Allmand analyses medieval afterlife De re militari, tracing growing interest from Carolingian world to suggesting how written word may have influenced development military practice that period. While emphasising success depended commander’s ability outwit enemy with carefully selected, well-trained disciplined army, militari inspired other unexpected developments, such as ‘national’ helped create context which role soldier assumed greater social political importance. explores significance changes it brought for those who accepted implications central messages.
History Today