Gladius: The World of the Roman Soldier

De: Guy de la Bédoyère

Narrado por: Piers Hampton

The Roman army was the greatest fighting machine in the ancient world. More than that, it was the single largest organization in Western antiquity, taking in members from all classes, from senators to freed slaves. The Roman Empire depended on its army not just to win its wars, defend its frontiers, and control the seas, but to act as the very engine of the state.

In Gladius, Guy de la Bedoyere takes us straight to the heart of what it meant to be a part of the Roman army. Rather than a history of the army itself, or a guide to military organization and fighting methods, this book is a ground-level recreation of what it was like to be a soldier in the army that made the empire. Surveying numerous aspects of life in the Roman army between 264 BCE and 337 CE, Gladius draws not only on the words of famed Roman historians, but also those of the soldiers themselves, as recorded in their religious dedications, tombstones, and even private letters and graffiti.

By illuminating the history of one organization that reflected all corners of the Roman world, gives us a portrait of an ancient society that is unprecedented in both its broad sweep and gritty intimacy.

©2020 Guy de la Bédoyère (P)2021 Tantor

Decent

Liked it. Nicely done. A lot of info and not bogged down with useless facts.

Great Details

Really enjoyed this one. The details were great. The narration was excellent as well. Very. well done.

Excellent

Extremely insightful description of Roman soldiers. I highly recommend this one for those searching for an understanding of the ancient world.

Well done !

The book flows nicely. The story is easy to understand and very clear story chapters.

Excellent listen

Good narrator, excellent book, recommend it completely, I will and have brought other books by same author

great flow and interesting information!

crazy to imagine how many millions of people have lived and died over even just a few thousand years, let alone The Roman Empire. this book gave me a good idea of what military life was like in what is probably my favorite era of humanity

Well done narrative

The chapters are broken down quite well. So that the listener does not get overwhelmed by details.

A really easy listen

I’d recommend this book to everyone who wants a relaxing listen of the life of a roman soldier. Finished it in a week, the book really captivated me from the start.

The story

Learning about the Roman soldiers was very intriguing getting in sight about the daily lives of them was a good read for sure

BRINGING THE ROMAN MILITARY BACK TO LIFE

This was an interesting read - not too much dry history. Told in their own words, the triumphs & failures of the 'world's mightiest army' will surprise you. There were monumental screw-ups that led to inefficiency & deprivation by troops, & even greater failures that led to the loss of 50,000 men in one battle. Every detail of lif÷e, weapons, food & training are discussed, even down to the legitimacy of soldier's wives & what they could inherit. The subjects, and narration, kept me - a woman! -!interested throughout. Highly recommended!