Roman army supply lines and logistics overview youtube. The principal source for the battle of adrianople is the roman historian ammianus marcellinus. The military of ancient rome, according to titus livius, one of the more illustrious historians of. The imperial roman army had to maintain order in a vast area with various different challenges and enemies. The romans indeed combined foraging, requisition and supply lines into the best organized logistical system the west would see for another 1500 years. The spinoff from the develop ment of military logistics during world war ii was its extension into the world of. Roth in the name of rome by adrian goldsworthy the roman army at war by adrian goldsworthy legions of rome by stephen dandocollins. In other words, you must win through superior logistics. To the military logistician, minimizing risk doesnt necessarily mean the satisfaction of a tangible requirement through. Lessons from the roman art of war the art of manliness. Publication date 1914 topics rome army, rome colonies publisher oxford, the clarendon press. The critical role of military logistics in world war ii 2009 schneid, frederick 2005. While their skill at arranging supply, and using it as a strategic and tactical tool, is not the only reason for roman military success, it is certainly one of the major factors in it.
The auxilia of the roman imperial army internet archive. This was a really informative and concise overview of how the roman army functioned. Jul 05, 2018 logistics of the roman army at war by jonathan p. Apr 23, 2016 the imperial roman army had to maintain order in a vast area with various different challenges and enemies. Apr 18, 2002 for the roman period a number of publications have appeared on logistics in recent years. Roth, the logistics of the roman army at war, 265 bcad 235 leiden 1998. Pdf download the logistics of the roman army at war 264 bc ad 235 columbia studies in the read online. Sallust notes that when the consul spurius postumius albinus determined to reopen hostilities with jugurtha, he hastened to transport to africa provisions commeatus, money for paying the soldiers, and other apparatus of war. Sold by integrity reading and ships from amazon fulfillment. View logistics of the roman army research papers on academia. Logistics of the roman army research papers academia. The logistics of the roman army at war 264 bcad 235. The roman republics aggressive and highly successful war making was made possible not just by its massive reserves of manpower, but its ability to supply armies campaigning great distances away from italy. Jan 06, 2020 it was an expeditionary army designed with logistics in mind.
Historically supplies for an army were first acquired by. The frequency of roman conflict, and the experience of roman officials with warfare, made such impromptu. The romans success in conquering and maintaining their enormous empire lay partly in their military culture, their weapons and their training. Feasts and celebrations focused on delivering food and entertainment on a fixed schedule. When they divided at last into warring factions the empire fell, unable to keep out invading armies. This was true in the days of the roman empire, the crusades, napoleon, and the american civil war and is still true today as shown in operation iraqi freedom. Logistics is what enables an army to sustain itself during combat operations. Strategy, tactics, and innovation the roman army is widely regarded as one of the most effective fighting forces in human history, influencing the development of military tactics for generations afterwards. Romes ability to provision large armies at long distances was, however, equally as, or more important to its success. Land warfare doctrine 40 logistics 2018 australian army. All that is required so that the fighting force can be taken as a given domi. Harris for his support and guidance throughout my graduate studies, and indeed, to the present day.
We also have over cclvii books available to members as convenient pdf to read on screen, or mp3 talking books to. Download the logistics of the roman army at war 264 b. John roths work on the logistics of the roman empire saw military success a factor of the capacity to provision over long distances, and not just because of the virtue inherent in roman military culture and training. People were fighting and hurting one another back into the old stone age, long before organized societies and armies. Its extraordinarily comprehensive, and, considering your interest, you should definitely look into it. May 28, 2018 lessons from the roman art of war sometime in the late 4th or early 5th century, as the late roman empire stumbled along in the twilight of its power, an author of whom almost nothing is known compiled a book on the art of war to present to the emperor. Threats to roman army supply lines and logistics in. Written by a leading scholar of roman military history, the roman army. We also have over cclvii books available to members as convenient pdf to read on. We lay out the high level logistical system of the imperial roman army. War and battle in the roman world, 700 bcad 235 erdkamp.
The logistics of the roman army at war, 264 bc235 ad by. This focuses on supplies with the army, gathered by the army, and sent to the army. Alexander the great and the logistics of the macedonian army. Having the ability to sustain forces effectively was both a. But when you go to war, you need to have both toilet paper and bullets at the right place at the right time. Pdf logistics of the roman army at war larisa hibovschi. This book developed out of my dissertation, the logistics of the roman army in the jewish war 6673 a. Norman schwarzkopf deviated from army doctrine and appointed lt. Possibly the best source for this topic is the logistics of the roman army at war, which is actually where i got most of this stuff from. Loyalty and the sacramentum in the roman republican army. Historian edward gibbon estimated that the size of the roman army most. In ancient history the combination of local supply for food and forage and selfcontainment in hardware and services appears often as the logistic basis for operations by forces of moderate size.
May 31, 2012 buy the logistics of the roman army at war 264 b. There have been numerous studies of the causes the battle and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This book broke its analysis down into a of a number of convenient and accessible sections which ranged from the life of a roman soldier to the roman army at war. The word logistics is derived from the greek adjective logistikos meaning skilled in calculating. Sep 06, 2016 pdf download the logistics of the roman army at war 264 bc ad 235 columbia studies in the read online. War department, global logistics and strategy, 19401943 1955, the highly detailed official history.
There was no specialised branch of the military devoted to logistics and. A social and institutional history is the first ever portrait of this legendary fighting force in peacetime and at war from a soldierseye view. Jan 01, 2007 paul erdkamp is research fellow in ancient history at leiden university. The impact of logistics innovations on project management. The logistics of the roman army at war, 264 bc235 ad book. This is a rather superb piece of scholarship on the logistics of the roman army over a period of 500 years from the beginning of the first punic war 264 bc to the death of emperor alexander severus ad 235, the beginning of the socalled crisis of the third century and the end of the principate. The spinoff from the develop ment of military logistics during world war ii was its extension into the world of business during the post war period. The military history of rome is not one of continuous victory. The logistics of the roman army at war 264 bc ad 235 bryn. To the military logistician, minimizing risk doesnt necessarily mean the satisfaction of a. The burning of enemy arms after a victory was a roman combat ritual. As a whole the book traces the development of the roman logistics into a highly sophisticated supply system a vital element in the success of roman arms. A reappraisal by robert eisenberg the battle of adrianople ad 378 is perhaps one of the most studied battles in history. He has published a number of articles on roman military history and is secretarytreasurer of the.
Lessons from the roman art of war sometime in the late 4th or early 5th century, as the late roman empire stumbled along in the twilight of its power, an author of whom almost nothing is known compiled a book on the art of war to present to the emperor. The logistics of the roman army at war 264 bcad 235 book. Jun 28, 2018 we lay out the high level logistical system of the imperial roman army. Roman logistics were certainly better organised than most others of their era, though i suspect today we would grimace at the poor and corrupt recordkeeping, not to mention the interference of civilian merchants who were part of a ruthless and rapacious commercial system, or for that matter, the extent of personal profit from legionaries who sold supplies illicitly. While the business process of physical distribution had been studied during the early part of. Jonathon roth in the logistics of the roman army at war 264 bc ad 235 argued that the romans success didnt just come from military culture, training or weaponry. For the roman period a number of publications have appeared on logistics in recent years. Paul erdkamp is research fellow in ancient history at leiden university. The first administrative use of the word was in roman and byzantine times when there was a military administrative official with the title logista. Yet more than anything else logistical constraints limit the activities of any army during a war.
Today, the us army is the world leader in logistics. At that time, the word apparently implied a skill involved in numerical computations. Roths logistics of the roman army at war 264235 is indispensible to understanding the level of professionalism the romans achieved in this vital military art. Erdkamp, war and state formation in the roman republic. During the roman republic, the function of the military was. The statist army 287 provisioning and logistics 304 armour 310. Through the abilities of experienced generals, an efficient army structure, and well. Although its hard going at times, makes some questionable conclusions, and is expensive to buy and hard to find in a library. The art and science of defense logistics csc 1995 subject. Available formats pdf please select a format to send. The statist army 287 provisioning and logistics 304 armour 310 strategy and battle 314 war at sea 321 conclusion 329. Once the goths and romans were at war in 37677, the primary roman army in. The roman army at war 100 bc ad 200 and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
Threats to roman army supply lines and logistics in wartime. I am very grateful to my doktorvater and mentor, william v. In addition, it makes a critical study of important technical questions of roman logistics, such as the size of the soldiers grain ration, the function of military servants, and the changes. Campbell and others published the logistics of the roman army at war 264 b. War ii logistics was considered efficient, with emerging supply chain theory operating on a global scale.
In a general business sense, logistics is the management of the flow of things between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet requirements of customers or corporations. William gus pagonis the central command deputy commanding general for logistics to make a single individual in the command chain responsible for all sustainment operations. One of the great feats of military logistics was hannibals movement of 40,000 troops across the alps in 15 days, using elephants to transport supplies. The roman republics aggressive and highly successful warmaking was made possible not just by its massive reserves of manpower, but its ability to supply armies campaigning great distances away from italy. This chapter demonstrates the continuity and change in, and problematic sources about, roman rituals, which were linked to the incidence of war and peace. In addition, it makes a critical study of important technical questions of roman logistics, such as the size of the soldiers grain ration, the function of military servants, and the changes in logistical management under the republic and empire. Warfare and food supply in roman republican wars 264 30 bc amsterdam 1998 324p. To adapt to these challenges a diverse force was needed, ranging from elite troops on the fringes of the empire to firefighters within the walls of rome. Ammianus account is generally considered to be the most trustworthy and accurate, as he wrote within a short period after the battle, and was himself a military. It is seen as a major turning point in both the history of the roman empire and in the evolution of warfare. Originally published in 1999, in a very pricey hardback format, the logistics of the roman army at war established roth as one of the ablest of recent scholars of the roman armed forces, this somewhat revised soft cover edition makes roths excellent work available to a wider readership. The auxilia of the roman imperial army by cheesman, george leonard, d. The roman army explores the army s history, culture, and organization, while providing fascinating details of the soldiers. The logistics of feeding the roman army on the lower danube.
Roman advances through europe and asia similarly show what logistically ready armies can achieve. Some of these operations are familiar to many a schoolchildthe long campaign of alexander the great from macedonia to the indus, the saga of xenophon. Warfare and food supply in roman republican wars 26430 bc 1998 and the grain market in the roman empire 2005, and editor of the roman army and the economy 2002. Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation.