Swords Against The Senate: The Rise Of The Roman Army And The Fall Of The Republic
The epic decline of the Roman Republic into civil war and military dictatorship gets a fresh and engrossing retelling here. Hildinger (Warriors of the Steppe) covers the period 137-78 BC, when mounting conflict between the aristocratic Senate and the plebeian popular assemblies undermined Rome's constitution and fueled political violence. Meanwhile, the displacement of the Roman peasantry by slave labor transformed the legions from a force of yeoman farmers into one of professionals recruited from the destitute classes, who owed their allegiance to their commanders rather than the Republic. When political turmoil created an opening for charismatic generals, "the republic was toppled by men with private armies." Combining social and political analysis with detailed battle narratives, Hildinger, a military historian, provides a lucid account of the Roman army, its major campaigns and its growing importance in the Republic's volatile and bloodthirsty politics. Unfortunately, an almost Shakespearean contempt for the Roman "mob," who "envied the wealth of their betters," were "prey to demagogues" and "unfit to exercise power," makes his defense of constitutional niceties and senatorial privilege against the inroads of popular democracy rather unconvincing. Still, this is a gripping treatment of one of history's great tragedies.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.