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Roman Special Forces and Special Ops: Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores and Areani in the Service of Rome
Much has been written about the Roman army and the mighty legions that conquered their empire and then defended it for centuries against all comers. But little has been written about the men and units employed when something more subtle than the march of legions into pitched battle was required. This is the only book available dedicated to Roman special ops and the role of the Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores and Areani.
Simon Elliott reveals the kinds of special operations conducted by the tactical scouting ahead of the legions, covert strategic reconnaissance in neighboring states, espionage, assassination or abduction of dissidents and enemies, counter-insurgency, and close protection of Roman officials and commanders. While such missions were frequently executed by ad-hoc units or individuals detailed for that specific mission, the author goes on to reveal the evidence for the aforementioned specialist units. He concludes with an analysis of the extent to which these various forces corresponded to a modern conception of Special Forces. These men were the eyes and ears of the Empire, the deadly tip of the Roman sword.
Simon Elliott reveals the kinds of special operations conducted by the tactical scouting ahead of the legions, covert strategic reconnaissance in neighboring states, espionage, assassination or abduction of dissidents and enemies, counter-insurgency, and close protection of Roman officials and commanders. While such missions were frequently executed by ad-hoc units or individuals detailed for that specific mission, the author goes on to reveal the evidence for the aforementioned specialist units. He concludes with an analysis of the extent to which these various forces corresponded to a modern conception of Special Forces. These men were the eyes and ears of the Empire, the deadly tip of the Roman sword.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 15, 2023
Often in history, we hear the term, "there is nothing new under the sun." Many will shrug, and we are completely enthralled with whatever "new" invention or toy has come out. In the case of warfare, there is often not much that is new. While technology will advance, so will weapons, and of course, the tactics that are used against ones enemy. While there are newer ideas, it is often back to the ancient world that we fall, learning from those who came before us, and much of the wisdom that they left behind - if we choose to learn from it.
In "Roman Special Forces and Special Ops" Simon Elliott shares a wealth of information, and you will not be disappointed!
If you are in the UK, this book is now available. It will be available in the US in June 2023.
Before I get into the fun part, a huge THANK YOU to Pen and Sword for asking me to partake in this blog tour!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Book Excerpt:
Much has been written about the Roman army and the mighty legions that conquered their empire and then defended it for centuries against all comers. But little has been written about the men and units employed when something more subtle than the march of legions into pitched battle was required. This is the only book available dedicated to Roman special ops and the role of the Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores, and Areani.
Simon Elliott reveals the kinds of special operations conducted by the tactical scouting ahead of the legions, covert strategic reconnaissance in neighboring states, espionage, assassination or abduction of dissidents and enemies, counter-insurgency, and close protection of Roman officials and commanders. While such missions were frequently executed by ad-hoc units or individuals detailed for that specific mission, the author goes on to reveal the evidence for the aforementioned specialist units. He concludes with an analysis of the extent to which these various forces corresponded to a modern conception of Special Forces. These men were the eyes and ears of the Empire, the deadly tip of the Roman sword.
My Review:
What an interesting book! I absolutely enjoyed reading through this one. As Rome began expanding their influence, so too did the military expand in its own influence.
As I was reading through the different examples that the author presented, I found myself comparing them to some more modern-day examples. Lt. Col. Hal Moore is one that comes to mind, during the Vietnam War, and how he used intelligence, working to understand how his enemy would fight before setting foot in the country. It was a great comparison to see that the ancient Romans had used some of the same techniques, although theirs was a bit more covert, having to carefully travel through the ancient world, without being caught.
There was quite a bit about the Roman military that I did not know, and this was a fabulous introduction to how the different sections of the Roman military functioned, intelligence-gathering techniques, and how the "first official Roman secret service 'was staffed by supply sergeants whose original functions had been the purchase for and distribution to the troops of grain.'"
Absolutely a fun book - and definitely one that will give you a different viewpoint on some of the long-held opinions on the Roman military, and their standing in history.
In "Roman Special Forces and Special Ops" Simon Elliott shares a wealth of information, and you will not be disappointed!
If you are in the UK, this book is now available. It will be available in the US in June 2023.
Before I get into the fun part, a huge THANK YOU to Pen and Sword for asking me to partake in this blog tour!
Rating: 4/5 stars
Book Excerpt:
Much has been written about the Roman army and the mighty legions that conquered their empire and then defended it for centuries against all comers. But little has been written about the men and units employed when something more subtle than the march of legions into pitched battle was required. This is the only book available dedicated to Roman special ops and the role of the Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores, and Areani.
Simon Elliott reveals the kinds of special operations conducted by the tactical scouting ahead of the legions, covert strategic reconnaissance in neighboring states, espionage, assassination or abduction of dissidents and enemies, counter-insurgency, and close protection of Roman officials and commanders. While such missions were frequently executed by ad-hoc units or individuals detailed for that specific mission, the author goes on to reveal the evidence for the aforementioned specialist units. He concludes with an analysis of the extent to which these various forces corresponded to a modern conception of Special Forces. These men were the eyes and ears of the Empire, the deadly tip of the Roman sword.
My Review:
What an interesting book! I absolutely enjoyed reading through this one. As Rome began expanding their influence, so too did the military expand in its own influence.
As I was reading through the different examples that the author presented, I found myself comparing them to some more modern-day examples. Lt. Col. Hal Moore is one that comes to mind, during the Vietnam War, and how he used intelligence, working to understand how his enemy would fight before setting foot in the country. It was a great comparison to see that the ancient Romans had used some of the same techniques, although theirs was a bit more covert, having to carefully travel through the ancient world, without being caught.
There was quite a bit about the Roman military that I did not know, and this was a fabulous introduction to how the different sections of the Roman military functioned, intelligence-gathering techniques, and how the "first official Roman secret service 'was staffed by supply sergeants whose original functions had been the purchase for and distribution to the troops of grain.'"
Absolutely a fun book - and definitely one that will give you a different viewpoint on some of the long-held opinions on the Roman military, and their standing in history.
May 17, 2023
I was given a copy to review for a book tour. My reviews are always honest and all opinions are my own. #RomanSpecialForcesAndSpecialOps #SimonElliot #RomanSpecialForcesAndSpecialOpsSpeculatoresExploratoresProtectoresAndAreaniInTheServiceOfRome #PenandSwordBookTours #BookTourReview #HistoryReview #Pen&Sword #BookReview #gifted #ad
It was only with my BA and MA I started to explore more into Roman history always being a Egyptian, Greek and Viking (although arguably there is some crossover with all these) kind of girl. I will be the first to say that Simon Elliott has put together a book that is not only interesting, informative and as surprisingly been overlooked in Roman history and military history but one that was a joy to read.
If you could not guess from the title, Elliot’s book deals with the little written about, but highly important, men and units employed by the Roman leaders when something more subtle than the march of legions into battle was needed. With wonderful accuracy and ease of access Elliott discusses the kinds of special operations conducted by the tactical scouting ahead of the legions, the covert reconnaissance in neighbouring states, espionage, assassination and abduction of enemies and dissidents alike, counter-insurgency, and the close protection of Roman officials and commanders.
While some of the missions were at times executed by ad-hoc unites or individuals detailed for that specific mission, the author goes on to reveal the evidence that the specialised units mentioned, Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores and Areani existed for these very acts. Elloitt concludes that the extent of these various focuses can be seen and correspond with modern conceptions of special forces in our modern world. These men and units were the eyes and ears of the Empire, arguably the deadly tip of the Roman sword.
As already mentioned this book was not only interesting but an easy read but by no means lacking on its subject matter. Elloitt breaks the units and information perfectly within the chapters. Highlighting not only their importance in the foundation and continued success of the Roman Empire but how these very real units and men can easily be seen mirrored in the special forces of the modern world.
While some may see this and say it appears overly small or short for a history book on arguable such important units and people to the Empire I was honestly in awe of how much history and knowledge Elliott includes in the introduction, six chapters, conclusion and appendix. But on top of this we also have inclusion of further reading on the subject broken into classical and modern sources so we can continue the search ourselves if we need to know more. I would argue though Elliott presents more than enough for us to sink our teeth into and gives us a solid understanding of just how important the special forces and special ops were.
On top of this I particularly loved the inclusion of a detailed Appendix detailing Enemies of the Roman Republic and Empire in detail while bitsized. Add to this the further references and bibliography and this tome provides more than enough information to keep you hooked for a long time.
I would highly recommend this for not only fans of Roman history but military history and the history of special forces and ops. With interesting links to the present and details of the past it is sure to make any history fan happy. A definite five out of five for me. I will certainly be looking into Elliott’s other work in the future.
It was only with my BA and MA I started to explore more into Roman history always being a Egyptian, Greek and Viking (although arguably there is some crossover with all these) kind of girl. I will be the first to say that Simon Elliott has put together a book that is not only interesting, informative and as surprisingly been overlooked in Roman history and military history but one that was a joy to read.
If you could not guess from the title, Elliot’s book deals with the little written about, but highly important, men and units employed by the Roman leaders when something more subtle than the march of legions into battle was needed. With wonderful accuracy and ease of access Elliott discusses the kinds of special operations conducted by the tactical scouting ahead of the legions, the covert reconnaissance in neighbouring states, espionage, assassination and abduction of enemies and dissidents alike, counter-insurgency, and the close protection of Roman officials and commanders.
While some of the missions were at times executed by ad-hoc unites or individuals detailed for that specific mission, the author goes on to reveal the evidence that the specialised units mentioned, Speculatores, Exploratores, Protectores and Areani existed for these very acts. Elloitt concludes that the extent of these various focuses can be seen and correspond with modern conceptions of special forces in our modern world. These men and units were the eyes and ears of the Empire, arguably the deadly tip of the Roman sword.
As already mentioned this book was not only interesting but an easy read but by no means lacking on its subject matter. Elloitt breaks the units and information perfectly within the chapters. Highlighting not only their importance in the foundation and continued success of the Roman Empire but how these very real units and men can easily be seen mirrored in the special forces of the modern world.
While some may see this and say it appears overly small or short for a history book on arguable such important units and people to the Empire I was honestly in awe of how much history and knowledge Elliott includes in the introduction, six chapters, conclusion and appendix. But on top of this we also have inclusion of further reading on the subject broken into classical and modern sources so we can continue the search ourselves if we need to know more. I would argue though Elliott presents more than enough for us to sink our teeth into and gives us a solid understanding of just how important the special forces and special ops were.
On top of this I particularly loved the inclusion of a detailed Appendix detailing Enemies of the Roman Republic and Empire in detail while bitsized. Add to this the further references and bibliography and this tome provides more than enough information to keep you hooked for a long time.
I would highly recommend this for not only fans of Roman history but military history and the history of special forces and ops. With interesting links to the present and details of the past it is sure to make any history fan happy. A definite five out of five for me. I will certainly be looking into Elliott’s other work in the future.
May 19, 2023
If one were to say the term, secret special forces, and associate that with the Roman Empire I’m not sure they would have a proper idea of what that meant, for the history of the Roman Empire and the Roman Army is so vast. It is as extensive from the beginning of Rome till its end. This book has a solid understanding of the events of Roman History, ranging from the Republic to the Late Empire. And Simon goes extensively into the many varieties of spy organizations, special forces that would be known as the explorates (I am simply condensing it because there are a lot of Latin names mentioned for a degree of military and state organizations that evolved).
You might be interested to hear that when a Roman Legion had to defeat a marauding Briton army, the Roman General at that time ordered his Batavain Auxiliaries that were comfortable swimming in full armor to harass the Britons at night. What did the Batavian Auxiliaries do? They either poisoned the horses or slit their throats. While revolting, it did the job of preventing the Britons from using their chariots, and the job was done. Or you might want to know how different spy organisations that were made by the Emperors, were never really trusted by them. How did Ceasar achieve his victories in Gaul?
Because he had an informed spy network during his campaign, gathered intelligence and struck at the right moment. Without this spy network, certain Roman units being designated for specific roles, the function of the Roman Army would have been less cumbersome. In many cases, the Emperors of Rome distrusted the Praetorian Guard and often distrusted the informer networks that they had (not all). There’s so much richly packed detail h
At the end, this book covers a lot of the Roman provinces, from Britannia to Rome, and to Egypt and North Africa. At the same time I felt there is so much to be uncovered, that I would read a 500 page book detailing in far more detail about the Special Forces of Ancient Rome. I would also go into detail exploring the naval aspect of the Roman Empire, and see how special forces and spy networks played a crucial role in maintaining Rome’s role. This book is a good introductory to the special forces of the Roman Empire and it’s spy networks. I just need a longer book. It’s a fantastic oversight of an fascinating history of the Roman Army that’s rarely explored!
You might be interested to hear that when a Roman Legion had to defeat a marauding Briton army, the Roman General at that time ordered his Batavain Auxiliaries that were comfortable swimming in full armor to harass the Britons at night. What did the Batavian Auxiliaries do? They either poisoned the horses or slit their throats. While revolting, it did the job of preventing the Britons from using their chariots, and the job was done. Or you might want to know how different spy organisations that were made by the Emperors, were never really trusted by them. How did Ceasar achieve his victories in Gaul?
Because he had an informed spy network during his campaign, gathered intelligence and struck at the right moment. Without this spy network, certain Roman units being designated for specific roles, the function of the Roman Army would have been less cumbersome. In many cases, the Emperors of Rome distrusted the Praetorian Guard and often distrusted the informer networks that they had (not all). There’s so much richly packed detail h
At the end, this book covers a lot of the Roman provinces, from Britannia to Rome, and to Egypt and North Africa. At the same time I felt there is so much to be uncovered, that I would read a 500 page book detailing in far more detail about the Special Forces of Ancient Rome. I would also go into detail exploring the naval aspect of the Roman Empire, and see how special forces and spy networks played a crucial role in maintaining Rome’s role. This book is a good introductory to the special forces of the Roman Empire and it’s spy networks. I just need a longer book. It’s a fantastic oversight of an fascinating history of the Roman Army that’s rarely explored!
May 28, 2025
A thoroughly comprehensive description of the behind the scenes, and also front line soldiers who served Rome's clandestine military requirements.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews