Empire State: How the Roman Military Built an Empire

by Simon Elliott

The armed forces of Rome, particularly those of the later Republic and Principate, are rightly regarded as some of the finest military formations ever to engage in warfare. Less well known however is their use by the State as tools for such nonmilitary activities in political, economic and social contexts. In this capacity they were central instruments for the Emperor to ensure the smooth running of the Empire.
In this book the use of the military for such non-conflict related duties is considered in detail for the first time. The first, and best known, is running the great construction projects of the Empire in their capacity as engineers. Next, the role of the Roman military in the running of industry across the Roman Empire is examined, particularly the mining and quarrying industries but also others. They also took part in agriculture, administered and policed the Empire, provided a firefighting resource and organized games in the arena.
The soldiers of Rome really were the foundations on which the Roman Empire was they literally built an empire. Simon Elliott lifts the lid on this less well-known side to the Roman army, in an accessible narrative designed for a wide readership.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Dr. Simon Elliot is an archaeologist and historian. He was awarded a PhD by the University of Kent where he studied the military presence in the South-East during the Roman occupation of Britain. He also has an MA in Archaeology from University College London and an MA in War Studies from King's College London. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Kent.