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Barbarians: Rebellion and Resistance to the Roman Empire
'And now what will become of us without barbarians?
Those people were a sort of solution.'
'Waiting for the Barbarians'
C. P. Cavafy
History is written by the victors, and Rome had some very eloquent historians. Those the Romans regarded as barbarians left few records of their own, but they had a tremendous impact on the Roman imagination. Resisting from outside Rome's borders or rebelling from within, they emerge vividly in Rome's historical tradition, and left a significant footprint in archaeology.
Rome's history, as written by the Romans, follows a remarkable trajectory from its origins as a tiny village of refugees from a conflict zone to a dominant superpower, before being transformed into the medieval and Byzantine worlds. But throughout this history, Rome faced significant resistance and rebellion from peoples whom it regarded as barbarians.
Gibbon saw the Roman Empire as one of the highest points of human achievement destroyed by barbarian invaders: Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Goths, Vandals, Huns, Picts and Scots. To others, as Rome was ravaged, new life was infused into an expiring Italy. Gibbon's 'decline and fall' has been reappraised as transformation, through religious and cultural revolution.
Based both on ancient historical writings and modern archaeological research, this new history takes a fresh look at the Roman Empire, through the personalities and lives of key opponents of Rome's rise, dominance and fall - or transformation. These include: Brennus, the Gaul who sacked Rome; the Plebs, those barbarous insiders and internal resistors; Hannibal; Viriathus, the Iberian shepherd and skilled guerilla; Jugurtha and the struggle to free Africa; the Germanic threat from the Cimbri and the Teutones; Spartacus, the gladiator; Vercingetorix and rebellion in Gaul; Cleopatra; Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni and the scourge of Rome; the Great Jewish Revolt; Alaric the Goth and the Sack of Rome; Attila the Hun, 'Born to Shake the Nations'; and the Vandals and the fall of Rome.
Those people were a sort of solution.'
'Waiting for the Barbarians'
C. P. Cavafy
History is written by the victors, and Rome had some very eloquent historians. Those the Romans regarded as barbarians left few records of their own, but they had a tremendous impact on the Roman imagination. Resisting from outside Rome's borders or rebelling from within, they emerge vividly in Rome's historical tradition, and left a significant footprint in archaeology.
Rome's history, as written by the Romans, follows a remarkable trajectory from its origins as a tiny village of refugees from a conflict zone to a dominant superpower, before being transformed into the medieval and Byzantine worlds. But throughout this history, Rome faced significant resistance and rebellion from peoples whom it regarded as barbarians.
Gibbon saw the Roman Empire as one of the highest points of human achievement destroyed by barbarian invaders: Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Goths, Vandals, Huns, Picts and Scots. To others, as Rome was ravaged, new life was infused into an expiring Italy. Gibbon's 'decline and fall' has been reappraised as transformation, through religious and cultural revolution.
Based both on ancient historical writings and modern archaeological research, this new history takes a fresh look at the Roman Empire, through the personalities and lives of key opponents of Rome's rise, dominance and fall - or transformation. These include: Brennus, the Gaul who sacked Rome; the Plebs, those barbarous insiders and internal resistors; Hannibal; Viriathus, the Iberian shepherd and skilled guerilla; Jugurtha and the struggle to free Africa; the Germanic threat from the Cimbri and the Teutones; Spartacus, the gladiator; Vercingetorix and rebellion in Gaul; Cleopatra; Boudicca, the Queen of the Iceni and the scourge of Rome; the Great Jewish Revolt; Alaric the Goth and the Sack of Rome; Attila the Hun, 'Born to Shake the Nations'; and the Vandals and the fall of Rome.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 10, 2022
Oftentimes readers of Roman history tend to underestimate the effect barbarians, and fear of their invasions, shaped the mindset of Rome, both as a Republic and an as Empire. This book looks at the various enemies of Rome focusing on those considered "barbarian" from the Roman viewpoint.
Well written and quite engaging, this is a wonderful look at the history of conflict between the Romans and barbarian enemies. Starting with an interesting look at what exactly was a barbarian and then comparing how the Romans were viewed by the Greeks, the story moves on to the main players.
The first chapter covers Mythical and Semi-Mythical stories of Rome that cover the foundational period and how these stories showed them fighting "barbarians". Then the book moves throughout the ages from Brennus and Phyrus to Boudica and Atilla.
Well written and a good book that shows the vital Roman attitude and views on what they considered to be "barbarians" and the various conflicts throughout the edges of the Roman Imperial borders.
If you enjoy Roman history, you will enjoy this book.
Well written and quite engaging, this is a wonderful look at the history of conflict between the Romans and barbarian enemies. Starting with an interesting look at what exactly was a barbarian and then comparing how the Romans were viewed by the Greeks, the story moves on to the main players.
The first chapter covers Mythical and Semi-Mythical stories of Rome that cover the foundational period and how these stories showed them fighting "barbarians". Then the book moves throughout the ages from Brennus and Phyrus to Boudica and Atilla.
Well written and a good book that shows the vital Roman attitude and views on what they considered to be "barbarians" and the various conflicts throughout the edges of the Roman Imperial borders.
If you enjoy Roman history, you will enjoy this book.
October 10, 2021
This was a difficult book to rate, and to review. First of all, I love the subject matter, and the premise of telling the story of the Roman Empire through the eyes of the Barbarian people's was an intriguing one. Unfortunately, in that respect, this book didn't really deliver that.
Obviously, the issue is with sources. Roman sources survived, as they tended to write things down, and The Church preserved as much Roman writings as they could following the collapse of the West in the Fifth Century. However, since the Barbarian people's, by and large didn't, or in the case of Carthage, made the unfortunate for posterity decision to go and get conquered, there's rather a dearth of Barbarian source material to draw from.
Even so, there are still discoveries being made, and with the rise of tribalism, there is the benefit of people's wanting to preserve their links to the past (even if, at times, those links are entirely arbitrary), so it's not like a work of this nature couldn't have come out differently. That said, this is more of a, mostly typical, recounting of the rise of Rome to Empire, with a skimming through of the actual Imperial period and the fall itself.
One thing that bothered me, tremendously, that I could not totally excuse was the use of modern slang and buzzwords being sprinkled throughout the text.
Yes, I get it, this is a popular history, and I tend to like these. However, just because it is meant to appeal to a non academic audience, it shouldn't necessarily mean, then, that the author insults the readers intelligence by assuming that all they're able to converse in, is corporate driven market speak...which is what seems to pass for dialogue amongst quite a few now a days, sadly.
And I am not, at all, far removed from 30, so it isn't as though I am a grumpy old codger (ok, fair enough, a grumpy young codger) who can't relate to "those damned kids these days,". The instances of reading such phrases as: Fake News, amongst others, irritated me enough it entirely disrupted the ability to immerse myself in the writing.
Thankfully, those instances were only a few, though I sincerely hope it isn't a trend amongst academics or academically trained writers and historians attempting to appeal to "the youth".
If so, they clearly are tone deaf.
To be fair, that is my biggest complaint over what is an, overall, decent work that can stand as a fair introduction to the rise of Rome, and its gradual collapse in the West. However, if you're looking for a book that gives you the Barbarian side of things, look elsewhere, as this one rather fails to deliver on that promise.
Recommended with reservations.
Obviously, the issue is with sources. Roman sources survived, as they tended to write things down, and The Church preserved as much Roman writings as they could following the collapse of the West in the Fifth Century. However, since the Barbarian people's, by and large didn't, or in the case of Carthage, made the unfortunate for posterity decision to go and get conquered, there's rather a dearth of Barbarian source material to draw from.
Even so, there are still discoveries being made, and with the rise of tribalism, there is the benefit of people's wanting to preserve their links to the past (even if, at times, those links are entirely arbitrary), so it's not like a work of this nature couldn't have come out differently. That said, this is more of a, mostly typical, recounting of the rise of Rome to Empire, with a skimming through of the actual Imperial period and the fall itself.
One thing that bothered me, tremendously, that I could not totally excuse was the use of modern slang and buzzwords being sprinkled throughout the text.
Yes, I get it, this is a popular history, and I tend to like these. However, just because it is meant to appeal to a non academic audience, it shouldn't necessarily mean, then, that the author insults the readers intelligence by assuming that all they're able to converse in, is corporate driven market speak...which is what seems to pass for dialogue amongst quite a few now a days, sadly.
And I am not, at all, far removed from 30, so it isn't as though I am a grumpy old codger (ok, fair enough, a grumpy young codger) who can't relate to "those damned kids these days,". The instances of reading such phrases as: Fake News, amongst others, irritated me enough it entirely disrupted the ability to immerse myself in the writing.
Thankfully, those instances were only a few, though I sincerely hope it isn't a trend amongst academics or academically trained writers and historians attempting to appeal to "the youth".
If so, they clearly are tone deaf.
To be fair, that is my biggest complaint over what is an, overall, decent work that can stand as a fair introduction to the rise of Rome, and its gradual collapse in the West. However, if you're looking for a book that gives you the Barbarian side of things, look elsewhere, as this one rather fails to deliver on that promise.
Recommended with reservations.
March 26, 2020
This is a pretty comprehensive book covering relations between Rome and the barbarian peoples, who, Kershaw points out, were just about everyone else that they encountered. He provides a good overview of Roman attitudes, as well as those of the Greeks who saw Romans, from their point of view, as a bunch of barbarians as well.
The book covers the period from the founding of Rome to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, so about 13 centuries in about 474 pages. That is a lot of time and space!
The best thing about the book is that it does cover a lot of time before the Empire, so it is more inclusive than many others on this subject. It also deals with the Parthians or Persians, who modern authors normally treat as non-barbarians (not surprisingly).
The weakest part of the book is that once we reach the last two centuries, there are just too many darned barbarians to succinctly describe. Kershaw makes a good try, but by the end of the book it is mostly a list of names, places, and battles, with no analysis. Roman emperors rise up in one line and are cast down in the next.
Bonus points to Kershaw for having an excellent set of maps at the start of the book. The "Omnishambles" map is particularly illuminating.
The book covers the period from the founding of Rome to the fall of the Western Roman Empire, so about 13 centuries in about 474 pages. That is a lot of time and space!
The best thing about the book is that it does cover a lot of time before the Empire, so it is more inclusive than many others on this subject. It also deals with the Parthians or Persians, who modern authors normally treat as non-barbarians (not surprisingly).
The weakest part of the book is that once we reach the last two centuries, there are just too many darned barbarians to succinctly describe. Kershaw makes a good try, but by the end of the book it is mostly a list of names, places, and battles, with no analysis. Roman emperors rise up in one line and are cast down in the next.
Bonus points to Kershaw for having an excellent set of maps at the start of the book. The "Omnishambles" map is particularly illuminating.
November 30, 2021
This isn't a book for neophytes -- it skims over quite a few events in Roman history it expects the reader to know about. Meanwhile, it goes into massive (I would say, too much) detail on other aspects of Roman history. It feels like a series of connect bubbles...but they are very informative bubbles, and the author has a very-easy-to-read style. A great reference work, in spite of its slightly manic organization.
July 3, 2020
Less of a "history of Rome through barbarian eyes" and more of a straightforward history of Rome with an emphasis on Roman military history. But still a very quick and enjoyable read!
May 25, 2021
Kind of mixed feelings about this one, so 3.5 stars but I round up. As others have noted, the book's description is a little misleading, as this is more of a straightforward military history of Rome than it is an in-depth look at the so-called barbarians at the gates. Kershaw keeps reminding us that this idea of barbarism was a (firstly Greek) Roman sort of fiction, but he doesn't really delve deep into any of these other societies or enemies aside from the major players, e.g. Cleopatra, Mithridates, Hannibal... Of course, it's a little unfair to expect a ton of revelatory material about the Gauls and Alans and Picts, etc., since there are no extant contemporaneous histories of these peoples, but the "archeological evidence" referenced on the jacket is glossed over so vaguely that you're left wondering why Kershaw mentions it at all.
That being said, this is a thorough and well-constructed, well-written military history of Rome, and I'm a sucker for that stuff. And he ends with a quote from a brilliant poem that leaves you with a little chill running down your spine, so there's that.
That being said, this is a thorough and well-constructed, well-written military history of Rome, and I'm a sucker for that stuff. And he ends with a quote from a brilliant poem that leaves you with a little chill running down your spine, so there's that.
December 11, 2021
A different take on the development and decline of the Roman Empire with interesting questions about the meaning of `Barbarian`.It looks at the mythical beginnings of Rome with the story of Aeneas, moves on to Brennus, Pyrrhus, Hannibal as well as tribal barbarians such as the Teutones and the Cimbri. Kershaw even looks at internal Italian rebellions and slave challenges to Roman authority investigating the rebellion of Spartacus. These earlier chapters provided insights into areas previously confused and lacking detail in my classical knowledge. Interesting and clear. Unfortunately later chapters about the Goths, Huns and Vandals were so overloaded with information about place names and people the writing became confusing; even the maps did not help. However, the research and use of ancient historical writing and archaeological evidence is thorough and I was glad to read this book as any reader would learn a a great deal. It takes a fresh look at the Roman Empire and its contemporary reappraisal.
July 11, 2022
This book is fantastic. It does not favor the Romans or justify their wars. It takes a long time to read because the information is dense. I would spend just as long looking up the various events, people, and battles mentioned as I would reading the actual book. If anything, I wanted more information about the people mentioned because before you really get a feel for them the author has moved on and brought in new Roman generals or consuls. I understand why the author cut things down so much, I can only imagine how long the book would be otherwise.
On a side note: how does anyone keep all the consuls straight? There were only a few dozen elite Roman families and they all intermarried. Meaning they all have incredibly similar names. Trying to keep them straight took quite a bit of time. This isn't the author's fault, rather a manifestation of the elitism that was so predominant in Roman society.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Roman history.
On a side note: how does anyone keep all the consuls straight? There were only a few dozen elite Roman families and they all intermarried. Meaning they all have incredibly similar names. Trying to keep them straight took quite a bit of time. This isn't the author's fault, rather a manifestation of the elitism that was so predominant in Roman society.
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Roman history.
April 17, 2024
A bit short and really summary in each chapter (so it's more like an extended Wikipedia summary than anything else) but witty and extremely well written. If you want to know about an episode or more, it's useful to read other more elaborate books, but the style of this one definitely makes it entertaining
December 26, 2025
a great overview of the many different peoples Rome fought. A good into to Roman military history
April 8, 2022
Everything you wanted to know on why the Roman Empire was so reviled. Ethnic groups all over Europe came under scrutiny and tyranny. From Britannia in the West, Africa to the South, Germania in the North and as far East as Armenia in what is now Turkey. The list is exhausting.
The first to oppose Roman rule were the Gauls in 493 BC all the way up to the Vandals in 476 AD.
The first to oppose Roman rule were the Gauls in 493 BC all the way up to the Vandals in 476 AD.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews