Roman Conquests: Italy

by Ross Cowan

The first of the Roman Conquests series, this volume will look at how Rome went from just another Latin town under Etruscan rule, to a free republic that gradually conquered or dominated all her Italian neighbours. With hindsight we know that Rome, which won its independence from the Etruscan kings around 510 BC, went on to conquer the greatest empire yet seen, yet it took three hundred years just to become master of all the peninsula. This involved desperate struggles for survival against their Italian neighbours - Etruscans, Latins, Samnites, Umbrians, Lucanians, the Greek colonies in the south and the ferocious Celts of northern Italy - plus invading armies from further abroad - those of Pyrrhus of Epirus and then the Carthaginian genius, Hannibal. Rome's survival, let alone her eventual greatness, was never a foregone conclusion while such formidable enemies were to be found so close to home. Other Books in the - Spain (Paul McDonnell Staff); Greece and Macedon (Philip Matyszak); North Africa (Nic Fields); Asia Minor and Syria (Richard Evans) Gaul; Germany; Britain; The Danube Provinces; The Eastern Frontier.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Military History, Italy

192 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 2009

Reviews

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent book on how Rome came to conquer the whole of the Italian peninsula. One thing I truly loved about this book was the author when introducing a new Roman name always included what the cognonem meant. Had never run into that before and it impressed me.

[Anibal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of an epic quest!

Not only the first steps to create a world empire by Rome, but also the beginning of this series of books which portrays the Roman conquests in various theatres of operations. I don’t know if the merit is of a Pen & sword editor, of Ross Cowan (for proposing this title) or a joint effort, but what can’t be argued is that they birthed an all new concept to transmit Roman military history to a wide audience. Congratulations are well deserved.

This work is very well researched and analyzed. And both characteristics are extremely important due to the sources being quite one sided and extremely old…even the Romans in the early principate considered the old sources ancient when they compiled them!

The engagements and campaigns are run through in a quick but quite comprehensive way, the author giving more space to the Samnite wars and the Pyrrhic war, which is well reasoned.

Several things get painfully obvious after reading this remarkable work. Iron age Italy was one of the most dangerous places to live in the ancient world, almost every year Rome and its allies went to war, sometimes defensively and other times offensively. Another interesting characteristic that clearly arises is that the Romans weren’t the only ones to be able to shrug off a series of catastrophic defeats – their Latin enemies and allies, the Samnites and even the Etruscan managed to do just that several times. It is clearly a local Italian characteristic. Most of the contenders fought almost to the last, even after serious defeats and depleted of men and coin, Samnite armies kept being raised under “Lex Sacrata” – sacred law – were those who didn’t joined the levy would be doomed.

The author also goes a long way fleshing out ancient personalities the best way possible and even explaining and superbly using the cognomen, which was extremely important for Roman families commemorating feats of arms or physical traits; in that aspect, Roman notables almost behaved as modern gang members!

Although I don’t agree with all lines of thought provided by the author they are well presented and he always uses good analytic skills. The book could also have better notes and more information regarding the main battles of the period (including tactical maps with the available info). There are 4 fine color plates by Graham Sumner depicting a Roman Legionary against an Etruscan Noble; a Samnite from the Linen Legion facing a Roman Centurion; a Senonian Gaul Chieftain fighting a Roman Triarius; a Latin ally charging a Tarentine Levy hoplite. It also includes photos, images of artifacts, good maps and representations of coins.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for military historians, but I wanted more details about the people and their lifes at the time.

Could also do with a glossary to explain techincal terms and how the government of the Republic was organised.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very slow going for me.

[Scott Dover · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and consise overview of the Roman Conquest of Italy!

[Russ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll be getting the rest of this series.

[Andrij R. Wojtowycz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, will reread!

It could’ve used more battle and strategy maps, but it flowed, I feel that I learned a lot! It was almost poetic in style!

[Jason Golomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Roman Conquests: Italy" ancient Roman military historian Ross Cowan provides a detailed accounting of pre-Republican Roman expansion across the Italian peninsula. Emphasizing the importance of this era, Cowan points out that "the famous Caesar would have accomplished nothing if the groundwork in Italy and the creation of a solid base for overseas expansion had not been achieved by the likes of the lesser-known Torquatus, Corvus, Cursor, Rullianus and Dentatus in the fourth and third centuries BC."

The book covers about two hundred years of early Roman history. While Cowan acknowledges his principal source is Livy's books I-X, he references numerous other ancient sources as well as revised historical insights based on modern archaeological research. He utilizes his mix of ancient and modern sources to counterbalance Livy's often overly Roman-centric perspective.

In 396 BC, Rome conquered the rocky citadel of Veii, just ten miles north of the city, and incorporated it into her territories. Rome was the main hub of trade and communications in west-central Italy. "The city dominated the main crossing point of the Tiber...Rome was nearest to the coast, and the famous seven hills on which the city was built provided excellent points from which to guard the crossing and filter traffic." Furthermore, "she was also agriculturally rich...some of the most fertile land in the peninsula and (able to) support a large population."

One of the key military themes throughout this period is based on honor and revenge, which were extremely important to Romans and their enemies and allies. "Nothing motivated the Romans more than the need to avenge a defeat," writes Cowan. In addition to the wholesale slaughter or slavery of defeated enemies, Cowan references prisoners (both Roman and Samnite) who were put under the yoke - "a humiliation worse than death...indicating that a warrior was utterly defeated, little more than a beast, to be used and abused by his conqueror."

One of the more fun aspects of "Roman Conquests" is Cowan's cognomen translations. Cognomens started off as nicknames, but after a time became hereditary. Aulus Cornelius Cossus, the "Worm", was only the second Roman, after the legendary Romulus, to kill an enemy king in single combat. Appius Claudius Crassus was "Fat" or "Uncouth". Calvinus was "Bald". Curvus was "Stooped". More noble Corvus was the "Raven", Venox the "Hunter", and Cursor the "Swift Runner" who should not be confused with Lentulus the "Slow".

Some of the more colorful characters gained their equally colorful names from their brave actions. One military tribune accepted a challenge of single combat from an enemy Gaul. He defeated the challenger and promptly cut off his head, "tore off his torque and put it, covered as it was with blood, around his own neck." Not surprisingly, he and his ancestors adopted the cognomen of Torquatus. Quintus Servilius Ahala "achieved" his cognomen, "Armpit", when, in 439 BC, an ancestor concealed a dagger under his arm and used it to assassinate an aspiring plebian tyrant.

Cowan acknowledges that the relative dearth of detailed sources from this period lends to rather one-dimensional characterizations of key players. Fortunately, Pyrrhus of Epirus, king of the Molossians, descendant of Achilles, wrote his memoirs which help flesh out this charismatic figure. Cowan maximizes his opportunity to build out this enemy of Rome and dedicates almost 50 pages to his story.

The book includes seven detailed maps and eight pages of photos and drawings, including 4 beautifully rendered paintings from well-known ancient military artist Graham Sumner. One frustration, though, is the lack of a timeline and, perhaps, dramatis personae - both of which would have helped limit confusion when Cowan bounces back and forth between dates and the large cast of historical characters.

Excluding the notes, bibliography and index, "Roman Conquests: Italy" is a tight 147 pages. The book is a solid mix of high quality academic research with enough narrative to please those with a more passing interest in this key period of Roman history.

[Derek Weese · Rating 3 out of 5]

What quite a few people who have even a passing interest in ancient history/ancient military history will notice right off the bat is the sheer majesty of the Roman Empire. The grand building projects, the amazingly efficient infrastructure and the near unstoppable Legions. What most people, even some true dyed in the wool Romaniphiles (I being one of them), don't know is that Rome, and all its grandeur, started out far less than grand.
Rome didn't start as a continents spanning Empire, or even as a regional power in southern Europe, or even as a power player in central Italy. Rome started as just that: Rome. Rome was, for all intents a purposes, at its inception, a city state. Rome was a polis. But from such humble beginnings came the Empire that, arguably more than anything else, paved the way for Western Civilization.
Ancient Italy was a very violent place, the many differing nations (more like tribes or ethnic holdings) inhabiting the Italian peninsula were constantly at war with each other. Add to this the occasional Celtic migratory invasion and you can see how the Romans quickly became a militarized people. This book, fairly well written by Ross Cowan, tells the story of how Rome took control of the majority of the Italian Peninsula: Tota Italia.
After having overthrown their Etruscan masters and formed the Republic the Romans immediately began to pursue the conquest of her neighbors to expand the ager Romanus. War after war, year after year, the Romans constantly strived against their neighbors. And they weren't always successful. These weren't the Legions of Pompey, Caesar and Germanicus, no these were Legions that were in transition, still learning the craft of war from their neighbors. A Celtic tribe, the Senones, most likely from northern Italy and the Alps, came down and trounced the Romans, even sacking parts of Rome itself. And often the Samnites would thump the Roman Army, forcing it to flee the field.
But one thing the Romans always did well was showcase grim, tenacity. No matter how many times you knocked down the Romans, they always got back up. It was precisely this determination, combined with later skills and engineering brilliance (both civilian and military) which would conquer for them a grand Empire.
The book ends after the Romans saw off Pyrrhus of Epirus and, after several defeats, learned to defeat the Greeks in the field. All in all this is a good book, I only had a couple of reservations.
First of all the authors translation of Roman cognomens got to be a little jarring. No other author uses this method so to see 'fatty', 'the raven', 'ugly' and other such translated nicknames when Corvus or the regular Latin names are more recognizable to students of Classical military history broke up the narrative far too often in my humble opinion.
Secondly the author loved to quote form ancient sources, fluidly with the narrative. Then jarringly halt to inform you that everything you just read, sometimes for most of a page, was pure nonsense and whooey. This happened far too often for comfort for myself.
Still all in all a good book. Without Tota Italia, there would never have been a Roman Empire. Imagine what history would have been like if the Samnites had won, or Pyrrhus? Good book on a sadly neglected topic.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume serves as a very nice, albeit brief and compact introduction to the very earliest period in Roman road to the vast empire it eventually became. Its narrative spans from Celtic sack of Rome in 390BC to conquest of Calabria in 266BC. In a space of little more than 240 pages, author retells the story of almost petty squabbles between Rome and its immediate neighbour city-states, its slow expansion into central Italy, clashes with Etruscans and Celts in the north and monumental struggle against Samnites in the south. The story is rounded off with the story of Rome's encounter with Pyrrhus during the campaigns of conquest of Greco-Italian city-states in southern parts of Italian peninsula.

As already mentioned, this is a small book and out of necessity the writer confines himself to bare essentials in his narrative. Large sections of the book are almost lexicon-like and can feel like a long list of names of consuls for a given year and short description of the path they (probably) took in that particular annual excursion of the legions. Also, you won't find much information about the legions, strategy, tactics or soldiers who participated in that gigantic struggle; that information needs to be found in other places. Key events such as decisive battles or important political events are given more space, but don't expect detailed orders of battle, exciting battle descriptions or in depth analysis of political situations. Thus, it is safe to say that 'Roman Conquests; Italy' is a bit of a dry read.

Nonetheless, it is a fascinating little book that gives the reader a seed of an answer to the question how Rome became Rome. Out of the seemingly endless lithany of yearly campaigns, battles lost and won, sieges that sometimes took a city and on other occasions ended in spectacular disasters for the Romans, treaties and alliances broken as often as they were held, one can clearly see the huge ambition, relentless drive and boundless agression of both the individuals and the city itself. It also shows that Rome's ascendancy was far from certain and could indeed be regarded as a 'freak of nature'.

Overall, a good starting point (in combination with other sources!) for study of Rome's earliest military history, which considering how little is being written about the period before Punic Wars, should make this book interesting for anyone with interest in that particular period.

[Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to read about the Roman army before it became the mighty juggernaut of later times. Some parts were rather dry but perseverance paid off and there were some interesting facts such as the use of magic in the form of individual self-sacrifice on behalf of the army, known as 'devotio' (which is fascinating and I am aiming to do some more research into this) and the story of a consul who, after his son disobeyed an order not to engage the enemy in single combat, congratulated him on his victory and then had him promptly executed! And who would not want to read about a leader known as 'Cornelius the Greasy'?

[Mario Ebbwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me it is a little difficult to actually rate this because I have nothing to compare it to. I was just glad to finally find a book that went into detail about Rome's conquest of Italy. Which is something a lot of books kind of gloss over.

[Mick Maye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and well drafted book. Enjoyable though a little confusing around the 320-300 BC timeline. The sources are also a little scarce which partly leads to the confusion. Otherwise I found it very good.