Caesar's Great Success: Sustaining the Roman Army on Campaign
Mar 2020 · Frontline Books
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176
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About this ebook
An in-depth look at the world’s first ever military logistical supply system and how it fed Caesar’s armies in the field.
Logistics have become a principal, if not a governing factor, in modern military operations. Armies need to be fed and supplied, and the larger the army, the greater the logistical difficulties that have to be overcome. Two thousand years ago, when communications were far more primitive, the size of armies was limited by the difficulties of supply. It was because the Romans developed a sophisticated supply system that they were able to maintain large armies in the field—armies that conquered much of the then known world.
In Caesar’s Great Success, the authors examine and detail the world’s first ever fully-developed logistical supply system—the forerunner of today’s complex arrangements. This includes an examination of the sea, river, and land transportation of food while on campaign, and of how the food was assembled at the operational bases and subsequently distributed.
The defense of the Roman food supplies, and especially of lines of communication, was an important factor in Caesar’s operational planning, as was interdicting the enemy’s supplies.
The eating habits of Caesar’s men are considered and what items could be obtained locally by forage and which were taken by requisition—and how much food a legionnaire was expected to carry on campaign.
With this, the nature of the actual food consumed by the legionnaires is therefore examined and sample recipes are provided with each chapter of the book to enable the reader to relive those momentous days when Caesar and Rome ruled the world.
Logistics have become a principal, if not a governing factor, in modern military operations. Armies need to be fed and supplied, and the larger the army, the greater the logistical difficulties that have to be overcome. Two thousand years ago, when communications were far more primitive, the size of armies was limited by the difficulties of supply. It was because the Romans developed a sophisticated supply system that they were able to maintain large armies in the field—armies that conquered much of the then known world.
In Caesar’s Great Success, the authors examine and detail the world’s first ever fully-developed logistical supply system—the forerunner of today’s complex arrangements. This includes an examination of the sea, river, and land transportation of food while on campaign, and of how the food was assembled at the operational bases and subsequently distributed.
The defense of the Roman food supplies, and especially of lines of communication, was an important factor in Caesar’s operational planning, as was interdicting the enemy’s supplies.
The eating habits of Caesar’s men are considered and what items could be obtained locally by forage and which were taken by requisition—and how much food a legionnaire was expected to carry on campaign.
With this, the nature of the actual food consumed by the legionnaires is therefore examined and sample recipes are provided with each chapter of the book to enable the reader to relive those momentous days when Caesar and Rome ruled the world.
About the author
Alexander Merrow studied history and German at Denison University before completing a masters’ degree in history at Cambridge University and a Ph.D. in European history at Georgetown University, writing his dissertation in the field of Modern German History. He taught European History at Georgetown University, Franklin & Marshall College, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is the co-author of numerous works of military history and, under a nom de plume, the author of numerous works of fiction.Agostino von Hassell studied history at Columbia University, graduating in 1974, and attended Columbia Journalism School, graduating in 1975. He has taught on leadership in the graduate program of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in New York. He has written extensively on military and food history and has authored books including Military High Life: Elegant Food Histories and Recipes, Alliance of Enemies: The Untold Story of the Secret American and German Collaboration to End World War II, In Honor of America, West Point: The Bicentennial Book, Strike Force: U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations, and Warriors: The United States Marines.Gregory Starace is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Unites States Marines. He has served in and traveled across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Eurasia, and the Indian subcontinent – visiting countless Roman ruins, military locations, and museum collections along the way. He has a B.A. in History from the George Washington University, M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from the National Intelligence University, and M.A. in National Security Affairs with a focus on Africa from Naval Postgraduate School. Additionally, he is re-enactor with over 30 years of re-enacting experience across a number of periods, including Imperial Rome.
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