WARS OF ROME
By Alex Ness
July 12, 2021
By Alex Ness
July 12, 2021
INTRO
My history degree areas of historical research include ancient Rome. I am certainly fascinated by Rome, and confess to be more than a witness but someone obsessed with knowing how Rome was so great an empire when it had no great method of handing over power to the next emperor, which led to civil war, and despite existing in the violent time, it prospered. Also Rome had a form of military structure that took almost 300 years to develop a mobile reserve to respond to incursions and crisis along the frontier or within the borders of the empire. Over time the military drained citizens and farmers from the economy. While they fought well, and understood their acts as being for a common good of the empire, it led to other issues. For instance, Rome had a powerful economy, but it eventually relied upon slavery as a major factor in that economy and greater workings of the state. While this form of slavery can be observed to have been considerable more humane to others both earlier in history by other cultures, and those far later upon the timeline, up to the recent past across the globe. Rome explored its world, created brick roads, aqueducts, public works and more. And while Rome was brilliant in many ways, it also suffered from the legacies of conquest and pillage, in ways that the leaders had to reward troops with new land, colonize areas that did not add to the empire, and reward leaders who held the loyal response by troops more than fidelity to the empire. Click any image to enlarge.
My history degree areas of historical research include ancient Rome. I am certainly fascinated by Rome, and confess to be more than a witness but someone obsessed with knowing how Rome was so great an empire when it had no great method of handing over power to the next emperor, which led to civil war, and despite existing in the violent time, it prospered. Also Rome had a form of military structure that took almost 300 years to develop a mobile reserve to respond to incursions and crisis along the frontier or within the borders of the empire. Over time the military drained citizens and farmers from the economy. While they fought well, and understood their acts as being for a common good of the empire, it led to other issues. For instance, Rome had a powerful economy, but it eventually relied upon slavery as a major factor in that economy and greater workings of the state. While this form of slavery can be observed to have been considerable more humane to others both earlier in history by other cultures, and those far later upon the timeline, up to the recent past across the globe. Rome explored its world, created brick roads, aqueducts, public works and more. And while Rome was brilliant in many ways, it also suffered from the legacies of conquest and pillage, in ways that the leaders had to reward troops with new land, colonize areas that did not add to the empire, and reward leaders who held the loyal response by troops more than fidelity to the empire. Click any image to enlarge.
HISTORIANS, ARCHEOLOGISTS and ANTHROPOLOGIST TO READ
Historians Adrian Goldsworthy, Victor Davis Hanson and Archeologist Peter S. Wells created excellent works that reveal the power struggles, the battles, the way Rome viewed outsiders, and how ancient Rome and Greece fought for reasons modern readers would not likely understand. The understanding of these concepts and ancient battles and events of antiquity need to be understood for any depth of study for the present. If you are one inch off target at ten feet away, by the time you are miles away the deviation from accuracy is that much more. And if you are unaware of the flaw, it forces the modern reader to view ideas based upon flaw and mistaken views.
Goldsworthy has, in my view, a view on Rome that goes far beyond knowing the past, he writes in ways that allows the reader to know with confidence what has happened in the past. The work by Peter S. Wells focused upon the Barbarians who plagued Rome, and by knowing how the Barbarians lived, gives amazing context for knowing why these people remained resilient, and eventually became both part of the empire, and became part of the cause of Rome's fall. Victor Davis Hanson focuses more upon Greece than Rome, but, his work reveals why people were willing to die for their neighbor's land, and for their neighbors. They gathered for defense when the powerful Persian empire and other ancient empires had to force recruit and build armies. The ideals of Greece that allowed her defeat Persia, also influenced all the warrior empires that followed in the Mediterranean basin.
Goldsworthy has, in my view, a view on Rome that goes far beyond knowing the past, he writes in ways that allows the reader to know with confidence what has happened in the past. The work by Peter S. Wells focused upon the Barbarians who plagued Rome, and by knowing how the Barbarians lived, gives amazing context for knowing why these people remained resilient, and eventually became both part of the empire, and became part of the cause of Rome's fall. Victor Davis Hanson focuses more upon Greece than Rome, but, his work reveals why people were willing to die for their neighbor's land, and for their neighbors. They gathered for defense when the powerful Persian empire and other ancient empires had to force recruit and build armies. The ideals of Greece that allowed her defeat Persia, also influenced all the warrior empires that followed in the Mediterranean basin.
GAMES THAT I HAVE LIKED PLAYING
Caveat: I am writing about these games and offering to recommend these board games because I enjoyed having played them. But these selections are more because I played them and appreciated them, than having a great expansive experience with or knowledge of the available field of games. They were fun, and could be the best games out there, but there are vast areas of my ignorance about other games, and that is especially greater now with computer games that provide easier set up and play.
The Punic Wars were a brutal struggle on land in sea over the Western end of the Mediterranean basin between Rome and Carthage. The name people recognize is Hannibal, who was a brilliant general who invading Roman territory, and won a number of amazing victories against Rome. Hannibal At Bay is a great game from Avalanche Press.
Queen of the Celts also from Avalanche Press is a game that recreates the Iceni rebellion against Rome. Boudicca was a queen who should have inherited the kingdom when her husband the king had died. Instead Rome took the riches of the people, raped her daughters, and abused the queen. That led to a disastrous event wherein the Iceni rose in rebellion against Roman troops and allies. Early London burned, and numerous battles proved that Rome might have had good tactics, but not every opponent would flee their approach. This game is fun, and shows how the deciding factors for victory were not always easy to control.
Caesar by Avalon Hill was a very fun game, that captured a battle in Gaul by Caesar and his legions. It was originally less focused, hard to get to work, and the map was huge. But as Avalon Hill redesigned it, it became amazing. The game features the siege of Alesia by the Romans. But as the Romans built a fortress of walls opposite of that of Alesia, the Romans soon came to be attacked from Alesia Gauls fighting outward, and the Gauls coming to relieve the siege, outside of Roman walls. That is, it was a double siege and is the reason many readers of ancient battles think Caesar was both a great general, but also a brave and resolute warrior. It is perhaps a fault of mine, that my interest in the battle allows me to forgive the difficulties found in playing the game, but it was so much fun playing it and winning as Gaul, while defending against a great effort by a bright friend playing as Rome, the game occupied hours of time and not one minute would I return.
Queen of the Celts also from Avalanche Press is a game that recreates the Iceni rebellion against Rome. Boudicca was a queen who should have inherited the kingdom when her husband the king had died. Instead Rome took the riches of the people, raped her daughters, and abused the queen. That led to a disastrous event wherein the Iceni rose in rebellion against Roman troops and allies. Early London burned, and numerous battles proved that Rome might have had good tactics, but not every opponent would flee their approach. This game is fun, and shows how the deciding factors for victory were not always easy to control.
Caesar by Avalon Hill was a very fun game, that captured a battle in Gaul by Caesar and his legions. It was originally less focused, hard to get to work, and the map was huge. But as Avalon Hill redesigned it, it became amazing. The game features the siege of Alesia by the Romans. But as the Romans built a fortress of walls opposite of that of Alesia, the Romans soon came to be attacked from Alesia Gauls fighting outward, and the Gauls coming to relieve the siege, outside of Roman walls. That is, it was a double siege and is the reason many readers of ancient battles think Caesar was both a great general, but also a brave and resolute warrior. It is perhaps a fault of mine, that my interest in the battle allows me to forgive the difficulties found in playing the game, but it was so much fun playing it and winning as Gaul, while defending against a great effort by a bright friend playing as Rome, the game occupied hours of time and not one minute would I return.
COMICS
There are educational comics out regarding history, but I have mentioned in the past that I feel history comics were not necessarily poorly done, but occupied less of an interest area in American readers than you'd expect due to two reasons. Most comics with history as a backdrop were written to teach, and only thereafter to entertain. I think any comics need to entertain first, because the obvious advantage a comic has is to show in pictures, paper movies really, the drama of events.
There are educational comics out regarding history, but I have mentioned in the past that I feel history comics were not necessarily poorly done, but occupied less of an interest area in American readers than you'd expect due to two reasons. Most comics with history as a backdrop were written to teach, and only thereafter to entertain. I think any comics need to entertain first, because the obvious advantage a comic has is to show in pictures, paper movies really, the drama of events.
Each the works shown here, Britannia, Murena, and Brath all entertain first
and foremost, and they do that well. Britannia will seem the most
interesting here for readers I think,
because it involves time manipulation and consequences of an altered
timeline. It isn't truly alternative history, because it utilizes a
change from a modern catalyst. (Not going to spoil it.) Murena is
human history in the world of the early empire and is very bloody and
romantic, but it does a good job with the history it is
writing/illustrating about. It isn't perfect, some of the art is less
dramatic as it looks posed, but I enjoyed every volume I read. And
Brath? It came out at the end of CrossGen's life as a publisher. Sadly
there are no tpbs available, but I have to say, if you rewrote this
work, it would take very little to remove the connections to the
overarching Cross Genre and Generational concept of the sigils of
power. The art was great, the writing was amongst the best I'd ever
read regarding ancient Rome or Barbarians.
About Getting Reviews from Me
First off, I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email at Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that. It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.
My Poetry Blog AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
My Published Work AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
My Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess
Lovecraft Styled Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis and other Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com
I have an email list for my poetry blog, AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com If you are interested please send me an email asking to join the list. I have 3 new poems appearing daily. When or if I have new books, the first people to know will be on the list, and I offer deals there for new products. Send an email to Alexanderness63@gmail.com to join the list. I promise never to sell the list or share it.
“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white.
Neither need you do anything but be yourself.”
Lao Tzu
No comments:
Post a Comment