Roman Soldier vs Germanic Warrior
The reigns of Augustus and his successor Tiberius saw an epic struggle between the Romans and local peoples for the territory between the Rhine and Elbe rivers in what is now Germany.
Following two decades of Roman occupation, Germania Magna erupted into revolt in AD 9 following the loss of the three legions commanded by Publius Quinctilius Varus to the Cheruscan nobleman Arminius and an alliance of Germanic nations in the dense forests of the Teutoburger Wald. The Romans’ initial panic subsided as it became clear that Arminius and his allies could not continue the war into Germania Inferior on the western bank of the Rhine, and Imperial troops poured into the region as the Romans decided how best to resolve the situation.
Featuring full-colour artwork, specially drawn maps and an array of revealing illustrations depicting weapons, equipment, key locations and personalities, this study offers key insights into the tactics, leadership, combat performance and subsequent reputations of the Roman soldiers and their Germanic opponents pitched into a series of pivotal actions on the Imperial frontier that would influence Roman/German relations for decades to come.
Lindsay Powell is the author of Bar Kokhba War AD 132-136: The Last Jewish Revolt Against Imperial Rome (Osprey Publishing, 2017), as well as Eager for Glory: The Untold Story of Drusus the Elder, Conqueror of Germania (Pen and Sword, 2011), Germanicus: The Magnificent Life and Mysterious Death of Rome's Most Popular General (Pen and Sword, 2013) and Marcus Agrippa: Right-Hand man of Caesar Augustus (Pen and Sword Books, 2015). Lindsay is a regular contributor to Ancient Warfare magazine and his articles on armies, battles and generalship of the Roman period have appeared in Exercitus, Military Heritage, Strategy & Tactics and on TheHistoryNetwork.org. His appearances include BBC Radio and History Channel. He is a veteran of the acclaimed Ermine Street Guard re-enactment society, a registered charity. Lindsay divides his time between Austin, Texas and Wokingham, UK.
Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.