This is the third in the Roman Conquests series
(following Italy and Spain) and one of those with the
most obvious appeal. While Rome was struggling for her
very survival against the Carthaginians in the Second
Punic War, Philip V of Macedon attempted to take
advantage of their apparent vulnerability by allying
with Hannibal and declaring war. For the time being the
Romans negated this threat by shrewd use of allies to
keep Philip occupied in Greece and Illyria. Once
Carthage was defeated, however, the Romans were free to
turn their full attention to settling the score. The
stage was set for the clash of two of the most
successful military systems of the ancient world, the
Roman legions versus the Macedonian phalanx. Though
sorely tested, the legions emerged victorious from the
epic battles of Cynoscephelae and Pydna, and the home of
Alexander the Great fell under the power of Rome, along
with the rest of Greece, the cradle of Western
Civilisation, which had a profound effect on Roman
culture and society.Like the other volumes in this
series, this book gives a clear narrative of the course
of these wars, explaining how the Roman war machine
coped with formidable new foes and the challenges of
unfamiliar terrain and climate. Specially-commissioned
colour plates bring the main troop types vividly to life
in meticulously-researched detail. |
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