Epitoma Rei Militaris

Flavius Vegetius Renatus, the 4th century AD writer on military matters, was more well known during the Middle Ages than today. His Epitoma Rei Militaris was a kind of Vademecum for many kings and generals. Writers on military training and tactics used Vegetius as a source for their own treatises on these subjects. The Epitoma is found in over 300 manuscripts in Latin, in other European languages and in English. Printed editions are more scarce, especially in English. Lt. John Clarke prepared an English translation in 1767 directed mainly to military personnel. This has been printed in part in this century. Carolus Lang prepared a critical text of the Latin in 1885. Stelten's book is an updated Latin text and a complete English translation.

The date of Vegetius' Epitoma Rei Militaris, addressed to an unnamed emperor, has been the subject of vigorous debate. Although this military text is most often assigned to Theodosius the Great, this volume questions the likelihood of this belief and concludes that a fifth-century date might be preferable. Vegetius in Context examines the polemical nature of the Epitoma, the role of the emperor in late antiquity, the way in which emperors were addressed, attitudes to barbarization and religion, the use of propaganda, the changing political nature of the Empire, and, of course, pertinent military issues. In particular, the volume looks at the works and ideology of numerous authors from late antiquity, including historians, ecclesiastical writers, poets and panegyrists. A firm tenet of the research methodology is that it is necessary to establish an accurate picture of late-antique military, religious and political discourse in order to divine the most likely milieu into which the Epitoma should be placed - thus 'Vegetius in context', as the title suggests.

Vegetius' late Roman text became a well-known and highly respected 'classic' in the Middle Ages, transformed by its readers into the authority on the waging of war. Christopher Allmand analyses the medieval afterlife of the De Re Militari, tracing the growing interest in the text from the Carolingian world to the late Middle Ages, suggesting how the written word may have influenced the development of military practice in that period. While emphasising that success depended on a commander's ability to outwit the enemy with a carefully selected, well-trained and disciplined army, the De Re Militari inspired other unexpected developments, such as that of the 'national' army, and helped create a context in which the role of the soldier assumed greater social and political importance. Allmand explores the significance of the text and the changes it brought for those who accepted the implications of its central messages.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1885 Edition.