Early Roman Warfare

[Mr.Mad]

To give a quick background, I'm relatively amateur when it comes to history. I'm 19, been attending college for a year. I'm pursing a teaching degree with history as the focus, mainly because I love history of all kinds, and that is one of the few professions that seems to involve doing something I love and making money!

Like I said though, still rather amateur, so to speak. I know a lot more than say, many my age or that I go to school with, but there is still plenty I'm unsure of! Which is why this question pops up; something that has interested me greatly but I can't seem to find in my area; even my history class over the ancient western civilizations hardly touched on early Rome, and I can't find any books locally that touch on it either. Most books I have found seem to concern Rome in its Empire Era, or during the Civil Wars of the 1st Century BC.

I'm rereading a book I purchased a little while ago, (Legionary by Philip Matyszak). I enjoy the book greatly. It covers Roman military branches, formations, locations, equipment, main enemies etc. However, it does so right before Trajan moved into Dacia. Awesome indeed, but at the moment I'm looking for something decidedly...older.

Thus I was wondering if anyone could direct towards any books or even valid websites that talk of the Republic's military, and back even further. Philip's book does touch very briefly on Roman warfare in the earlier times, though how briefly it is! From what I've read of his book and more general sources, all I know is that the traditional Roman unit was a Phalanx until sometime in the 4th century BC, whenever the maniple was adopted, (if I'm wrong feel encouraged to correct me). Each maniple was 120 men, and the men fought in three ranks of maniples, hastati, principes, and triarii, with auxilia and cavalry flanking, correct or no?

Where can I go for more definitive history on both the phalanx style of combat as well as the maniple? The enemies the republic fought at the time, (as I only know of very few) a more in-depth look at the formations used, tactics, weaponry etc. Am I asking for something that too little of has been preserved? Asides from simple military, what about books regarding the laws, as well as political and common lives of the time? Are there any I can track down?

Thanks in advance for any that can help me on this!

[Marcus Aemilius Longinus]

Have you tried Goldsworthy's The Complete Roman Army. While it does focus on the imperial roman army, it neverthelss does have quite a good but small (25 pages) section on the pre marian and pre manipular army. If you could get a loan of it or find it in a library it ought to be a very good starting point.
If you are looking for something much more detailed, from looking through the bibliography of the aforementioned book there is T Cornell's The begining of Rome. Italy and Rome from the bronze age to the Punic Wars.(1000-264 BC) Which it seems can be downloaded off the internet.

Another place on the net which I would recomend havy a query at is the Roman Army Talk forum which has a good deal of people far more learned on this subject than myself.

[Blatta Optima Maxima]

I don't know how good they are, but Osprey have some bools on the early roman army. Look them up.

[Xanthippus of Sparta]

Thus I was wondering if anyone could direct towards any books or even valid websites that talk of the Republic's military, and back even further. Philip's book does touch very briefly on Roman warfare in the earlier times, though how briefly it is! From what I've read of his book and more general sources, all I know is that the traditional Roman unit was a Phalanx until sometime in the 4th century BC, whenever the maniple was adopted, (if I'm wrong feel encouraged to correct me).

Nope, this is absolutely true. The Romans fought in a pretty typical Greek-style Hoplite Phalanx.

...with skirmishers and light cavalry equipped in the Greek fashion as well. What I mean is, lightly equipped slingers and peltast type troops, and unarmored cavalry.

I've seen lower quality sources claim that the Romans switched from the "Servian" to the "Polybian" era Legion due to the Gaulish invasions and the sack of Rome...this isn't really true...the Roman wars against the Samnites had far more to do with the change to a more flexible formation.

Each maniple was 120 men, and the men fought in three ranks of maniples, hastati, principes, and triarii, with auxilia and cavalry flanking, correct or no?

A Polybian era Legion maniple contained about 120 to 160 men. Also important were the Velites, the lower class, light troops, used to skirmish with an enemy before battle with javelins. Before the battle was joined, the Velites were scatted in front of the Hastati and had the added purpose of masking Roman troop strength from an enemy commander. The Velites would then withdraw through the Roman formation as the real fight began.

The Latin and later the Italian allies would supply an equal amount of heavy infantry to the Roman force, fitting into the Roman classes. However, they were required to muster more cavalry as the Roman Equites were a small and rarely effective force.

Where can I go for more definitive history on both the phalanx style of combat as well as the maniple? The enemies the republic fought at the time, (as I only know of very few) a more in-depth look at the formations used, tactics, weaponry etc. Am I asking for something that too little of has been preserved? Asides from simple military, what about books regarding the laws, as well as political and common lives of the time? Are there any I can track down?

Thanks in advance for any that can help me on this!

Warfare in the Classical World by John Warry is a good book for beginners. Might be a little too general for you, but I'd check it out. It's cheap (I'm seeing it on Amazon now for $6 USD), and very well illustrated with diagrams, maps, and artifact photos. Breaking out my well worn copy, there's about 5 pages that explain the transition between Servian and Polybian armies. Plenty about Hoplite and phalanx warfare in general as the timeframe of the book stretches back to Myceanean Greece and continues on to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.