The siege of Constantinople in AD 717–18 was the supreme crisis of Western civilization. The Byzantine Empire had been reeling under the onslaught of Arabic imperialism since the …
In 52 BC Caesar’s continued strategy of annihilation had engendered a spirit of desperation, which detonated into a revolt of Gallic tribes under the leadership of the charismatic …
In 32 BC, the Roman Republic descended into Civil War between the forces of the Octavian in the west and the famous lovers Cleopatra and Marc Antony in the East. Acting quickly, …
Quintilius Varus, give me back my legions!' supposedly yelled Augustus Caesar when he received the news of the disaster in the Teutoburg Forest. One of the greatest military …
This volume offers an account of the origins, events and outcome of the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC, the most famous battle of the Second Punic War, during which Hannibal's much …
Forever immortalised by Shakespeare's play "Julius Caesar", the battle of Philippi was the final battle between the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian against the armies of …
In AD 312, the Roman world was divided between four emperors. The most ambitious was Constantine, who sought to eliminate his rivals and reunite the Empire. His first target was …
In its long history, the Roman Republic suffered many defeats, but none as humiliating as the Caudine Forks in the summer of 321 BC. Rome had been at war with the Samnites – one of …
In AD 132, Shim'on Ben Koseba, a rebel leader who assumed the messianic name Shim'on Bar Kokhba ('Son of a Star'), led the people of Judaea in open rebellion, aiming to establish …
In the aftermath of the murder of Gaius Julius Caesar, his self-declared successor Mark Antony struggled to hold together his legacy. Following an abortive coup attempt by Caesar’s …
