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valexylix

Book about logistics of the Roman Army

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I wonder whether to propose a project research in a Archaeology PhD about logistics in the Roman Army, especially from the Second Punit War to the 1st century AD. I'd like to focus on the food production and how the legions managed food supply during campaigns, so I'd compare an example from the Middle Republic (Second Punic War) and one from the principate (campaign against the Germans, likely). 

I know that there are some good books about logistics, like The Logistics of the Roman Army at War and Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the Macedonian Army, that even if it's not about the Roman period provides tons of information about the logistics of an ancient army. Do you know other books, maybe focusing on the archaeological evidences?

Edited by valexylix

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My advice is to wary of those preaching organisation and modernesque paradigms. The Romans managed to supply their troops quite well, but note their are plenty of examples of where their organsiation failed. I'm thinking of Caesar in Africa. He had arranged for a re-supply by ship, but despite waiting at the destination for a while, the ships never came. He was forced to move on to allow his troops something to forage. The idea that Romans used supply lines in modern fashion is quite wrong. Nonetheless, the subject is fascinating.

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Yes, I think that providing examples of failures in the supply chain could help to understand the inherent problems of that and to avoid anachornistic comparisons with modern times. Thanks for your suggestion!

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