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Trajan's Campaigns in Parthia


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I am very much interested in getting hold of some literature with a detailed account of Trajan's campaign in Parthia including the sacking of Ctesiphon etc. I am not aware of any classical works on the subject but that would be my main preference. Modern works will do nicely too. Thanks in advance

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I am very much interested in getting hold of some literature with a detailed account of Trajan's campaign in Parthia including the sacking of Ctesiphon etc. I am not aware of any classical works on the subject but that would be my main preference. Modern works will do nicely too. Thanks in advance

 

Unfortunately, there aren't many choices because even the ancient source material is scantly preserved. Trajan's Parthian War by F A Lepper (Oxford Press, 1948) would qualify if you can find it.

 

WorldCat library list of other titles relating to Trajan.

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The manica (forearm) and ocrea (greaves) became fairly common in the Dacian campaigns due to the Dacian Falx.

 

That's what I've read, but were they in evidence before then?

 

Greaves had been used in various periods/campaigns before. The manica, however, while long being utilized in gladiatorial (Murmillo) combat, seems to have been first introduced during the Dacian campaigns. As far as I am aware, there is no evidence of its military use prior to being depicted on Trajan's Column in Rome and the Tropaeum Traiani at Adamclisi. There have been claims that certain segmented armor finds at Newstead (in Caledonia) might be manica, but even if so, this post-dates the Dacian campaigns by some 40 to 80 years.

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