The Roman Barbarian Wars · the Era of Roman Conquest

The history of the ‘barbarian’ peoples of Europe is filled with dramatic wars and migrations along with charismatic and often farsighted leaders. Inevitably, their greatest challenge was their struggle with the renowned military might of Rome. Even when outnumbered and faced by better equipped and trained Roman legions, the barbarians could inflict devastating defeats upon Rome. Though sometimes fickle in battle, the barbarian warrior was capable of reckless bravery. The Romans themselves admired the size and strength of the barbarians, which, combined with a life of hardship and intertribal warfare, made them dangerous opponents.

As Rome grew from a small city state to the mightiest empire of the west, her dominion was contested not only by the civilizations of the Mediterranean, but also by the "barbarians"-the tribal peoples of Europe. The Celtic, the Spanish-Iberian and the Germanic tribes lacked the pomp and grandeur of Rome, but they were fiercely proud of their freedom and gave birth to some of Rome's greatest adversaries. Romans and barbarians, iron legions and wild tribesmen, clashed in dramatic battles on whose fate hinged the existence of entire peoples and at times, the future of Rome.

Far from reducing the legions and tribes to names and numbers, the "Roman Barbarian Wars, the Era of Roman Conquest" reveals how they fought and how they lived and what their world was like. Through his exhaustive research and lively text, Ludwig H. Dyck immerses the reader into the epic world of the Roman barbarian wars.