De Rebus Bellicis |
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| Author:
| Auctoris, Anonymi |
| Editor:
| Price, T. |
| ISBN: | 978-1-9759-4655-5 |
| Publication Date: | Aug 2017 |
| Publisher: | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
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| Book Format: | Paperback |
| List Price: | USD $5.99 |
Book Description:
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The anonymous illustrated pamphlet De rebus bellicis consists of a series of suggestions for reforming the Roman Empire. It was written after the reign of Constantine, which ended with his death on May 22, AD 337, but before the battle of Adrianople fought on August 9, AD 378 between an army of the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels.
The author proposes reforms of Imperial financial policy, of the currency, of provincial administration, of the army, and of the law. The...
More Description
The anonymous illustrated pamphlet De rebus bellicis consists of a series of suggestions for reforming the Roman Empire. It was written after the reign of Constantine, which ended with his death on May 22, AD 337, but before the battle of Adrianople fought on August 9, AD 378 between an army of the Eastern Roman Emperor Valens and Gothic rebels.
The author proposes reforms of Imperial financial policy, of the currency, of provincial administration, of the army, and of the law. The writer describes a number of new mechanical contrivances which in his opinion ought to form part of the equipment of the Roman army. To facilitate the task of constructing them he included in his treatise drawings of what these contrivances should look like when completed. More or less faithful copies of his drawings have survived in several of the manuscripts.
A brief work which would have had small chance of survival on its own, De rebus bellicis survived in the Codex Spirensis, a collection of thirteen different texts, which was noticed by scholars in the early 15th century, and copied several times. Though the "original" Codex Spirensis was later lost, De rebus bellicis, and some of the other texts in the codex which did not exist elsewhere, including the Notitia dignitatum, survived through the copies made at that time. These copies included faithful renditions of the original illustrations.
The images are all included in this edition and are especially notable because they are copies of late Roman book illustrations, very few of which have survived. The simple Latin and the uniquely fascinating subject matter make this text a wonderful addition to the library of the student of Latin.
Other Latin works for a reasonable price which may interest you; Roman Geographer, Pomponiu Mela, Pomponii Melae de Chorographia Libri Tres, search on ISBN-10: 1981506969 Another famous late-Latin work on military matters, which is written in very easy Latin, Renatus' Epitoma ISBN-13: 978-1983653223 The Romans developed a high standard of medical knowledge in the treatment of wounds on the battlefield, Celsus' De Medicina covers all aspects of Roman medicine in exceptionally lucid Latin ISBN-10: 154137455X