Synopses & Reviews
Vegetius' late Roman text became a well known and highly respected 'classic' in the Middle Ages, transformed by its readers into the authority on the waging of war. Christopher Allmand analyses the medieval afterlife of the De Re Militari, tracing the growing interest in the text from the Carolingian world to the late Middle Ages, suggesting how the written word may have influenced the development of military practice in that period. While emphasising that success depended on a commander's ability to outwit the enemy with a carefully selected, well trained and disciplined army, the De Re Militari inspired other unexpected developments, such as that of the 'national' army, and helped create a context in which the role of the soldier assumed greater social and political importance. Allmand explores the significance of the text and the changes it brought for those who accepted the implications of its central messages.
Synopsis
This book explores the medieval legacy of Vegetius' late Roman text, transformed by its readers into the authority on war.
Synopsis
Vegetius' late Roman text became a best-selling military 'classic' in the Middle Ages, and this fascinating study explores its reception and transmission. Although always read principally as a work offering practical military advice, the text was also transformed into an authority on war and inspired unexpected developments in the medieval world.
About the Author
Christopher Allmand is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Liverpool. He has published widely on the history of war and medieval society, including The Hundred Years War: England and France at War c.1300-c.1450 (Cambridge University Press, 1988) and The New Cambridge Medieval History, Volume 7: c.1415-c.1500 (as editor, Cambridge University Press, 1998).
Table of Contents
Part I. The Medieval Reception: 1. General remarks on the manuscripts; 2. Analysis of the manuscripts; 3. A particular response to the De Re Militari... and its influence; 4. Bedfellows; 5. Owners and their texts; Part II. The Transmission: 6. Particular uses of the De Re Militari; 7. Translations; 8. Texts, drawings and illumination; 9. Excerpts; 10. Vegetius in print; Part III. The Legacy: The De Re Militari in Medieval Thought and Practice: 11. The development of Vegetian influence.