Vegetius

""The Military Institutions of the Romans"" is a book written by the Roman author Vegetius in the late 4th century AD. It is a comprehensive guide to the organization, training, and tactics of the Roman army during the height of its power. The book covers topics such as the selection and training of soldiers, the organization of legions and other units, the use of weapons and equipment, and the strategies employed by Roman generals in battle. Vegetius draws on his own experience as a military officer and also cites the works of earlier Roman writers such as Polybius and Julius Caesar. The book was highly influential in the medieval period and was used as a guide for the organization and training of armies throughout Europe. It remains a valuable resource for historians and military scholars today, providing insight into the military practices of one of the most successful empires in history. This is a new release of the original 1944 edition. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

2011 Reprint of 1940 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. Originally published in "Roots of Strategy," by the Military Service Publishing Company, 1940. The only Latin art of war to survive, Vegetius' treatise was for long an essential part of the medieval prince's military education. The core of his proposals, the maintenance of a highly-trained professional standing army and navy, was revolutionary for medieval Europe, while his theory of deterrence through strength remains the foundation of modern Western defense policy. The work was written just before the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, at a time when economic weakness and political disintegration threatened to undermine the strategic defensive structure that had underpinned the Roman State for so long. The main thrust of his reforms was to confront the problems of the fragmentation of the army, the barbarization of its personnel, the loss of professional skills, and the substitution of mercenaries for standing forces. The accent of the work is on the practicalities of recruiting and training new model armies (and navies) starting from scratch, and on the strategies appropriate to their use against the barbarian invaders of the period.

A real treasure for students of the art of war, this volume contains five classic works that will remain valuable as long as nations engage in conflict: Sun Tzu's ART OF WAR, the oldest military work in existence; Vegetius's MILITARY INSTITUTIONS OF THE ROMANS, the bible of European soldiers for a thousand years; De Saxe's REVERIES ON THE ART OF WAR, a call for reform that paved the way for modern armies; Frederick the Great's INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS GENERALS, the great soldier-king's theories of discipline, tactics, and strategy; and Napoleon's MILITARY MAXIMS, the distilled wisdom of teh greatest warrior of the western world.