The De Re Militari of Vegetius
The Reception, Transmission and Legacy of a Roman Text in the Middle Ages

This book explores the medieval legacy of Vegetius' late Roman text, transformed by its readers into the authority on war.

Christopher Allmand (Author)

9781107000278, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 29 September 2011

412 pages, 15 b/w illus. 1 table
23.5 x 16 x 2.5 cm, 0.79 kg

'The De Re Militari of Vegetius is a valuable work and required reading for anyone interested in medieval military history.' Bernard S. Bachrach, War in History

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.

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 illuminations
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.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], European history [HBJD]