We are accustomed to think of the late Republic as a period in which Rome enjoyed almost uninterrupted military success against foreign enemies. Yet at the start of the first century BC, Rome, outnumbered and out-generalled, faced a hostile army less than a week's march from the Capitol. It is probable that only a swift surrender prevented the city from being attacked and sacked. Before that point, three Roman consuls had died in battle, and two Roman armies had been soundly defeated - not in some foreign field, but in the heartland of Italy. So who were this enemy who so comprehensively knocked Rome to its knees? What army could successfully challenge the legions which had been undefeated from Spain to the Euphrates? And why is that success almost unknown today? These questions are answered in this book, a military and political history of the Social War of 90-88BC. SELLING POINTS: ? The Social War was one of the toughest fought by the Roman republic, threatened by a tough enemy that fought using the same tactics and equipment as the Roman legions ? Dramatic narrative combining big personalities (Cicero, Cato, Marius, Sulla and Pompey), political intrigue, assassination and full-scale warfare. ? Author's fast-paced and accessible style has gained him a growing following 8 pages of plates
