This latest volume in the Roman Conquests: series deals with some of the best known Roman campaigns of all. Indeed, due to the involvement of Julius Caesar and the commentaries he wrote upon them, these are some of the most studied of any ancient campaigns. Before Caesar, however, Rome had already established a foothold across the Alps in Gaul (the Province, modern Provence) and Michael M Sage starts with these early acquisitions which were largely reactive and defensive. The Gauls were one of the great warrior societies of ancient Europe and some of Rome's heaviest defeats were suffered here at the end of the second century BC. This context makes all the more remarkable the dazzling success of the audacious campaigns, just half a century later, by which Caesar rapidly completed the initial conquest of the rest of Gaul. The subsequent revolts that soon occurred, culminating in the great unified rising under Vercingetoriz, are also covered in detail, with the epic siege of Alesia as the dramatic climax. Michael Sage narrates and analyses all these campaigns, showing how the Roman war machine was able ultimately able to overcome vastly superior of Celtic warriors to extend Rome's rule from the Mediterranean to the English Channel. AUTHOR: Michael M. Sage gained his doctorate in Classics from Toronto University in 1973. After a long teaching career at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, he is now Emeritus Professor of Classics. His previous works include Warfare in Ancient Greece: A Sourcebook and The Republican Roman Army: A Sourcebook. SELLING POINTS: ? Covers the most famous Roman campaigns of conquests of them all thanks to Julius Caesar's involvement (his own writings being our main source of knowledge) ? How did Roman armies overcome superior numbers of the Gauls, themselves a ferocious warrior culture? ? Specially commissioned artworks show the main troop types. ILLUSTRATIONS: 8 pages of colour plates *
