Pages: 15-138
The author studies production of arms and armour for the Roman Imperial Army during the Principate, as well as considers specific economic relations and factors connected with Roman Imperial Army and describes the economic role of the Roman government in ensuring effectiveness of the military machine. Moreover, he considers production activities, structure and hierarchy of legionary armory shops. Description of arms and armour supplying system is based on different types of historical sources. Furthermore, the author analyses activities of private and state-owned arms manufacturers and “vagrant” groups of craftsmen. Special chapters are devoted to organizational and technological aspects of arms and armour production.
Problems related to the armament production for the Roman army are important for those studying combat effectiveness of the Roman military machine, economic and technological level of the Romans, and complex organization of arms and armour supplying. Armament production of the Principate seems to be a complex phenomenon. One can conclude that the main armament production was focused on those areas that have been well provided with the raw material base and had a long-standing tradition of the armory craft. In addition, areas of armament production were placed in the strategically important sectors of the Roman frontier region. However, regional features in the armour decoration show how products of private craftsmen and their workshops were in demand among individual customers. These workshops of the Principate favorably differed from the later state armories, because late Roman workshops performed standardized large-scale orders to meet the needs of the increasing army.
Keywords: Roman army, armament, military reform, military-industrial complex
Information about author:
Andrey Negin (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N. I. Lobachevsky. Rimsky-Korsakov St., 42, Nizhny Novgorod, 603054, Russia.
E-mail: [email protected]