Yann Le Bohec, Das römische Heer in der Späten Kaiserzeit, Stuttgart 2010

This work by the French historian of Antiquity Yann Le Bohec (original title: L’armée romaine sous le Bas-Empire, Paris 2006) expands the topic of the Roman army to the 4^th and 5^th centuries AD. As an introduction, the author offers a brief commentary on the chronological frame of the work, the state of research, and the source material used.

The content starts with a historical overview of the reigns of Diocletian (Chapter I: 284–305), Constantine I (Chapter II: 306–337), Constantius II, and Julian (Chapter III: 337–363). Each chapter lists military conflicts chronologically, changes and reforms within the Roman army are briefly named and explained, after which the author draws conclusions for each of the respective reigns individually. In Chapter IV, Le Bohec deals with the topic of recruitment, its organization and implementation, since recruiting behavior changed sociologically and, above all, geographically in the 3^rd century. Chapter V deals briefly with the structure of the Roman army. It also includes comments on the general troop strength, especially for the individual sections on the legions, auxiliary troops, numeri, and the Roman navy.

Chapter VI deals with the multi-level hierarchy of the army, outlining the various tasks and responsibilities in order of authority and – supported by archaeological and written evidence – presents several examples of military careers. Chapter VII briefly addresses military infrastructure, primarily looking into the construction of military camps and fortresses. However, information on usable civil infrastructure however is completely missing. Chapter VIII lists numerous means of preparation for victory under the heading “Tactics”, including not only equipment and exercises but also military logistics, diplomacy, and reconnaissance. Chapter IX deals with various forms of combat in terms of tactics, including field battles, sieges, and sea combat. Chapters X–XII are dedicated to the strategic components in the various military and geographically important areas, including northwestern Europe, the Danube border areas, the eastern borders, and the border areas in northern Africa and Spain. Chapter XII provides an overview of the role of the military in various areas of politics, economics, and religion. Chapter XIV outlines the reign of the co-emperors Valentinian I and Valens (364–378), during which the Roman Empire and its military had to face major military challenges. The last, fifteenth chapter presents the direct consequences of the migration movement of different ethno-cultural groups and its effects on the two halves of the Imperium Romanum, whereby the author focuses on the western half, where the slow process of dissolution continued up until the mid-5^th century. The eastern half of the empire, the foundation of what we know consider Eastern Roman Empire, is treated only briefly. Instead of a conclusion, Le Bohec tries to explain and understand the historical events he outlines in his book by putting together various mutually dependent factors from different areas at the end of the work.

L’armée romaine sous le Bas-Empire by Le Bohec appears in its present form as a compact guide to the Roman military and its role in the Roman state and society of the 4^th and 5^th centuries AD, during which complex changes in the Imperium Romanum came to be reflected in its military system. Because of its broad thematic diversity, this work has the potential to improve our understanding of the complex historical events of the late imperial era.