ABSTRACT

This epilogue discusses each of the chapters in the volume; it outlines their impact, highlights points of contention, and contextualizes them within the current field of Roman Republican military history. Major themes include: how the Roman army and its leadership responded to the changing nature of Rome’s military challenges; the financing, financial benefits, and economic imperatives of Roman warfare; group and individual motives to fight and the citizens’ relationship to the state vis-à-vis military service; the effect of warfare on Roman politics, both internal and in relation to the Italian allies; and the ideological dimensions of war. The epilogue also touches on the some of the areas that are not as well represented – both in the volume and in the current discipline – thus gesturing to potential important directions for future study. Notably, there is no chapter dedicated to a particular battle, analyzing a campaign, or tracing the strategies pursued by the belligerents in a war – the traditional stuff of military history and areas that continue to dominate popular literature. The future of the field should include scholarly engagement with these topics that continue to resonate with a general audience.