Before emerging as the greatest power in the Mediterranean world, Rome spent many centuries in relative obscurity, developing and refining new military tactics and structures that would set it up for unprecedented success.

Theme: Rise of the Roman legion

• Marc DeSantis, 'The Roman army of the fourth century BC - Livy's manipular legion'.
• Jeremy Armstrong, 'Considering the early Roman army - New approaches and paradigms'.
• Josh Hall, 'Rome's first steps towards empire - The Siege of Veii, 406-396 BC'.
• Michael Taylor, 'The origin of the manipular legion - Parsing the phalanx'.
• Ross Cowan, 'Pilum, hasta, gladius, and scutum - Weapons of the early legions'.

Features:

• Duncan B. Campbell, 'Soldiers, sailors, and seamen - Roman fleet personnel'.
• M.C. Bishop, 'The Roman Niederbieber helmets - Form and function'.
• Jo Ball, 'A civilian complaint from Vindolanda - Soldiers behaving badly'.
• Molly Willett, '"Able to make as good a use of night as of day" - Nighttime warfare'.
• Murray Dahm, 'Elite hoplite units in the city of Cadmus - The 300... Thebans?!'.