Deploying a Roman Army: The Ektaxis kat' Alanōn of Arrian

The Ektaxis kat' Alanōn ("Deployment Against the Alans") is a work of unusual importance written by the Roman consul Arrian. It takes the form of a series of instructions, whose aim is firstly to assemble into marching order a variety of individually named military units (identifiable as part of the Hadrianic garrison of the Roman province of Cappadocia), and secondly to deploy them in line of battle against a mounted foe, the Alans of the title. A third section then gives advice on how the battle should unfold.Only a single copy of the work survives, preserved in a tenth-century manuscript, and the Greek text has required occasional emendation in order to clarify Arrian's original meaning. This volume presents an improved Greek text, the first since 1928, with a Loeb-style facing-page English translation. As well as an in-depth introduction to Arrian, his work, and his governorship of Cappadocia, there is also, for the first time ever, a detailed 130-page commentary on the Ektaxis. The volume is fully indexed and will be of interest to students and scholars of Arrian, as well as Roman army enthusiasts. Read more