In this companion, Erdkamp (ancient history, Leiden U., The Netherlands) presents 29 chapters that recount the history of the Roman army from Early Rome to the Late Roman Empire. European and North American contributors in the fields of classics, history, and archaeology describe the army as an instrument of combat as well as a component of Roman society, economy, and politics. They consider how it was a fighting force, the mobilization of human and material resources, the relationship between army, politics, and empire, and the relationship between the armies and the civilian population. Topics include warfare, recruitment, colonization, reform and restructure, strategy, finances, logistics, propaganda, demography, and religions. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)