Classical Rome/Greece/Carthage Ancient Warfare & Politics Source Listing:

Note: One to Three Star ratings ( - - ) denote superior or more interesting modern/contemporary works.

This is a complete listing provided directly by Joe Bisio used to create his huge amount of maps and scenarios. Great Job and thank you for sharing it with us!!!

The Original Annals of the Ancient Authors (with modern publisher & title noted)

Carthage, Hannibal, and the Punic Wars:

The Classical Greeks, Alexander and After:

Caesar, the Romans, and the Gallic & Civil Wars:

SPQR & onwards to 1st Century BC: Roman Politics & The End of the Republic:

Sulla: The Last Republican by Arthur Keaveney
The Gracchi, Marius, and Sulla by A.H. Beesley
Sulla the Fortunate: Roman General and Dictator by G.P. Baker
Swords Against the Senate: by Erik Hildinger
From Republic to Empire The Roman Civil War 44BC-27BC* by W.W. Tarn & Charlesworth
Rubicon: The Last Years of The Roman Republic by Tom Holland
The Roman Revolution*: by Ronald Syme//     Republican Rome by H.L. Havell
The Army in the Roman Revolution* by Arthur Keaveney
Pompey the Great * by Robin Seager (Gives Magnus his due)
“Looking For the Emperor” by Mary Beard article in the NY Review of Books Nov 8, 2007
The Roman Triumph* by Mary Beard (Good stuff here on Roman-style “invented history”)
In the Name of Rome: The Men who won the Roman Empire* by Adrian Goldsworthy
Scipio Aemillianus* by A.E, Astin (a bio of a key 2nd Century BC Roman—he burned Carthage)
The Defeat of Rome in the East: Crassus, Carrhae, and the Invasion of the East by Gareth Sampson
Spartacus: The Myth and the Man by M.J. Trow (so-so the author keeps wandering off the subject)
Spartacus and the Slave Wars: A Brief History with Documents by Brent D. Shaw

Misc. & General Classical Ancient Military Books

Battles of the Greek and Roman World** by John Drogo Montagu (Great Resource Book!)
Lost Battles ** by Philip Sabin (Came out Jan 2008 interesting ancient battle analysis)
The Roman Army at War ***100BC-200AD by Adrian Goldsworthy (Romans in combat!)
Warfare in Antiquity* by Hans Delbruck
Battles of the Bible by Chaim Herzog & Mordechai Gichon
The Enemies of Rome: From Hannibal to Attila the Hun by Philip Matyszak
Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War by Jane Penrose
Greek and Roman Naval Warfare by W.L. Rodgers
Strategy by B.H. Liddell Hart pages 27 to 74 in the 1961 Edition
The Great Captains by T.A. Dodge pages 1 to 106 in the 1995 B & N Edition
War in the Shadows: The Guerilla in History Volume 1 by Robert B. Asprey pages 3 to 52
The Encyclopedia of Military History by Dupuy & Dupuy pages 16 to191
Soldiers & Ghosts by J.E. Lendon    //      War Elephants by John Kister & Richard Lair
Warfare in the Classical World by John Gibson Warry
Warfare in the Ancient World by Brian Todd Carey
Ancient Siege Warfare by Paul Bentley Kern// The Complete Roman Army by Adrian Goldsworthy
The Roman Army: A Social & Institutional History* by Pat Southern  (good detail)
Military History of the Western World Volume I: From the Earliest Times to the Battle of Lepanto
(The above is part of a 3 volume Military History set by Major-General JFC Fuller) 

Generalized & Specialized Misc. Classical Ancient History

The Cambridge Ancient History** (Multi-volume series work, part covers the Classical Era, check out Volume IV onwards for the Classical & Roman Imperial Eras, this is a key recognized & integrated source for otherwise obscure events, battles, and wars).
The Ancient Economy by M.I. Finley
A Guide to the Ancient World-A Dictionary of Classical Place Names by Michael Grant
Piracy in the Ancient World by H.A. Ormerod
The Celts by Gerhard Herm
Alexander to Actium: The Historical Evolution of the Hellenistic Age by Peter Green
The Hellenistic World by F.W. Walbank
Roman Realities by Finley Hooper

Imperial Roman & Byzantine:

Trajan’s Column and the Dacian Wars* by Lino Rossi
Boudica by Vanessa Collingridge (this is pretty awful—but offers some interesting details)
The Life of Belisarius* by Lord Mahon (classic—but dated)
The Twelve Caesars by Michael Grant // The Roman Empire Divided 400-700AD by John Moorhead  
Caligula: The Corruption of Power by Anthony Barrett (author says he wasn’t Super-Bad)
The Roman Empire by Colin Wells //  69 AD: The Year of the Four Emperors by Gwyn Morgan  
The Roman Imperial Army of the 1st and 2nd Centuries AD by Graham Webster
The Imperial Roman Army by Yann Le Bohec
Warfare in Roman Europe AD350-425 by Hugh Elton
The Late Roman Army by Pat Southern and Karen Dixon
Roman Imperial Civilisation by Harold Mattingly
The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire by Edward Luttwak (his ideas are a bit dodgy)

Historical & Semi-Historical Fiction (these provide some insight to the times & events)

Hannibals’s Lieutenant by Robert S. Capps (not very good—poorly written)
Pride of Carthage*** by David Anthony Durham (Great Stuff!! ‘inspired’ by the 2nd Punic War)
Battles and Bloodshed by Albert Oebaan pages 7 to 51 (atmosphere for Metaurus & Teutoburger)
The Last King by Michael Curtis Ford (so-so & mixed- deals with Mithridates fighting Rome)
Count Belisarius* by Robert Graves (OK, done well)// Maccabee by David C. Carson
Julian* by Gore Vidal (great historical novel on the last pagan/non-Christian Roman Emperor)
Salammbo by Gustave Flaubert (not really too historical, but offers lots of bloody atmosphere)
The Sword of Hannibal by Terry McCarthy (This is really bad fiction—trash not even good trash)

Ancient Alternate History Fiction (These two titles are above average for what they are middling to good speculative alternate history trash fiction, nothing more)

Hannibal’s Children* by John Maddox Roberts (an alternate history novel—“what if” Hannibal had beaten Rome and forced the Romans into exile over the Alps—the Romans return to Italy in circa 100BC with an eye towards revenge against the now sprawling and corrupt empire of Carthage)
The Seven Hills* by John Maddox Roberts (Hannibal’s Children continued with a 3rd book promised)

Colleen McCullough’s Seven Volume Roman Republican Historical Fiction 110BC to 27 BC

The First Man in Rome* by Colleen McCullough (introduces Marius & Sulla in 110 BC onwards to circa 100 BC contending to reach the top of the political game in Rome)
The Grass Crown** by Colleen McCullough (great account of the Social War)
  Fortune’s Favorites* by Colleen McCullough  //  Caesar’s Women by Colleen McCullough
Caesar* by Colleen McCullough (her hero Caesar is a bit too perfect here !!)
The October Horse* by Colleen McCullough (ends up at Philippi 42BC)
Antony and Cleopatra* by Colleen McCullough (includes coverage of Antony vs. the Parthians)

Some Classical Ancient Wargame Resources:

Classical Hack Series Scenarios particularly the “Rome” one by Philip J. Viverito
Tyrant Module by GMT Games/Designed by David Fourie
Alexander Deluxe; Great Battles of History by GMT Games/Mark Herman/Richard Berg
Caesar:  Battles of the Civil Wars 48-45BC by GMT Games/Mark Herman/Richard Berg
SPQR: Art of War of the Roman Republic by GMT Games/Mark Herman/Richard Berg
SPQR Players guide by GMT Games et. al.
C3I Magazine by GMT Games ---Various Issues in support of the Great Battles of History
Trajan/Ancient War Series by Decision Games/Joe Miranda
Sword of Rome by GMT Games/ Roger MacGowan
Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage** by AH/Monarch reissued by Valley Games
Successors: The Battles for Alexander’s Empire: by AH/Monarch to be reissued by GMT Games
Imperium Romanvm II: by West End Games/Albert Nofi
Caesar’s Legions by AH/Monarch-- Long out-of-print
Druid: Boudica’s Rebellion 61 AD by West End Games/Rich Berg
Hell Hath No Fury by 3W in the Wargamer #39
The Republic of Rome by AH/Monarch & Berthold, Haines, and Greenwood (may be reissued)
I-Magic Computer Game: The Great Battles Collectors Edition** (Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar)

Dirty Old man Stuff!!:

Sexual Life in Ancient Greece by Hans Licht
Sexual Life in Ancient Rome by Otto Kiefer

Command Magazine Classical Ancient History Articles & Games:

Issue #10   “Alexandros: Conquest and Empire” Cover Article and accompanying game
Issue #15  “I Am Spartacus”* Cover Article and accompanying game
Issue #19: “Pyrrhic Victory”
Issue #24 “Backing Into Empire: The Growth of Rome”
Issue #26 “Return to the Teutoburger”
Issue #27: ‘The Pylos Affair: The Spartans Caught In Their Own Trap”
Issue #31 “Roman Anarchy: 235-285AD”
Issue #35  “The Battle of Marathon”
Issue #36 “The Romans Enter Spain”**
Issue #39  “Alexander’s Hydaspes Campaign”
Issue #44 “ Athenian Stalingrad: The Expedition to Syracuse”*
Issue #45    “Hadrian & The Revolt of Bar-Kochba”
Issue #47: “Attila the Hun: The Scourge of God”
Issue #47: “Petra: A Short Military History of the Ancient Nabataeans”

Ancient Warfare Magazine: (Great & Relatively New Publication !!)

Volume I, Issue 1 June/July 2007--Cover Theme: Campaigns of Agricola
Volume I, Issue 2 Sept/Oct 2007—Cover Themes: Daily Life & Magnesia 190 BC
Volume I, Issue 3 Oct/Nov 2007—Cover Themes: Shields, helmets, and armor & Boudica
Volume I, Issue 4 Dec/Jan 2007—Cover Theme: The Roman Conquest of Spain 218 BC to 19 BC*
Volume II, Issue 1 Feb/Mar 2008--Cover Themes: Light Infantry & The Battle of Dara 530 AD*
Volume II, Issue 2 April/May 2008-- Cover Themes: Victory and Defeat & Phalanx vs Legion*
Volume II, Issue 3 June/July 2008—Cover Theme—Age of the Trireme

‘Historical” Video/DVD/Movie List for Collectors:

General Ancient Video/DVD:

“Decisive Battles of the Ancient World” History Channel (2006 DVD –covers 13 battles)
“Great Generals of the Ancient World”  (Covers Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar)
“Rome: Power & Glory” (documentary 1998 covers the whole sweep of Roman history in six shows)
“Romulus & Remus” (1961) (stars Steve Reeves a noted body-builder of the era who also appeared in the campy Hercules movies of a couple or three years before: “Hercules” and “Hercules Unchained”)
Greeks & Alexander the Great Video/DVD:
“Troy” with Brad Pitt, Eric Banna, and Orlando Bloom (No Gods present, but actually not that bad)
“The 300 Spartans” with Richard Egan & Ralph Richardson (1961-with a Cold War sub-context)
“History Channel-Last Stand of the 300-The Legendary battle of Thermopylae” (documentary)
“The Spartans” (2003 PBS documentary) //  “300” (Based on the Graphic novel comic-book)
“Alexander Revisited: the Final Cut” directed by Oliver Stone (improvement on the original movie)
“Alexander the Great” with Richard Burton, Fredric March, and Claire Bloom
“Alexander the Great” with Joseph Cotton, John Cassavetes, and William Shatner (of ‘Star Trek’ fame)
“The True Story of Alexander the Great” (circa 2004 History Channel documentary)

Hannibal & Carthage Video/DVD:

“Hannibal” with Victor Mature Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer (so-so, but good crossing the Alps scenes)
“Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal “ (Fascist Italy’s 1937 Spectacular Epic)
History Channel: The True Story of Hannibal
History Channel: Decisive Battles-Cannae
“Revak the Rebel” (1963-silly Jack Palance film that features the Carthaginians as the bad guys)

Spartacus Video/DVD:

“Spartacus” with Kirk Douglas & Laurence Olivier (I’m Spartacus, no I’m Spartacus !!)
“Spartacus”: the Complete TV mini-series with Goran Visnjic
“Spartacus”: Decisive Battles of History—from the History Channel series

SPQR, Caesar & the End of the Roman Republic Video/DVD:

HBO’s “Rome” Seasons 1 and 2*** (a total of 22 episodes, simply the BEST, Hail Caesar !!…)
Julius Caesar (2003)* with Jeremy Sisto & Richard Harris a TNT Cable TV mini-series production
 “Julius Caesar” with Marlon Brando & James Mason (Shakespeare’s Play in movie form 1953)
“Julius Caesar” with Charlton Heston & Jill Bennett (Shakespeare’s Play in movie form circa 1970)
“Augustus” with Peter O’Toole directed by Rodger Young
History Channel Presents- Julius Caesar’s Rome (circa 2004-05 Documentary)
“Druids” (2001) with Christopher Lambert, directed by Jacques Dorfman (despite the title it’s the story of Vercingetorix—and its supposed to be awful as a movie—but the costumes are nice)
“Empire”—8 part ABC TV mini-series on the Republic to Empire (reputed to be just really bad)

Ancient Major Babes: Cleopatra Video/DVD:

“Caesar and Cleopatra” (1946) with Claude Rains and Vivian Leigh
“Cleopatra” with Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison (the classic Cleopatra movie)
“Cleopatra” with Billy Zane, Timothy Dalton, Rupert Graves
A & E Biography “Cleopatra-Destiny’s Queen”  (documentary/ bio)
“Cleopatra-First Woman of Power” (1999) (documentary/ bio)

Ancient Major Babes: Boudica Video/DVD

“The Viking Queen” with Don Murray, Carita, Donald Houston, Andrew Kerr (nothing to do with Vikings—rather this is a low budget 1967 picture about Boudica’s revolt—quite good for the budget)
“Warrior Queen” (2003) with Alex Kingston & Steven Waddington (another bad Boudica movie)
“Boudica-Warrior Queen” (2005) (documentary/bio—but tilts towards the Romans for a change)

Roman Imperial Era Video/DVD:

“Gladiator” with Russell Crowe (at start a great atmosphere of a campaign against the Germans)
“Ben Hur” with Charlton Heston (an OK naval battle and better chariot race)
 “I Claudius” (Original Masterpiece Theatre mini-series from the 1970’s, a classic for its time)
“Imperium: Nero” with Hans Matheson (famous tyrant tied to a doubtful early Christian story overlay)
“Masada”: The Complete TV mini-series with Peter O’Toole & Peter Strauss (last stand of the Jewish Revolt circa 70 AD—filmed on the actual site of Masada in Israel)
“Attilia” with Gerard Butler and Powers Boothe (supposed to be pretty good for a movie on the Hun)

Last and not the Least: VERY EXPENSIVE Ancient History Books (at Amazon prices):

Warfare in the Ancient Near East by W.J. Hamblin --$105.00 new
Truceless War: Carthage’s Fight For Survival 241-237 BC by Dexter Hoyos $149.00 new
The Cambridge History of Greek & Roman Warfare (2 volume set):>>>>>>
by Philip Sabin & Michael Whitby---$ 440.00 new for both volumes together
A Greek Army on the March: Soldiers and Survival in Xenophons’s Anabasis by John W.I. Lee $99.00
A Companion to the Roman Army by Paul Erdkamp $174.95 new
War in the Hellenistic World: A Social and Cultural History by Angelos Chaniotis $ 81.95 new
Military Theory and Practice in the Age of Xenophon by JK Anderson (1970) $ 201.25 used
Sulla, the Elites, and the Empire: A Study of Roman Policies in Italy and the Greek Near East >>>>
by Frederico Santangelo (300 pages) $ 139.00 Amazon price
The Marshals of Alexander’s Empire by Waldemar Heckel $81.90 Amazon Price
The Legacy of Alexander: Politics, Warfare, and Propaganda Under the Successors>>>>>
by A.B. Bosworth $ 103.47 new $ 45.00 used