Product Description

Frontinus, Sextus Iulius, ca. 35–103 CE, was a capable Roman civil officer and military commander. Praetor of the city in 70 and consul in 73 or 74, 98 and 100, he was, about the year 76, sent to Britain as governor. He quelled the Silures of Wales, and began to build a road through their territory; his place was taken by Agricola in 78. In 97 he was given the highly esteemed office of Manager of Aqueducts at Rome. He is known to have been an augur, being succeeded by his friend Pliny the younger.

The two sides of Frontinus's public career are reflected in his two surviving works. 'Strategemata', Stratagems, written after 84, gives examples of military stratagems from Greek and Roman history, for the instruction of Roman officers, in three books; the fourth book is concerned largely with military discipline. 'De Aquis urbis Romae', The Aqueducts of Rome, written in 97–98, gives some historical details and a description of the aqueducts for the water supply of the city, with laws relating to them. Frontinus aimed at being useful and writes in a rather popular style which is both simple and clear.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #730935 in Books
• Published on: 1925-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 544 pages

Language Notes
Text: Latin, English (translation)

Customer Reviews

The ROman equivalent of Sun Tzu
The Strategems is a little-known work that is filled with cunning tricks used by ancient generals. Unfortunately Frontinus' other work, the "Art of War" doesn't survive. But the Strategems is still a very interesting piece of literature, reminding me of Sun Tzu in many ways. Also look out for Aeneas Tacticus, Onasander and Asclepiodotus in Loeb, for other military manuals from ancient times!

One perspective on the Aqueducts
The famous quote of Frontinus, commissioner of public water works under Trajan:
"With such an array of indispensable structures carrying so many waters, compare, if you will, the idle Pyramids or the useless, though famous, works of the Greeks!" Perhaps the Aqueducts of Rome, with its scientific shortcomings, does not have the audience of the Strategems. But it shows that those Romans knew how to get things done: a city of one million had a water supply comparable to a metropolis today. The famous quote recalls the effort of the Romans to distinguish their culture by outdoing all others in utility and sheer size.