Imperial General: The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis

Imperial general : the remarkable career of Petellius Cerialis

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Imperial General - The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis, Philip Matyszak

As it happens, some of them had careers that we can still trace among the struggles that surrounded them. One such person was Petellius Cerialis.

He, more than any of the others, has become the focus of Philip Matyszak's latest book, Imperial General. The stated aims of this book are to outline the military career of Cerialis, to describe the tumultuous events which he experienced, and to understand exactly what an imperial general was. It is remarkable that we can do that.

Our sources tell us virtually nothing about individual soldiers or their deeds, and even those with the responsibility to lead them barely get a mention. To properly understand an animal, one must know the environment in which it lives.

For that reason then we read about more than one commander of Rome's legions, discovering what sort of people they were, what sort of lives they led, how they were always at the mercy of murderous intrigue, always at risk of becoming the centre of intrigue themselves. A man who survives a dangerous period of history can do so either by dominating those around him, or by avoiding unwanted attention. Is it any wonder the Roman general who lasts the course is a surprisingly shy beast?

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The last third of the book is devoted to extensive footnotes. Here the reader can check the author's sources and find inspiration for further study.

There are plenty of black and white photographs to enliven the reading with some visual aids. The author writes in a style that is clear and erudite without being totally dry.

Phillip Matyszak, Imperial General: The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis (Roberts)

His attempt to humanize the individual behind the faceless legions largely succeeds. The section on Republican generals includes a brief but well organized list of generals both mythical and historical.

The intent was to set the stage for the conflicts of the first century CE but this section, especially the early republican period, could have been expanded. Matyszak has gone into detail is the Julio-Claudian period. The one missing general in this period oddly, is Tiberius.

Imperial General - The Remarkable Career of Petellius Cerialis, Philip Matyszak

Chapter Three details the revolt of the British tribes against a harsh Roman imperial system, especially that of Boudicca and the Iceni. The author also goes into welcome detail on the initial invasion of Britain and the first resistance to Roman rule. He covers both the political and military situations well, including the change in imperial policy towards the British tribes and the mistakes which caused the revolt of the Iceni. Here we are also finally introduced to the Petellius Cerialis, the subject of the book and the hero of the continuing narrative.

Matyszak points out that those decisions could have been disastrous for the Roman occupation of the island. Matyszak finishes the chapter with a well written account of the conflict between Paulinus and Boudicca.

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