Before becoming the masters of the Mediterranean world, the Romans had first to conquer the Italian peninsula in a series of harsh conflicts against its other varied and warlike residents. The outcome was no foregone conclusion and it took the Romans half a millennium to secure the whole of Italy. Gabriele Esposito presents the armies that fought these wars, in which the Roman military spirit and their famous legions were forged. He not only follows the evolution of the Roman forces from the Regal Period to the outbreak of the Second Punic War but also the forces of their neighbours, rivals and enemies. The most notable of these, the Etruscans, Samnites and the Italian Greeks are given particular attention but others, such as the Celts and Ligures of the North and the warriors of Sicily and Sardinia, are also considered. Details of the organisation, weapons, equipment and tactics of each army are described, while dozens of beautiful colour photos of reenactors show how these warriors looked in the field. AUTHOR: Gabriele Esposito is an Italian researcher and a long-time student of military history, whose interests and expertise range widely over various periods. He is the author of numerous books on armies and uniforms and is a regular contributor to many specialised magazines in Italy, France, Netherlands and UK. His many previous works include the following published by Pen & Sword: Armies of Early Colonial North America 1607-1713 (2018), Armies of the Late Roman Empire AD 284-476 (2018), Armies of the Hellenistic States 323 BC-AD 30 (2019), Armies of Celtic Europe 700 BC to AD 106 (2019) and Armies of Ancient Greece circa 500 to 338 BC (2020). 80 colour and b/w illustrations