Stephen Dando-Collins's Legions of Rome is recommended as a starting point for individual Roman units, auxiliaries, and battles. Its coverage is described as extending from the Republic through the imperial and Byzantine periods. Colour plates distinguish units with richly decorated shields and clothing, challenging the familiar image of uniformly red or monochrome Roman soldiers. The Fifth Legion's elephants provide a particular example of an emblem linked to remembered military service. The explanation given here associates those elephants with an earlier battle against war elephants, making the illustration a route into the unit's history.
Chapter · 2:56:21-3:00:45
Legions of Rome as a unit-history reference
Stephen Dando-Collins's reference work uses organization, battle history, color, and unit emblems to make Roman legions visible as distinct institutions.