Review: Fernando López Sánchez, Marisa Bueno and David Martínez Chico (Eds.), Coins, Riches, and Lands. Paying for Military Manpower in Antiquity and Early Medieval times, Oxford & Philadelphia, Oxbow Books, 2025, 265 p. ISBN 978–1–78925–990–2 (Hardcover

Abstract

Along with logistics and demographics, another key element for the long-term sustainability of armies has always been their means of funding or more specifically, the ability of states and empires to maintain a financial system capable of supporting the significant economic demands of mobilizing an armed force. Although this topic has always been of interest to historiography focused on the military world, the attention has largely centered on specific aspects such as the payment of wages during service, spoils, and extraordinary donations, the challenging issue of rewards for veterans at the end of their service or the disbandment of troops[1]. The work reviewed here, edited by Fernando López, Marisa Bueno, and David Martínez, offers a profound and critical analysis of the funding and sustaining of the armies by states. It focuses not only on the recurring and well-known issue of monetary systems and cash-based financing (which was inoperative before the 6th–5th centuries BCE) but also on other affected resources such as land, trade goods, and mining operations. In essence, it seeks to uncover how armed forces were paid and financed all through their deployment. Furthermore, the book provides a comprehensive and data-rich overview covering an extensive chronological span: from Classical Greece to Late Antiquity and the early stages of the early Middle Ages. This broad scope also extends geographically. While the primary focus is on the Mediterranean basin, notable references and studies are also devoted to Central and Northern Europe, offering enlightening insights. Equally noteworthy is the distinguished roster of contributors to the book, who are leading authors and renowned researchers in their respective fields.