Brand Celebrates Launch Of New Book

Brand celebrates the launch of his book, “Killing for the Republic: Citizen-Soldiers and the Roman Way of War,” in the City Room. I I Photo credit to Rachel Freeman

Last Friday, Dr. Steele Brand celebrated the launch of his book, “Killing for the Republic: Citizen-Soldiers and the Roman Way of War,” in The King’s College City Room. 

Brand has been teaching at King’s students since 2015; his launch was filled with current and former students and colleagues who were eager to hear him speak.  

As an Assistant Professor of History at the college with a focus on the relationship between farm life, citizenship, and soldiering, it’s no surprise that his new book explicates these themes. During the launch, Brand presented a photo of a New Jersey farmer depicted as a hero. 

Brand has worked at King’s for five years, teaching courses such as Art of War in Old Testament World and Western Civilization. I I Photo credit to Rachel Freeman

“What about every other American? Well, he’s supposed to look like a Roman citizen soldier,” Brand said. “Which is why patriotism is a Roman with a gladius in one hand and the other hand on the plow.”

His lesson also included a demonstration that involved one of his students dressing up as a Roman soldier. 

“This looks a lot better on him than it ever does on me,” Brand said after putting chain mail on Fritz Scibbe, a junior at King’s. “It’s really good at deflecting blows, preventing perhaps an arrow, maybe a javelin, from piercing you.”

In addition to wild demonstrations and explaining the contents of his book, Brand also expressed some of the difficulties that came with completing this project. He originally concluded his book with the Battle of Pydna, but his publishers were interested in the full Roman story.

“I sent it off to John Hopkins University Press, and they liked it, but then they said, ‘Ya know what? We like it, but you need to tell us what went wrong,’” Brand said. “I remember that day. I remember getting that email and going out and sitting in my backyard. I had a beer.”

Despite some setbacks, Brand’s finished book left him with some important takeaways.

“Let me say that the thing that tortured me, and still tortures me the most, is the importance of civic virtue, the importance of service and sacrifice,” Brand said“And, you must do this on behalf of your community, and that is something that I wrestle with on a regular basis.”   

Brand’s book is available for purchase now.