Adrian Goldsworthy

Well, the big deal, obviously, is that there are two empires, although, again, there's a common system of law, to most respects. And if an emperor issues a ruling on a law in one half of the empire, it's normally respected and held to be valid in the other. So they're separate and they're not separate. They're culturally much the same. So there are differences.

Well, the big deal, obviously, is that there are two empires, although, again, there's a common system of law, to most respects. And if an emperor issues a ruling on a law in one half of the empire, it's normally respected and held to be valid in the other. So they're separate and they're not separate. They're culturally much the same. So there are differences.

Well, the big deal, obviously, is that there are two empires, although, again, there's a common system of law, to most respects. And if an emperor issues a ruling on a law in one half of the empire, it's normally respected and held to be valid in the other. So they're separate and they're not separate. They're culturally much the same. So there are differences.

The big deal that has happened is that the West is crumbling in a way that is not happening to the East. So the emperors in Constantinople are still that much more secure. They haven't lost a lot of territory. Whereas in the West, you're getting to the point where

The big deal that has happened is that the West is crumbling in a way that is not happening to the East. So the emperors in Constantinople are still that much more secure. They haven't lost a lot of territory. Whereas in the West, you're getting to the point where

The big deal that has happened is that the West is crumbling in a way that is not happening to the East. So the emperors in Constantinople are still that much more secure. They haven't lost a lot of territory. Whereas in the West, you're getting to the point where

There's this wonderful document called the Notitia Dignitatum that lists all the offices in the Roman Empire around about this time, around about 400-ish, that sort of era. And it lists all these commanders of units that are supposed to exist, and some of them are tied to frontier defense. Some of them are the mobile field armies that scholars like to talk about, but they're not very mobile.

There's this wonderful document called the Notitia Dignitatum that lists all the offices in the Roman Empire around about this time, around about 400-ish, that sort of era. And it lists all these commanders of units that are supposed to exist, and some of them are tied to frontier defense. Some of them are the mobile field armies that scholars like to talk about, but they're not very mobile.

There's this wonderful document called the Notitia Dignitatum that lists all the offices in the Roman Empire around about this time, around about 400-ish, that sort of era. And it lists all these commanders of units that are supposed to exist, and some of them are tied to frontier defense. Some of them are the mobile field armies that scholars like to talk about, but they're not very mobile.

They're not in the field, and they're often not armies at all, as the later says. And that's the problem. What should be there doesn't correspond with what's really there. So there's a weakening of central authority. What the emperor can do, the power he has is much, much less than it had been even 50 years before, let alone centuries before. It's a very different environment.

They're not in the field, and they're often not armies at all, as the later says. And that's the problem. What should be there doesn't correspond with what's really there. So there's a weakening of central authority. What the emperor can do, the power he has is much, much less than it had been even 50 years before, let alone centuries before. It's a very different environment.

They're not in the field, and they're often not armies at all, as the later says. And that's the problem. What should be there doesn't correspond with what's really there. So there's a weakening of central authority. What the emperor can do, the power he has is much, much less than it had been even 50 years before, let alone centuries before. It's a very different environment.

It's much more complicated because whereas in the East, to a great extent, you're dealing with one big neighbor, the Sasanian Persians. In the West, you've got lots of different groups of broadly Germanic peoples that are, some of them within the empire, some of them fighting for you, but they might change their minds. Different leaders, different warlords appearing.

It's much more complicated because whereas in the East, to a great extent, you're dealing with one big neighbor, the Sasanian Persians. In the West, you've got lots of different groups of broadly Germanic peoples that are, some of them within the empire, some of them fighting for you, but they might change their minds. Different leaders, different warlords appearing.

It's much more complicated because whereas in the East, to a great extent, you're dealing with one big neighbor, the Sasanian Persians. In the West, you've got lots of different groups of broadly Germanic peoples that are, some of them within the empire, some of them fighting for you, but they might change their minds. Different leaders, different warlords appearing.

So it's a very dynamic situation. And the ability of the emperor in Italy to say, you should do this and make this happen is much, much less than it has been. So everything is a different setup, but there is still this sense that everybody wants the empire to go on and everybody wants the empire to work.

So it's a very dynamic situation. And the ability of the emperor in Italy to say, you should do this and make this happen is much, much less than it has been. So everything is a different setup, but there is still this sense that everybody wants the empire to go on and everybody wants the empire to work.

So it's a very dynamic situation. And the ability of the emperor in Italy to say, you should do this and make this happen is much, much less than it has been. So everything is a different setup, but there is still this sense that everybody wants the empire to go on and everybody wants the empire to work.

So when you have early on in the fifth century, you know, the tradition is that those in Britain are being told sort of get on with it themselves, deal with their own problems. It isn't that sense that, oh, well, we're really abandoning the province in a formal sense. It's just we can't get around to you at the moment. So, you know, you should be able to.

So when you have early on in the fifth century, you know, the tradition is that those in Britain are being told sort of get on with it themselves, deal with their own problems. It isn't that sense that, oh, well, we're really abandoning the province in a formal sense. It's just we can't get around to you at the moment. So, you know, you should be able to.