Adrian Goldsworthy

can do all this sort of stuff and it's very much a case where it shows how you've got to get yourself away from the thought that you have a roman state and a roman army that is this big institution at this time that there are hundreds of thousands of soldiers even tens of thousands of soldiers as permanent units that are fairly efficient that ought at least to obey the emperor and

They might not, they might follow a different emperor, but they're there. They are there to deal with these threats. That's no longer the case. That structure is not there. The logistics behind it has gone. You don't have the army bases. You don't have the recruitment patterns. You don't have the training. Most of these units, if they exist on paper, do not exist in reality.

They might not, they might follow a different emperor, but they're there. They are there to deal with these threats. That's no longer the case. That structure is not there. The logistics behind it has gone. You don't have the army bases. You don't have the recruitment patterns. You don't have the training. Most of these units, if they exist on paper, do not exist in reality.

They might not, they might follow a different emperor, but they're there. They are there to deal with these threats. That's no longer the case. That structure is not there. The logistics behind it has gone. You don't have the army bases. You don't have the recruitment patterns. You don't have the training. Most of these units, if they exist on paper, do not exist in reality.

And that's been very clear, which means that anybody with even a reasonable number of armed men at their command becomes a major player. And they're all part of this. But it comes back to this idea that deep down, it's obviously particularly true if you're a member of the imperial family, but even for most Romans, you still believe the only thing is Rome.

And that's been very clear, which means that anybody with even a reasonable number of armed men at their command becomes a major player. And they're all part of this. But it comes back to this idea that deep down, it's obviously particularly true if you're a member of the imperial family, but even for most Romans, you still believe the only thing is Rome.

And that's been very clear, which means that anybody with even a reasonable number of armed men at their command becomes a major player. And they're all part of this. But it comes back to this idea that deep down, it's obviously particularly true if you're a member of the imperial family, but even for most Romans, you still believe the only thing is Rome.

That's the only state that there's going to be. That's the only empire there's going to be. And that whatever means you use to get power within that is perfectly legitimate. So you can talk to what groups we would consider to be barbarians and are thought of as hostile and seek support from them in a way that, again, simply is not imaginable earlier. It's just not the way it works.

That's the only state that there's going to be. That's the only empire there's going to be. And that whatever means you use to get power within that is perfectly legitimate. So you can talk to what groups we would consider to be barbarians and are thought of as hostile and seek support from them in a way that, again, simply is not imaginable earlier. It's just not the way it works.

That's the only state that there's going to be. That's the only empire there's going to be. And that whatever means you use to get power within that is perfectly legitimate. So you can talk to what groups we would consider to be barbarians and are thought of as hostile and seek support from them in a way that, again, simply is not imaginable earlier. It's just not the way it works.

It is, but it's been a long-term thing. I mean, even in the first century, you see that drop-off of recruits from Italy joining the legions. The legions are still Roman citizens, but you tend to join the Praetorian Guard or something a lot safer and better paid.

It is, but it's been a long-term thing. I mean, even in the first century, you see that drop-off of recruits from Italy joining the legions. The legions are still Roman citizens, but you tend to join the Praetorian Guard or something a lot safer and better paid.

It is, but it's been a long-term thing. I mean, even in the first century, you see that drop-off of recruits from Italy joining the legions. The legions are still Roman citizens, but you tend to join the Praetorian Guard or something a lot safer and better paid.

And you don't go into the army and you'll be a Roman, but you'll be from Gaul or from North Africa or from Beirut, one of the big colonies or one of these areas. And there is that trend. There is a big difference. If you look at the infrastructure underlying the army.

And you don't go into the army and you'll be a Roman, but you'll be from Gaul or from North Africa or from Beirut, one of the big colonies or one of these areas. And there is that trend. There is a big difference. If you look at the infrastructure underlying the army.

And you don't go into the army and you'll be a Roman, but you'll be from Gaul or from North Africa or from Beirut, one of the big colonies or one of these areas. And there is that trend. There is a big difference. If you look at the infrastructure underlying the army.

So, you know, I'm in South Wales, not far away is Kylian, big fortress, big base, basically a huge garrison town, base of Legio II Augusta, its depot, all of this sort of thing. By the early fourth century, pretty much all of these are abandoned. And forts stay in some areas. When you build new ones, they're much smaller.

So, you know, I'm in South Wales, not far away is Kylian, big fortress, big base, basically a huge garrison town, base of Legio II Augusta, its depot, all of this sort of thing. By the early fourth century, pretty much all of these are abandoned. And forts stay in some areas. When you build new ones, they're much smaller.

So, you know, I'm in South Wales, not far away is Kylian, big fortress, big base, basically a huge garrison town, base of Legio II Augusta, its depot, all of this sort of thing. By the early fourth century, pretty much all of these are abandoned. And forts stay in some areas. When you build new ones, they're much smaller.

And this is a big theme from the fourth century that you're starting to billet troops in cities rather than in their own bases. Now, in the short term, that doesn't sound like a bad thing. But when you start to think about the practical element of it, if you have a large army and a provincial army of 15,000, 20,000, a quarter or more of it cavalry, that's a lot of horses.