Adrian Goldsworthy

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.

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.

Those horses need to be stabled somewhere. If you send them to a city, how many cities have got stabling for a thousand horses, let alone more than that? Where do you break the horses? Where do you train the recruits to ride? Where do you train everybody to fight?

Those horses need to be stabled somewhere. If you send them to a city, how many cities have got stabling for a thousand horses, let alone more than that? Where do you break the horses? Where do you train the recruits to ride? Where do you train everybody to fight?

Those horses need to be stabled somewhere. If you send them to a city, how many cities have got stabling for a thousand horses, let alone more than that? Where do you break the horses? Where do you train the recruits to ride? Where do you train everybody to fight?

All of this stuff that's happened within these, what we just see as bits of stone and laid out and sort of impressive ruins, that's gone. Instead, it becomes a case where you can keep that experience for a while. Basically, you're conscripted into a unit and they teach you. But that will tend to wear away as all those people retire or are lost in defeats. It then becomes much easier.

All of this stuff that's happened within these, what we just see as bits of stone and laid out and sort of impressive ruins, that's gone. Instead, it becomes a case where you can keep that experience for a while. Basically, you're conscripted into a unit and they teach you. But that will tend to wear away as all those people retire or are lost in defeats. It then becomes much easier.

All of this stuff that's happened within these, what we just see as bits of stone and laid out and sort of impressive ruins, that's gone. Instead, it becomes a case where you can keep that experience for a while. Basically, you're conscripted into a unit and they teach you. But that will tend to wear away as all those people retire or are lost in defeats. It then becomes much easier.

If you want soldiers quickly, rather than take some peasant who's not too willing, and probably his landlord isn't too willing, to take him and conscript him into the army and then it's much easier to go and find an Alan or a goth or one of the Alamanni or the Franks who's grown up to fight to a degree.

If you want soldiers quickly, rather than take some peasant who's not too willing, and probably his landlord isn't too willing, to take him and conscript him into the army and then it's much easier to go and find an Alan or a goth or one of the Alamanni or the Franks who's grown up to fight to a degree.

If you want soldiers quickly, rather than take some peasant who's not too willing, and probably his landlord isn't too willing, to take him and conscript him into the army and then it's much easier to go and find an Alan or a goth or one of the Alamanni or the Franks who's grown up to fight to a degree.

He doesn't have the discipline and the way of doing things that you used to have, but he's quite good. It's a better starting place than the raw recruit. Again, you can look generation after generation. Emperors will issue new laws saying that these are the dire punishments for anybody resisting conscription, and the punishments for cutting off your thumb rather than be recruited.

He doesn't have the discipline and the way of doing things that you used to have, but he's quite good. It's a better starting place than the raw recruit. Again, you can look generation after generation. Emperors will issue new laws saying that these are the dire punishments for anybody resisting conscription, and the punishments for cutting off your thumb rather than be recruited.

He doesn't have the discipline and the way of doing things that you used to have, but he's quite good. It's a better starting place than the raw recruit. Again, you can look generation after generation. Emperors will issue new laws saying that these are the dire punishments for anybody resisting conscription, and the punishments for cutting off your thumb rather than be recruited.

There's long tradition of this, but the fact that they're repeating it suggests that it isn't working. that people simply don't, because there's a great danger. You end up in the army, you may never come back. And you might well end up fighting Romans as often as anybody else.

There's long tradition of this, but the fact that they're repeating it suggests that it isn't working. that people simply don't, because there's a great danger. You end up in the army, you may never come back. And you might well end up fighting Romans as often as anybody else.

There's long tradition of this, but the fact that they're repeating it suggests that it isn't working. that people simply don't, because there's a great danger. You end up in the army, you may never come back. And you might well end up fighting Romans as often as anybody else.

But you also, you're not going to a big depot like Chilean when you enlist to be trained, to be equipped, to learn how to be a soldier.

But you also, you're not going to a big depot like Chilean when you enlist to be trained, to be equipped, to learn how to be a soldier.

But you also, you're not going to a big depot like Chilean when you enlist to be trained, to be equipped, to learn how to be a soldier.