Adrian Goldsworthy

Instead, you're drifting into what's effectively a war band that has an itinerant existence, isn't settled anywhere, or is the garrison that lives in a few houses in a city, you know, like that group that crops up in the fifth century that's sort of after the empire's gone, that's still wondering where their pay's coming from and this sort of thing. But it's very small.

Instead, you're drifting into what's effectively a war band that has an itinerant existence, isn't settled anywhere, or is the garrison that lives in a few houses in a city, you know, like that group that crops up in the fifth century that's sort of after the empire's gone, that's still wondering where their pay's coming from and this sort of thing. But it's very small.

Instead, you're drifting into what's effectively a war band that has an itinerant existence, isn't settled anywhere, or is the garrison that lives in a few houses in a city, you know, like that group that crops up in the fifth century that's sort of after the empire's gone, that's still wondering where their pay's coming from and this sort of thing. But it's very small.

It's easy to think of armies just in terms of, well, you've got this weapon, you know how this tactic works, and it'll just happen. But again, as you can see in the modern day, if you cut all the bits that support it, that produce that end result, then you don't get to the end result. It doesn't just happen.

It's easy to think of armies just in terms of, well, you've got this weapon, you know how this tactic works, and it'll just happen. But again, as you can see in the modern day, if you cut all the bits that support it, that produce that end result, then you don't get to the end result. It doesn't just happen.

It's easy to think of armies just in terms of, well, you've got this weapon, you know how this tactic works, and it'll just happen. But again, as you can see in the modern day, if you cut all the bits that support it, that produce that end result, then you don't get to the end result. It doesn't just happen.

And with all armies, the danger is you cannot keep them permanently in the highest readiness for war. and ready to fight. So instead, you're having to improvise and keep going. And mostly, you still have the advantage that you can train yours to be a bit better than the enemy. And they're a bit more organized.

And with all armies, the danger is you cannot keep them permanently in the highest readiness for war. and ready to fight. So instead, you're having to improvise and keep going. And mostly, you still have the advantage that you can train yours to be a bit better than the enemy. And they're a bit more organized.

And with all armies, the danger is you cannot keep them permanently in the highest readiness for war. and ready to fight. So instead, you're having to improvise and keep going. And mostly, you still have the advantage that you can train yours to be a bit better than the enemy. And they're a bit more organized.

They're at least as good to start off with, because basically, you're recruiting the same sort of people you're fighting. And you've got a slightly more... You've got a better road system. You've got at least some idea of how to supply this army. But it's all harder to do. And it's simply...

They're at least as good to start off with, because basically, you're recruiting the same sort of people you're fighting. And you've got a slightly more... You've got a better road system. You've got at least some idea of how to supply this army. But it's all harder to do. And it's simply...

They're at least as good to start off with, because basically, you're recruiting the same sort of people you're fighting. And you've got a slightly more... You've got a better road system. You've got at least some idea of how to supply this army. But it's all harder to do. And it's simply...

You will read studies that claim that in the late antiquity, and if you take the Notitia Dignitatum at face value, that the army is still huge and you've got hundreds of thousands of men. The problem is they're just not visible in any of the accounts of any of the campaigns. It's much more improvised.

You will read studies that claim that in the late antiquity, and if you take the Notitia Dignitatum at face value, that the army is still huge and you've got hundreds of thousands of men. The problem is they're just not visible in any of the accounts of any of the campaigns. It's much more improvised.

You will read studies that claim that in the late antiquity, and if you take the Notitia Dignitatum at face value, that the army is still huge and you've got hundreds of thousands of men. The problem is they're just not visible in any of the accounts of any of the campaigns. It's much more improvised.

It's much more short term, which means that a Stilicho or a Rissoma or any of these can build up quite a good force, an Aetius, another of these people, who again is relying on connections with other groups, with, you know, foreign groups to bring in your soldiers. But it's a bit like Hannibal's army.

It's much more short term, which means that a Stilicho or a Rissoma or any of these can build up quite a good force, an Aetius, another of these people, who again is relying on connections with other groups, with, you know, foreign groups to bring in your soldiers. But it's a bit like Hannibal's army.

It's much more short term, which means that a Stilicho or a Rissoma or any of these can build up quite a good force, an Aetius, another of these people, who again is relying on connections with other groups, with, you know, foreign groups to bring in your soldiers. But it's a bit like Hannibal's army.

It's a distinct thing that can become very good, can become very efficient, but it doesn't naturally extend to the next generation and the next generation. You've got to keep on rebuilding it from scratch. Whereas the older way was having this bigger system within the empire that supported that and made it happen. So it's not that the soldiers are any less brave.

It's a distinct thing that can become very good, can become very efficient, but it doesn't naturally extend to the next generation and the next generation. You've got to keep on rebuilding it from scratch. Whereas the older way was having this bigger system within the empire that supported that and made it happen. So it's not that the soldiers are any less brave.