Adrian Goldsworthy

And also your officials, as well as the emperor yourself, you don't want too much interference from them because they've probably got other ideas of who should be in charge. So you can't even ask for help and expect to get it on your terms from them.

And also your officials, as well as the emperor yourself, you don't want too much interference from them because they've probably got other ideas of who should be in charge. So you can't even ask for help and expect to get it on your terms from them.

Well, the clearest proof of this is that when Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor, is deposed, who has been the figurehead of all figureheads, he's never done anything, he's just a boy, he's not even worth killing. You know, you can send him off to be a priest and to live that life because he just does not matter. And that shows early on you had to kill your Roman opponents.

Well, the clearest proof of this is that when Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor, is deposed, who has been the figurehead of all figureheads, he's never done anything, he's just a boy, he's not even worth killing. You know, you can send him off to be a priest and to live that life because he just does not matter. And that shows early on you had to kill your Roman opponents.

Well, the clearest proof of this is that when Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor, is deposed, who has been the figurehead of all figureheads, he's never done anything, he's just a boy, he's not even worth killing. You know, you can send him off to be a priest and to live that life because he just does not matter. And that shows early on you had to kill your Roman opponents.

That's the way it works. That's why these civil wars have been so brutal, because there wasn't any negotiation or dealing with this. You would be dead, either by your own hand or they would sort it out for you. You've really become such a local power by this time. The decisions that are being made, the struggles that are going on, you really are not in full control, even in all of Italy.

That's the way it works. That's why these civil wars have been so brutal, because there wasn't any negotiation or dealing with this. You would be dead, either by your own hand or they would sort it out for you. You've really become such a local power by this time. The decisions that are being made, the struggles that are going on, you really are not in full control, even in all of Italy.

That's the way it works. That's why these civil wars have been so brutal, because there wasn't any negotiation or dealing with this. You would be dead, either by your own hand or they would sort it out for you. You've really become such a local power by this time. The decisions that are being made, the struggles that are going on, you really are not in full control, even in all of Italy.

It's become very much focused in the north and more widely, why should anybody listen to you? because you have no power to back this up. And it's that cumulative... Decline, there's really no other word for it. You've shrunk. The Western Empire has just got smaller and smaller, less and less of it under control, which means that you're getting fewer and fewer resources.

It's become very much focused in the north and more widely, why should anybody listen to you? because you have no power to back this up. And it's that cumulative... Decline, there's really no other word for it. You've shrunk. The Western Empire has just got smaller and smaller, less and less of it under control, which means that you're getting fewer and fewer resources.

It's become very much focused in the north and more widely, why should anybody listen to you? because you have no power to back this up. And it's that cumulative... Decline, there's really no other word for it. You've shrunk. The Western Empire has just got smaller and smaller, less and less of it under control, which means that you're getting fewer and fewer resources.

Many of these areas that you've lost were really big deals in terms of the money you got from them, the food you got from them. North Africa in particular, that's perhaps the biggest single blow of all. losing that area to the Vandals. And that's why they make repeated attempts over the next century or so to get it back, but can't until Justinian. And even then, it's precarious.

Many of these areas that you've lost were really big deals in terms of the money you got from them, the food you got from them. North Africa in particular, that's perhaps the biggest single blow of all. losing that area to the Vandals. And that's why they make repeated attempts over the next century or so to get it back, but can't until Justinian. And even then, it's precarious.

Many of these areas that you've lost were really big deals in terms of the money you got from them, the food you got from them. North Africa in particular, that's perhaps the biggest single blow of all. losing that area to the Vandals. And that's why they make repeated attempts over the next century or so to get it back, but can't until Justinian. And even then, it's precarious.

Because you can only be an empire if you've got the money, the might to enforce it, ultimately. Empire imperium, it means power. That's what it's all about. And that has just gone. It's shrunk to nothing. You really are a local figure. And You have to negotiate with these, inverted commas, barbarian rulers that have set themselves up in various parts of your empire. You can't go and destroy them.

Because you can only be an empire if you've got the money, the might to enforce it, ultimately. Empire imperium, it means power. That's what it's all about. And that has just gone. It's shrunk to nothing. You really are a local figure. And You have to negotiate with these, inverted commas, barbarian rulers that have set themselves up in various parts of your empire. You can't go and destroy them.

Because you can only be an empire if you've got the money, the might to enforce it, ultimately. Empire imperium, it means power. That's what it's all about. And that has just gone. It's shrunk to nothing. You really are a local figure. And You have to negotiate with these, inverted commas, barbarian rulers that have set themselves up in various parts of your empire. You can't go and destroy them.

You do not have the capacity to do that. And yet there is no evidence for there having been vast hordes of hairy German warriors sweeping in and taking over and expelling the population. What you've got is a warrior elite and a warlord who's taken control.

You do not have the capacity to do that. And yet there is no evidence for there having been vast hordes of hairy German warriors sweeping in and taking over and expelling the population. What you've got is a warrior elite and a warlord who's taken control.

You do not have the capacity to do that. And yet there is no evidence for there having been vast hordes of hairy German warriors sweeping in and taking over and expelling the population. What you've got is a warrior elite and a warlord who's taken control.