Adrian Goldsworthy

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.

And in the past, there was an element where provinces could run a lot of their day-to-day affairs. There's been, in one sense, a move towards centralization of the bureaucracy and the government over the last century or two. But at the same time, there's a devolution as well where local powers are appearing, where local warlords, army commanders, whatever, are more significant.

And in the past, there was an element where provinces could run a lot of their day-to-day affairs. There's been, in one sense, a move towards centralization of the bureaucracy and the government over the last century or two. But at the same time, there's a devolution as well where local powers are appearing, where local warlords, army commanders, whatever, are more significant.

And in the past, there was an element where provinces could run a lot of their day-to-day affairs. There's been, in one sense, a move towards centralization of the bureaucracy and the government over the last century or two. But at the same time, there's a devolution as well where local powers are appearing, where local warlords, army commanders, whatever, are more significant.

So it's an odd mixture of it's much... In some ways, you have, in theory, more direct power, but actually in practice, you have a lot less. So it's a precarious thing. But we know that by 476, the last emperor in the West is going to go. Nobody at the time knows that. And if you think... It's taking us back to, well, beginning of Charles I's reign, 400 years or so.

So it's an odd mixture of it's much... In some ways, you have, in theory, more direct power, but actually in practice, you have a lot less. So it's a precarious thing. But we know that by 476, the last emperor in the West is going to go. Nobody at the time knows that. And if you think... It's taking us back to, well, beginning of Charles I's reign, 400 years or so.

So it's an odd mixture of it's much... In some ways, you have, in theory, more direct power, but actually in practice, you have a lot less. So it's a precarious thing. But we know that by 476, the last emperor in the West is going to go. Nobody at the time knows that. And if you think... It's taking us back to, well, beginning of Charles I's reign, 400 years or so.

There has always been an emperor. There's always been a Rome. All of these areas, nothing here is recently conquered. Even if you're in Britain, you've been Roman for 350 years. You cannot imagine anything else. And there are no independence movements like the winds of change that swept through the European empires of the 20th century.

There has always been an emperor. There's always been a Rome. All of these areas, nothing here is recently conquered. Even if you're in Britain, you've been Roman for 350 years. You cannot imagine anything else. And there are no independence movements like the winds of change that swept through the European empires of the 20th century.

There has always been an emperor. There's always been a Rome. All of these areas, nothing here is recently conquered. Even if you're in Britain, you've been Roman for 350 years. You cannot imagine anything else. And there are no independence movements like the winds of change that swept through the European empires of the 20th century.

Post-Second World War, we've got VE Day today when we're recording. You think of that incredibly rapid change. that occurred where nationalism was so strong, countries wanted to govern themselves. That just isn't there because nobody can really remember an identity that is not Roman in some respect.

Post-Second World War, we've got VE Day today when we're recording. You think of that incredibly rapid change. that occurred where nationalism was so strong, countries wanted to govern themselves. That just isn't there because nobody can really remember an identity that is not Roman in some respect.

Post-Second World War, we've got VE Day today when we're recording. You think of that incredibly rapid change. that occurred where nationalism was so strong, countries wanted to govern themselves. That just isn't there because nobody can really remember an identity that is not Roman in some respect.

You might have kept lots of your traditions, some of your languages, some of your cults, this sort of thing, but it's so vague and distant. And the only good life is Roman life. That's civilization. That's prosperity. That's what you expect. And you don't really have an alternative that's waiting there.

You might have kept lots of your traditions, some of your languages, some of your cults, this sort of thing, but it's so vague and distant. And the only good life is Roman life. That's civilization. That's prosperity. That's what you expect. And you don't really have an alternative that's waiting there.

You might have kept lots of your traditions, some of your languages, some of your cults, this sort of thing, but it's so vague and distant. And the only good life is Roman life. That's civilization. That's prosperity. That's what you expect. And you don't really have an alternative that's waiting there.

As with a lot of these people, it's actually hard to get to the person. You know, they're a title, they've got these ranks, events happen. But you're dealing with an era where you don't have good narrative sources at all. You know, you've had that wonderful blip in the fourth century where Ammianus Marcellinus comes along. And for a few couple of decades, you've got detail.

As with a lot of these people, it's actually hard to get to the person. You know, they're a title, they've got these ranks, events happen. But you're dealing with an era where you don't have good narrative sources at all. You know, you've had that wonderful blip in the fourth century where Ammianus Marcellinus comes along. And for a few couple of decades, you've got detail.

As with a lot of these people, it's actually hard to get to the person. You know, they're a title, they've got these ranks, events happen. But you're dealing with an era where you don't have good narrative sources at all. You know, you've had that wonderful blip in the fourth century where Ammianus Marcellinus comes along. And for a few couple of decades, you've got detail.

And you get some sense, prejudice sense, but nevertheless, of what just Julian was like. what Valens, Valentini, what these people were like, how they acted, how they behaved. It's much, much harder to say with those later. And we're dealing with very prejudiced sources of people who liked them or didn't like them. And of course, these disasters.