Adrian Goldsworthy

These moments of crisis, people react in what appears to be the worst possible way, which is very easy for us observing with hindsight to see. But it's essentially a misjudgment. And there is also... It's very hard if you're the emperor to take the Goths or a group like this seriously, deep down, because you know there's not that many of them. You know they've been your soldiers before.

These moments of crisis, people react in what appears to be the worst possible way, which is very easy for us observing with hindsight to see. But it's essentially a misjudgment. And there is also... It's very hard if you're the emperor to take the Goths or a group like this seriously, deep down, because you know there's not that many of them. You know they've been your soldiers before.

These moments of crisis, people react in what appears to be the worst possible way, which is very easy for us observing with hindsight to see. But it's essentially a misjudgment. And there is also... It's very hard if you're the emperor to take the Goths or a group like this seriously, deep down, because you know there's not that many of them. You know they've been your soldiers before.

They probably will be again, or they might be somebody else's. They're not trying to overthrow you, kill you, and take your throne. And that, for such a long time, is the deep fear of every emperor, because that's how most of them die, is at the hands of other Romans. So...

They probably will be again, or they might be somebody else's. They're not trying to overthrow you, kill you, and take your throne. And that, for such a long time, is the deep fear of every emperor, because that's how most of them die, is at the hands of other Romans. So...

They probably will be again, or they might be somebody else's. They're not trying to overthrow you, kill you, and take your throne. And that, for such a long time, is the deep fear of every emperor, because that's how most of them die, is at the hands of other Romans. So...

You're in this neurotic era where you've inherited because of a family connection, but you haven't got the career of the man who's fought his way to power. So you're there, you're surrounded by a court. The emperor has become so much more distant from...

You're in this neurotic era where you've inherited because of a family connection, but you haven't got the career of the man who's fought his way to power. So you're there, you're surrounded by a court. The emperor has become so much more distant from...

You're in this neurotic era where you've inherited because of a family connection, but you haven't got the career of the man who's fought his way to power. So you're there, you're surrounded by a court. The emperor has become so much more distant from...

the sort of the principate days, the idea of the Augustan, you're first among equals, you mix with senators, you dine with senators, to the very formalized court where you're admitted to the imperial presence and you might kiss the hem of his garment, this ceremony, this distance, but you're not, you're removed from any sort of political class. You only know what people tell you.

the sort of the principate days, the idea of the Augustan, you're first among equals, you mix with senators, you dine with senators, to the very formalized court where you're admitted to the imperial presence and you might kiss the hem of his garment, this ceremony, this distance, but you're not, you're removed from any sort of political class. You only know what people tell you.

the sort of the principate days, the idea of the Augustan, you're first among equals, you mix with senators, you dine with senators, to the very formalized court where you're admitted to the imperial presence and you might kiss the hem of his garment, this ceremony, this distance, but you're not, you're removed from any sort of political class. You only know what people tell you.

And you can see that back even in the fourth century when the emperors are stronger, how hard it is for an emperor to know what's actually happening anywhere. because they're not told the truth. And so often your senior officials, whether military or civil, have an agenda of their own and are up to their own things and will tell you what they feel they want you to hear.

And you can see that back even in the fourth century when the emperors are stronger, how hard it is for an emperor to know what's actually happening anywhere. because they're not told the truth. And so often your senior officials, whether military or civil, have an agenda of their own and are up to their own things and will tell you what they feel they want you to hear.

And you can see that back even in the fourth century when the emperors are stronger, how hard it is for an emperor to know what's actually happening anywhere. because they're not told the truth. And so often your senior officials, whether military or civil, have an agenda of their own and are up to their own things and will tell you what they feel they want you to hear.

So you are very much a figurehead. And Honorius, perhaps particularly, is a man who doesn't campaign in person, doesn't do things in the field, isn't active in

So you are very much a figurehead. And Honorius, perhaps particularly, is a man who doesn't campaign in person, doesn't do things in the field, isn't active in

So you are very much a figurehead. And Honorius, perhaps particularly, is a man who doesn't campaign in person, doesn't do things in the field, isn't active in

Yes, he moves around a bit, but basically his life is court life, and he has very little sense of what the empire is like other than what people tell him and how he's been raised to think, which compared to a Theodosius or someone like that who's fought their way up is a very different situation.

Yes, he moves around a bit, but basically his life is court life, and he has very little sense of what the empire is like other than what people tell him and how he's been raised to think, which compared to a Theodosius or someone like that who's fought their way up is a very different situation.