Adrian Goldsworthy

And when Ammianus in the fourth century writes about Constantius visiting Rome, it's very much a novelty. And the emperor who rides in this chariot like a statue and doesn't look to, you know, doesn't acknowledge the crowds, that's it. So Rome has a symbolic importance.

And it's still the ideal, but in the same way that being a Roman has for centuries had nothing whatsoever to do with any ethnic Italian, let alone Roman components. So there's always been a danger. And they've moved to Milan because it's a little bit more convenient. It's further to the north. You're more likely to be doing things away from Italy, and that's a base.

And it's still the ideal, but in the same way that being a Roman has for centuries had nothing whatsoever to do with any ethnic Italian, let alone Roman components. So there's always been a danger. And they've moved to Milan because it's a little bit more convenient. It's further to the north. You're more likely to be doing things away from Italy, and that's a base.

And it's still the ideal, but in the same way that being a Roman has for centuries had nothing whatsoever to do with any ethnic Italian, let alone Roman components. So there's always been a danger. And they've moved to Milan because it's a little bit more convenient. It's further to the north. You're more likely to be doing things away from Italy, and that's a base.

And of course, you go back to the third century where with the Gallic Empire, for a while, it was close to the frontier. So it's coming into that same pattern. they seem to reach the conclusion reasonably enough that even Milan becomes a bit vulnerable because you're no longer so secure.

And of course, you go back to the third century where with the Gallic Empire, for a while, it was close to the frontier. So it's coming into that same pattern. they seem to reach the conclusion reasonably enough that even Milan becomes a bit vulnerable because you're no longer so secure.

And of course, you go back to the third century where with the Gallic Empire, for a while, it was close to the frontier. So it's coming into that same pattern. they seem to reach the conclusion reasonably enough that even Milan becomes a bit vulnerable because you're no longer so secure.

And obviously the lesson of the Goths and Honorius is that for years on end, a mutinous part of your army, a rebel group of your army, a group of barbarians, however you choose to describe them, can wander around the empire and nobody can stop them. So Milan starts to look a little bit

And obviously the lesson of the Goths and Honorius is that for years on end, a mutinous part of your army, a rebel group of your army, a group of barbarians, however you choose to describe them, can wander around the empire and nobody can stop them. So Milan starts to look a little bit

And obviously the lesson of the Goths and Honorius is that for years on end, a mutinous part of your army, a rebel group of your army, a group of barbarians, however you choose to describe them, can wander around the empire and nobody can stop them. So Milan starts to look a little bit

more vulnerable because by now you've changed from the 4th century soldier emperors however whatever their military capacity they generally went on campaign to the honorius pattern where you have somebody to do that for you And you're not expected to campaign, which means you minimize the risks to the emperor of getting killed, but also disgraced.

more vulnerable because by now you've changed from the 4th century soldier emperors however whatever their military capacity they generally went on campaign to the honorius pattern where you have somebody to do that for you And you're not expected to campaign, which means you minimize the risks to the emperor of getting killed, but also disgraced.

more vulnerable because by now you've changed from the 4th century soldier emperors however whatever their military capacity they generally went on campaign to the honorius pattern where you have somebody to do that for you And you're not expected to campaign, which means you minimize the risks to the emperor of getting killed, but also disgraced.

He can blame the commander now instead of himself when things go badly wrong, which was how plenty of other emperors were discredited and quickly murdered or overthrown in the past, which means you need somewhere secure for the emperor and the court to be. Ravenna is a lot more secure because of its position. You've got marshes on various sides of it. It's a little bit off the beaten track.

He can blame the commander now instead of himself when things go badly wrong, which was how plenty of other emperors were discredited and quickly murdered or overthrown in the past, which means you need somewhere secure for the emperor and the court to be. Ravenna is a lot more secure because of its position. You've got marshes on various sides of it. It's a little bit off the beaten track.

He can blame the commander now instead of himself when things go badly wrong, which was how plenty of other emperors were discredited and quickly murdered or overthrown in the past, which means you need somewhere secure for the emperor and the court to be. Ravenna is a lot more secure because of its position. You've got marshes on various sides of it. It's a little bit off the beaten track.

It's a lot harder to reach. So it gives the emperor a base. And there's also less there, apart from the emperor, worth taking. So there's a lot to steal in Rome. And even to a fair extent, somewhere like Milan, there's more to make it worth plundering. Because again, the practical element These armies that maraud around, they've got to feed themselves.

It's a lot harder to reach. So it gives the emperor a base. And there's also less there, apart from the emperor, worth taking. So there's a lot to steal in Rome. And even to a fair extent, somewhere like Milan, there's more to make it worth plundering. Because again, the practical element These armies that maraud around, they've got to feed themselves.

It's a lot harder to reach. So it gives the emperor a base. And there's also less there, apart from the emperor, worth taking. So there's a lot to steal in Rome. And even to a fair extent, somewhere like Milan, there's more to make it worth plundering. Because again, the practical element These armies that maraud around, they've got to feed themselves.

And the leader has to keep the loyalty of the men by giving them rewards. So it's again a shift. But of course, making the emperor more difficult to reach means that his job of being emperor becomes that much harder. Because it is, again, off the beaten track, a little bit harder to access. even when you get there, it's then tightly controlled as to whether or not you can get to the emperor.