Dr. David Gwynn

It's very difficult. It's often called the barbarization of the late Roman army, that they're recruiting more peoples who are not actually Roman and therefore can't be trained to Roman standards. Now, of course, the Roman Empire by the fourth century, everybody in it from Britain to Africa to Syria is a Roman citizen. So the Romans have always recruited people who weren't Romans from Italy.

But it is true they are drawing more units entirely from beyond the frontiers, from people who are not therefore going to necessarily fight according to Roman patterns. So why are they fighting for Rome? The Goths, the Huns, partly for money, because the Romans can, of course, pay very well. Also, it gives you prestige.

But it is true they are drawing more units entirely from beyond the frontiers, from people who are not therefore going to necessarily fight according to Roman patterns. So why are they fighting for Rome? The Goths, the Huns, partly for money, because the Romans can, of course, pay very well. Also, it gives you prestige.

But it is true they are drawing more units entirely from beyond the frontiers, from people who are not therefore going to necessarily fight according to Roman patterns. So why are they fighting for Rome? The Goths, the Huns, partly for money, because the Romans can, of course, pay very well. Also, it gives you prestige.

Particularly for the Germanic tribes, serving in the Roman army, holding a high Roman military rank, is an important source of legitimacy of your own authority. So Alaric, before he sacks Rome, it's very clear he repeatedly demands certain things. He wants money. He wants food for his people. He wants somewhere they can all live.

Particularly for the Germanic tribes, serving in the Roman army, holding a high Roman military rank, is an important source of legitimacy of your own authority. So Alaric, before he sacks Rome, it's very clear he repeatedly demands certain things. He wants money. He wants food for his people. He wants somewhere they can all live.

Particularly for the Germanic tribes, serving in the Roman army, holding a high Roman military rank, is an important source of legitimacy of your own authority. So Alaric, before he sacks Rome, it's very clear he repeatedly demands certain things. He wants money. He wants food for his people. He wants somewhere they can all live.

He wants a military title, Magister Militum, the commander-in-chief. And famously, the man who's opposing Alaric when Alaric first attacks Italy is Stilicho, the Roman general, the man's half-vandal. because he is the son of a Vandal German who served in the Roman army. Stilicho's a Roman. He's completely Roman by upbringing, by identity. But he's half Vandal because the lines really do blur.

He wants a military title, Magister Militum, the commander-in-chief. And famously, the man who's opposing Alaric when Alaric first attacks Italy is Stilicho, the Roman general, the man's half-vandal. because he is the son of a Vandal German who served in the Roman army. Stilicho's a Roman. He's completely Roman by upbringing, by identity. But he's half Vandal because the lines really do blur.

He wants a military title, Magister Militum, the commander-in-chief. And famously, the man who's opposing Alaric when Alaric first attacks Italy is Stilicho, the Roman general, the man's half-vandal. because he is the son of a Vandal German who served in the Roman army. Stilicho's a Roman. He's completely Roman by upbringing, by identity. But he's half Vandal because the lines really do blur.

Does it mean the Roman army's actually weaker? One of the oddities of tracing the collapse of Roman power in the West and the survival in the East, the Eastern army never succeeds in winning a really major victory. So the great disaster of Adrianople, where the Goths initially destroy a Roman army, kill a Roman emperor. It's an Eastern emperor who died.

Does it mean the Roman army's actually weaker? One of the oddities of tracing the collapse of Roman power in the West and the survival in the East, the Eastern army never succeeds in winning a really major victory. So the great disaster of Adrianople, where the Goths initially destroy a Roman army, kill a Roman emperor. It's an Eastern emperor who died.

Does it mean the Roman army's actually weaker? One of the oddities of tracing the collapse of Roman power in the West and the survival in the East, the Eastern army never succeeds in winning a really major victory. So the great disaster of Adrianople, where the Goths initially destroy a Roman army, kill a Roman emperor. It's an Eastern emperor who died.

The Huns will raid the Eastern empire for several decades and have to be bought off. Whereas the Western army, when it can concentrate on a battlefield, still actually does its job. So Alaric attacks Italy in 401-402 and Stilicho forces him back. Two battles seem to be fought, Verona and Plantia. Stilicho's army is still a very effective military machine.

The Huns will raid the Eastern empire for several decades and have to be bought off. Whereas the Western army, when it can concentrate on a battlefield, still actually does its job. So Alaric attacks Italy in 401-402 and Stilicho forces him back. Two battles seem to be fought, Verona and Plantia. Stilicho's army is still a very effective military machine.

The Huns will raid the Eastern empire for several decades and have to be bought off. Whereas the Western army, when it can concentrate on a battlefield, still actually does its job. So Alaric attacks Italy in 401-402 and Stilicho forces him back. Two battles seem to be fought, Verona and Plantia. Stilicho's army is still a very effective military machine.

Likewise, the next Goth to attack Italy, Radagaisus, will get exterminated. And even as late as 451, when the West really is shattering, it's a Roman army commander, Flavius Aetius, with the core of what's left of the Western army, who can ally with the Goths now settled in France and the Franks and face and beat Attila the Hun.

Likewise, the next Goth to attack Italy, Radagaisus, will get exterminated. And even as late as 451, when the West really is shattering, it's a Roman army commander, Flavius Aetius, with the core of what's left of the Western army, who can ally with the Goths now settled in France and the Franks and face and beat Attila the Hun.

Likewise, the next Goth to attack Italy, Radagaisus, will get exterminated. And even as late as 451, when the West really is shattering, it's a Roman army commander, Flavius Aetius, with the core of what's left of the Western army, who can ally with the Goths now settled in France and the Franks and face and beat Attila the Hun.

It's not decisive, the Battle of the Catalonian Fields, but the Huns get driven back. So it is true that the Western army is weakening, particularly in its organisation, but In the fall of the West, it's not that the army lost on a battlefield. What actually happened is the resource structure, the supply structure failed. And so the Western Roman army simply dissolves.