Dr. David Gwynn

The Persian Empire is the greatest single enemy the Romans ever have to face. It's the only other world-scale empire. So the Persian frontier always had to be a primary focus of attention. The usual estimate is roughly 40% of the Roman army needs to be watching the Persian frontier.

The Persian Empire is the greatest single enemy the Romans ever have to face. It's the only other world-scale empire. So the Persian frontier always had to be a primary focus of attention. The usual estimate is roughly 40% of the Roman army needs to be watching the Persian frontier.

The Persian Empire is the greatest single enemy the Romans ever have to face. It's the only other world-scale empire. So the Persian frontier always had to be a primary focus of attention. The usual estimate is roughly 40% of the Roman army needs to be watching the Persian frontier.

And if you take troops away from it, as, for example, Justinian will do in the 6th century, the Persians will wait to see if it's a definite movement and then smash through your defenses. So the Persians are playing a key role of leverage.

And if you take troops away from it, as, for example, Justinian will do in the 6th century, the Persians will wait to see if it's a definite movement and then smash through your defenses. So the Persians are playing a key role of leverage.

And if you take troops away from it, as, for example, Justinian will do in the 6th century, the Persians will wait to see if it's a definite movement and then smash through your defenses. So the Persians are playing a key role of leverage.

In the story of the fall of the Roman Empire, what's arguably the key factor is that after Julian, there's actually around 100 years of stability on that frontier. One of the oddities about the whole story of the fall of the Western Empire, the Roman Empire has three great frontiers, the Rhine, the Danube and Persia. Well, the East has to cover two of them to the West's one.

In the story of the fall of the Roman Empire, what's arguably the key factor is that after Julian, there's actually around 100 years of stability on that frontier. One of the oddities about the whole story of the fall of the Western Empire, the Roman Empire has three great frontiers, the Rhine, the Danube and Persia. Well, the East has to cover two of them to the West's one.

In the story of the fall of the Roman Empire, what's arguably the key factor is that after Julian, there's actually around 100 years of stability on that frontier. One of the oddities about the whole story of the fall of the Western Empire, the Roman Empire has three great frontiers, the Rhine, the Danube and Persia. Well, the East has to cover two of them to the West's one.

Technically, the East is facing worse enemies than the West is. But crucially, if you can keep the Persian frontier stable, then all you have to do is watch the Danube and the defenses of Constantinople will prevent anyone breaking the Danube and pushing further east.

Technically, the East is facing worse enemies than the West is. But crucially, if you can keep the Persian frontier stable, then all you have to do is watch the Danube and the defenses of Constantinople will prevent anyone breaking the Danube and pushing further east.

Technically, the East is facing worse enemies than the West is. But crucially, if you can keep the Persian frontier stable, then all you have to do is watch the Danube and the defenses of Constantinople will prevent anyone breaking the Danube and pushing further east.

So perhaps one of the great questions of the survival of the eastern half is how did they manage to keep stability on the Persian frontier? And the key factor that seems to have been at play is the Persians, of course. It's another big empire. That means this isn't their only frontier. Internal troubles as well, civil war factions. Exactly. The Persians have their own problems.

So perhaps one of the great questions of the survival of the eastern half is how did they manage to keep stability on the Persian frontier? And the key factor that seems to have been at play is the Persians, of course. It's another big empire. That means this isn't their only frontier. Internal troubles as well, civil war factions. Exactly. The Persians have their own problems.

So perhaps one of the great questions of the survival of the eastern half is how did they manage to keep stability on the Persian frontier? And the key factor that seems to have been at play is the Persians, of course. It's another big empire. That means this isn't their only frontier. Internal troubles as well, civil war factions. Exactly. The Persians have their own problems.

There is a tendency, particularly for historians like me, to mainly just look at the Persians when they're facing the Romans, not think about the Persians as their own entity. But the Persians have two major problems. One is a very powerful local aristocracy, which means a weak shah, a weak ruler, is vulnerable to immediate usurpation.

There is a tendency, particularly for historians like me, to mainly just look at the Persians when they're facing the Romans, not think about the Persians as their own entity. But the Persians have two major problems. One is a very powerful local aristocracy, which means a weak shah, a weak ruler, is vulnerable to immediate usurpation.

There is a tendency, particularly for historians like me, to mainly just look at the Persians when they're facing the Romans, not think about the Persians as their own entity. But the Persians have two major problems. One is a very powerful local aristocracy, which means a weak shah, a weak ruler, is vulnerable to immediate usurpation.

But the other is that the Persians have a very long northern frontier. And that's on the Russian steppe. That's where the nomads come from. It's the white Huns, isn't it?

But the other is that the Persians have a very long northern frontier. And that's on the Russian steppe. That's where the nomads come from. It's the white Huns, isn't it?