Dr. David Gwynn

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?

Exactly. So whereas the Romans only get the Huns, the Persians are fighting nomads their entire history. And every powerful nomad group hits the Persians before they hit the Romans. So critically, in the 5th century, when the Roman Empire is having so much trouble on the Rhine and Danube,

Exactly. So whereas the Romans only get the Huns, the Persians are fighting nomads their entire history. And every powerful nomad group hits the Persians before they hit the Romans. So critically, in the 5th century, when the Roman Empire is having so much trouble on the Rhine and Danube,

Exactly. So whereas the Romans only get the Huns, the Persians are fighting nomads their entire history. And every powerful nomad group hits the Persians before they hit the Romans. So critically, in the 5th century, when the Roman Empire is having so much trouble on the Rhine and Danube,

The 5th century is the most peaceful period in the entire history of Roman-Persian relations, and it's quite clear it's because the Persians are much more worried about the Kidderite Huns, the Hephalites, sometimes known as the White Huns. My personal favorite is a peace treaty that was signed in the year 464.

The 5th century is the most peaceful period in the entire history of Roman-Persian relations, and it's quite clear it's because the Persians are much more worried about the Kidderite Huns, the Hephalites, sometimes known as the White Huns. My personal favorite is a peace treaty that was signed in the year 464.

The 5th century is the most peaceful period in the entire history of Roman-Persian relations, and it's quite clear it's because the Persians are much more worried about the Kidderite Huns, the Hephalites, sometimes known as the White Huns. My personal favorite is a peace treaty that was signed in the year 464.

What that peace treaty said was the Persians asked the Eastern Roman Empire to pay for a Persian fortress manned by Persian soldiers on the Caspian Sea. So this is a fortress deep inside Persian territory. Why should the Romans pay? Because, as the Persians said, we're stopping the nomads.

What that peace treaty said was the Persians asked the Eastern Roman Empire to pay for a Persian fortress manned by Persian soldiers on the Caspian Sea. So this is a fortress deep inside Persian territory. Why should the Romans pay? Because, as the Persians said, we're stopping the nomads.

What that peace treaty said was the Persians asked the Eastern Roman Empire to pay for a Persian fortress manned by Persian soldiers on the Caspian Sea. So this is a fortress deep inside Persian territory. Why should the Romans pay? Because, as the Persians said, we're stopping the nomads.

Exactly. And this is the great advantage. Two great empires can talk to each other. And in the 5th century, they were actually aware that there were greater risks at stake. And so you get this. It's one of the greatest examples of high state imperial relations. But this is why it stayed quiet. If it had gone wrong, the Eastern Empire would have been in horrible trouble.

Exactly. And this is the great advantage. Two great empires can talk to each other. And in the 5th century, they were actually aware that there were greater risks at stake. And so you get this. It's one of the greatest examples of high state imperial relations. But this is why it stayed quiet. If it had gone wrong, the Eastern Empire would have been in horrible trouble.

Exactly. And this is the great advantage. Two great empires can talk to each other. And in the 5th century, they were actually aware that there were greater risks at stake. And so you get this. It's one of the greatest examples of high state imperial relations. But this is why it stayed quiet. If it had gone wrong, the Eastern Empire would have been in horrible trouble.

And that, of course, is exactly what happens under Justinian and even more in the early 7th century. This is a very dangerous frontier.

And that, of course, is exactly what happens under Justinian and even more in the early 7th century. This is a very dangerous frontier.

And that, of course, is exactly what happens under Justinian and even more in the early 7th century. This is a very dangerous frontier.

To a degree it does. It's always one of those qualifying arguments. Constantinople, as it becomes more important, is going to draw further eastern resources The peace treaty after Julian's disaster handed over key fortresses to the Persians that destabilized the entire Roman frontier network.

To a degree it does. It's always one of those qualifying arguments. Constantinople, as it becomes more important, is going to draw further eastern resources The peace treaty after Julian's disaster handed over key fortresses to the Persians that destabilized the entire Roman frontier network.

To a degree it does. It's always one of those qualifying arguments. Constantinople, as it becomes more important, is going to draw further eastern resources The peace treaty after Julian's disaster handed over key fortresses to the Persians that destabilized the entire Roman frontier network.

So the emperor Valens, when the Goths first came to the Danube in 376, there's a reason Valens isn't anywhere near. He's in Antioch. He's looking at the Persian frontier. That's where he had to be focusing. So there is that significant shift. But the Rhine and the Danube frontiers for most of the fourth century seem to be broadly stable. So Julian wins this battle at Strasbourg.