Dr. David Gwynn

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.

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.

That's for destabilizing the Rhine. Constantine is successful against the Goths. There's ongoing occasional conflict, but there's also peace treaties with the Goths in the 360s. So the Rhine and the Danube aren't heavily fortified, but in a sense, how can they be? These are huge rivers. The Roman frontier structures are about as stable as they're likely to be. The division between east and west,

That's for destabilizing the Rhine. Constantine is successful against the Goths. There's ongoing occasional conflict, but there's also peace treaties with the Goths in the 360s. So the Rhine and the Danube aren't heavily fortified, but in a sense, how can they be? These are huge rivers. The Roman frontier structures are about as stable as they're likely to be. The division between east and west,

That's for destabilizing the Rhine. Constantine is successful against the Goths. There's ongoing occasional conflict, but there's also peace treaties with the Goths in the 360s. So the Rhine and the Danube aren't heavily fortified, but in a sense, how can they be? These are huge rivers. The Roman frontier structures are about as stable as they're likely to be. The division between east and west,

they are still one empire and they think of themselves as one empire. So East and West don't usually work against each other. They try and cooperate, not always well. In a sense, I suppose what's my recurring theme is the weaknesses are emphatically there. And the way they'll play out in the fifth century is going to expose the West. But the Roman Empire was not about to collapse in, say, 370.

they are still one empire and they think of themselves as one empire. So East and West don't usually work against each other. They try and cooperate, not always well. In a sense, I suppose what's my recurring theme is the weaknesses are emphatically there. And the way they'll play out in the fifth century is going to expose the West. But the Roman Empire was not about to collapse in, say, 370.

they are still one empire and they think of themselves as one empire. So East and West don't usually work against each other. They try and cooperate, not always well. In a sense, I suppose what's my recurring theme is the weaknesses are emphatically there. And the way they'll play out in the fifth century is going to expose the West. But the Roman Empire was not about to collapse in, say, 370.

Its structures are still intact. It's basic east-west balance. The east is the stronger of the two halves, but not by such a clear-cut margin that you can see clearly this is what will happen. It's going to take a lot of shocks and a lot of very bad Roman mismanagement. to cause the eventual Western collapse.

Its structures are still intact. It's basic east-west balance. The east is the stronger of the two halves, but not by such a clear-cut margin that you can see clearly this is what will happen. It's going to take a lot of shocks and a lot of very bad Roman mismanagement. to cause the eventual Western collapse.

Its structures are still intact. It's basic east-west balance. The east is the stronger of the two halves, but not by such a clear-cut margin that you can see clearly this is what will happen. It's going to take a lot of shocks and a lot of very bad Roman mismanagement. to cause the eventual Western collapse.

It is no. Ammianus Marcellinus, who's the historian who tells us of the arrival of the Goths, their Gothic victory at Adrianople, knows the Huns are coming, isn't a defeatist. He deliberately didn't end his history with Adrianople. He actually ended it with the Goths turning away from Constantinople and a Roman massacre of Gothic mercenaries as a sign that the empire will continue to fight.

It is no. Ammianus Marcellinus, who's the historian who tells us of the arrival of the Goths, their Gothic victory at Adrianople, knows the Huns are coming, isn't a defeatist. He deliberately didn't end his history with Adrianople. He actually ended it with the Goths turning away from Constantinople and a Roman massacre of Gothic mercenaries as a sign that the empire will continue to fight.

It is no. Ammianus Marcellinus, who's the historian who tells us of the arrival of the Goths, their Gothic victory at Adrianople, knows the Huns are coming, isn't a defeatist. He deliberately didn't end his history with Adrianople. He actually ended it with the Goths turning away from Constantinople and a Roman massacre of Gothic mercenaries as a sign that the empire will continue to fight.

The first person who we are aware of who can really conceive of a world where there might not be a Roman empire is Augustine of Hippo writing The City of God. But Augustine is a unique intellectual. capable of this kind of visionary thought that separated what was going on around him from his vision of the divine plan of history. No other Christian writers are doing that.

The first person who we are aware of who can really conceive of a world where there might not be a Roman empire is Augustine of Hippo writing The City of God. But Augustine is a unique intellectual. capable of this kind of visionary thought that separated what was going on around him from his vision of the divine plan of history. No other Christian writers are doing that.

The first person who we are aware of who can really conceive of a world where there might not be a Roman empire is Augustine of Hippo writing The City of God. But Augustine is a unique intellectual. capable of this kind of visionary thought that separated what was going on around him from his vision of the divine plan of history. No other Christian writers are doing that.

They're still seeing the Roman Empire as expressing Christianity. The East, of course, will carry on doing that for the next thousand years. They still believe very strongly that, yes, there may be threats on the frontiers, but there always have been. They'll absorb them if they have to. The empire will continue.

They're still seeing the Roman Empire as expressing Christianity. The East, of course, will carry on doing that for the next thousand years. They still believe very strongly that, yes, there may be threats on the frontiers, but there always have been. They'll absorb them if they have to. The empire will continue.

They're still seeing the Roman Empire as expressing Christianity. The East, of course, will carry on doing that for the next thousand years. They still believe very strongly that, yes, there may be threats on the frontiers, but there always have been. They'll absorb them if they have to. The empire will continue.