Peter Heather

takes measures to control all the food supplies in the Balkans where the Goths are intruding.

So I think Valens is stuck.

He can't disengage from Persia.

Quickly enough, he's going for the least worst scenario that he can see, which is let in one group of Goths, keep the other one out.

It doesn't work.

And I don't think Valens' heart was in that agreement ever.

I do think the control of the food supplies is a real indicator that he's thinking, I've got to do this in the short term, but in the long term, I'm going to restore normal service.

And he negotiates peace with Persia, gets his army groups free, negotiates with his nephew, who's the Western emperor, for a joint campaign.

In the meantime, I think the Goths are equally unconvinced that the first agreement is going to hold.

So the Goths who are admitted form an alliance with the Goths who weren't admitted.

They all end up inside the empire.

And this is where we are in 378.

And they end up in... Hadrianople.

Yes.

He's got some intelligence.

I think that only one of the two Gothic groups are there.

So he thinks he can win a fast one.

Valens has been a bit short of military victories for a god-chosen emperor.

So he's looking for one.

And his nephew has been quite slow in turning up.