Professor Peter Heather

Didn't take much defending before the Vandals arrived there, produced great agricultural surplus, you know, perfect characteristics for your province. You know, if you wanted to design the ideal province, that's it. Doesn't need much defending, produces lots of wealth. Thank you very much.

Didn't take much defending before the Vandals arrived there, produced great agricultural surplus, you know, perfect characteristics for your province. You know, if you wanted to design the ideal province, that's it. Doesn't need much defending, produces lots of wealth. Thank you very much.

Didn't take much defending before the Vandals arrived there, produced great agricultural surplus, you know, perfect characteristics for your province. You know, if you wanted to design the ideal province, that's it. Doesn't need much defending, produces lots of wealth. Thank you very much.

But taking the richest part of North Africa out of the tax base of the Western Empire, that is a very disastrous moment for the crucial fiscal military axis, which is what keeps the empire in being.

But taking the richest part of North Africa out of the tax base of the Western Empire, that is a very disastrous moment for the crucial fiscal military axis, which is what keeps the empire in being.

But taking the richest part of North Africa out of the tax base of the Western Empire, that is a very disastrous moment for the crucial fiscal military axis, which is what keeps the empire in being.

And it's important to see that what kills the empire is not these occasional military defeats. It is the sapping away of the revenue flow. So we look at the Sax of Rome, we look at the Battle of Hadrianople, they have short-term significances. But the long-term process is the disappearance of the flow of tax revenues, which keeps that army in being.

And it's important to see that what kills the empire is not these occasional military defeats. It is the sapping away of the revenue flow. So we look at the Sax of Rome, we look at the Battle of Hadrianople, they have short-term significances. But the long-term process is the disappearance of the flow of tax revenues, which keeps that army in being.

And it's important to see that what kills the empire is not these occasional military defeats. It is the sapping away of the revenue flow. So we look at the Sax of Rome, we look at the Battle of Hadrianople, they have short-term significances. But the long-term process is the disappearance of the flow of tax revenues, which keeps that army in being.

Yeah, exactly. And that is the right way to think about it. Every loss of a province is a loss of tax flow. It already shows up. We have this document called Notitia Dignitatum, which lists the Roman army. Very usefully from our perspective, we have two lists for the Western army, one from 395 and a later updated version from the early 420s, probably just after the fighting in Spain.

Yeah, exactly. And that is the right way to think about it. Every loss of a province is a loss of tax flow. It already shows up. We have this document called Notitia Dignitatum, which lists the Roman army. Very usefully from our perspective, we have two lists for the Western army, one from 395 and a later updated version from the early 420s, probably just after the fighting in Spain.

Yeah, exactly. And that is the right way to think about it. Every loss of a province is a loss of tax flow. It already shows up. We have this document called Notitia Dignitatum, which lists the Roman army. Very usefully from our perspective, we have two lists for the Western army, one from 395 and a later updated version from the early 420s, probably just after the fighting in Spain.

And you can compare and contrast the two. And very interesting things show up. First of all, the Roman field army has suffered very heavy casualties in the intervening period. I mean, like 40% of the regiments that existed in 395 don't exist in 420.

And you can compare and contrast the two. And very interesting things show up. First of all, the Roman field army has suffered very heavy casualties in the intervening period. I mean, like 40% of the regiments that existed in 395 don't exist in 420.

And you can compare and contrast the two. And very interesting things show up. First of all, the Roman field army has suffered very heavy casualties in the intervening period. I mean, like 40% of the regiments that existed in 395 don't exist in 420.

But then the numbers have been made up, but they've been made up for the most part, not by recruiting new units, but by shifting what used to be frontier defense forces into the field army. So a lot of former garrison troops have now been regraded, whatever that means, as field army troops. So the total number of field army troops is the same. But as it were, we've done it on the cheap.

But then the numbers have been made up, but they've been made up for the most part, not by recruiting new units, but by shifting what used to be frontier defense forces into the field army. So a lot of former garrison troops have now been regraded, whatever that means, as field army troops. So the total number of field army troops is the same. But as it were, we've done it on the cheap.

But then the numbers have been made up, but they've been made up for the most part, not by recruiting new units, but by shifting what used to be frontier defense forces into the field army. So a lot of former garrison troops have now been regraded, whatever that means, as field army troops. So the total number of field army troops is the same. But as it were, we've done it on the cheap.

We haven't filled in the gaps by proper new recruiting. And goodness knows what holes have been left on the frontier where those troops have been transferred. That, I think, is absolutely showing you the effects of the loss of revenue flow already by the 420s. And that's before the loss of North Africa.

We haven't filled in the gaps by proper new recruiting. And goodness knows what holes have been left on the frontier where those troops have been transferred. That, I think, is absolutely showing you the effects of the loss of revenue flow already by the 420s. And that's before the loss of North Africa.