Military History of Late Rome 395–425

This ambitious series gives the reader a comprehensive narrative of late Roman military history from 284-641. Each volume gives a detailed account of the changes in organization, equipment, strategy and tactics among both the Roman forces and her enemies in the relevant period, while also giving a detailed but accessible account of the campaigns and battles.

The Military History of Late Rome Volume 3 analyses in great detail the pivotal years of 395-425. It was then that the mighty Roman Empire faced the Great Migrations while being wrecked by civil wars. In 395 the task of defending the Roman Empire fell on the great generalissimos Stilicho. He faced a series of hostile bureaucrats, emperors, usurpers and foreign foes until he was killed in a conspiracy in 409. His death led to an event that shook up the Empire to its very core. The city of Rome fell to the Visigoths of Alaric in 410. The book shows why this happened and how and why the Germanic tribes were able to settle inside the borders of the Empire. This, however, is not the entire picture. In contrast to the West Romans, the East Romans survived the civil wars and faced the Germans, Huns and Persia successfully. Why it was so and why were the East Romans able to take control also of West Rome in 425?