The Fall of the Roman Empire: The Military Explanation Book

	Preface	7
1	The Decline and Fall of Rome	10
	From Gibbon to Today	13
2	The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire	23
	From Preclusive Security to Third-Century Collapse	25
	From Chaos to a New Order	31
	The Army of Diocletian	41
	Constantine and his Sons	43
3	Crises on the Frontiers in the Fourth Century	51
	Julian the Apostate in Persia	52
	The Battle of Adrianople	56
	The Effect of Defeat on the Roman Army	64
4	Theodosius the Great AD 378-395	68
	The Reunification of the Empire	68
	The Roman Army in AD 395	77
	A Comparison of the Eastern and Western Armies	83
5	The Turning Point: AD 406-410	86
	Stilicho and Alaric	90
	The Vandals and the Rhine: the Fall of Stilicho	97
	The Sack of Rome	102
6	The Grand Strategy of the Western Roman Empire in the Early Fifth Century	117
	Constantius III and the Crisis in the West	117
	The Settlement of Barbarian Nations	119
	The Western Army after the Sack of Rome	126
7	Aetius, the Vandals and the Huns	133
	The Loss of Africa	135
	The Army of the Huns	140
	The Battle of Chalons and the Invasion of Italy	145
8	The Fall of Rome	152
	The Roman Army after Chalons	152
	The Sack of Rome by the Vandals	153
	Ricimer and the Defence of Italy	155
	The Loss of Gaul and Spain	158
	Odovacer and the Overthrow of Romulus Augustulus	159
	The Fall of Rome	161
	Table of Emperors	170
	Notes	172
	Select Bibliography	182
	Illustration Credits	187
	Index	188