\'soft\' eastern soldiers

[starman2012]

Grant specifically refers to the Syrian legions when he writes this. Remember the location of these changed over time, for most of their existence they were away from the eastern frontiers at cities, apoarently housed within those cities and not in separate legionary forts.

That changed by the fourth century with the Strata Diocletiana. I don't know what improvement in troop quality may have resulted.