Rome\'s worst military defeat

[Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus]

Agree with you on the effect of long term peace on a society under the protection of another. However if you want to discuss recruitment problems it is a problem going back to the old days of the republic until Gaius Marius fixed the problem with the headcount. Back then however it was more of incompetant generalship with massive troop loss. In the last century of the roman empire it was a matter of lack of motivation to join than anything else so it became necessary for a mixed army, although the Romans had used the Italian Allies for troops before Marius. Even with the Byzantine empire that was a problem in their later years and led to their inability to protect their provinces. The Goths could very well have been incorporated into the empire, just look at the rest of the provinces who were thought to never corporate, Gauls are a good example of this. <p>THERE ARE NO STUPID PEOPLE, ONLY PEOPLE STUPID ENOUGH TO NOT KNOW WHEN THEY'VE MADE A MISTAKE</p><i></i>