Barbarization?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

I disagree, that comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of how the Child-emperor system operated. Stilicho was a necessary part of it who was supported by the bureaucracy (until he ticked them off). Stilicho may have been a Vandal but he was also considered a Roman, and he considered himself Vandal. His identity had no impact on army recruitment.

In fact it seems recruitment wasn't even a major problem. The last conscription in the Theodosian Code is in 428, but that could be a reflection on the declining size of the army too.

We should also ask where the Rhenish troops ended. It is said that Roman troops were withdrawn from the Rhine to defend Italy from Alaric, but Italy was invaded by another barbarian. So, where that roman troops where? Dismissed and replaced with other barbarians?

They weren't, we have evidence of Roman soldiers in the Rhenian garrisons until the 450's. See Drinkwater, "The Alamanni and Rome", page 327. I wanted to write an AW magazine on this for the next issue but I guess Jasper picked someone else.