The Ghost of Rome: : Volume VI - The Barbarian Invasions Virgil Cain Author

Whether it be a Roman citizen of East or West, it was undeniable that the next great battle to be waged for the soul of the Roman Empire would be fought against the heathen hordes of the hard north. The Vandals and the Huns were growing bolder by the... Read more

Whether it be a Roman citizen of East or West, it was undeniable that the next great battle to be waged for the soul of the Roman Empire would be fought against the heathen hordes of the hard north. The Vandals and the Huns were growing bolder by the hour and the Goths already dominated a swath of land from Sirmium to Durrachium. The only way to defeat this unfathomable monstrosity was for both halves of Rome to united against the countless barbarian tribes which populated the northern reaches of Europe. The problem was, at this late stage of the empire, uniting against a common threat was anything but a simple proposition. Yet, even if the Roman could find a way to put their recent history of waging unnecessary civil wars aside and come together, how were they to defeat an enemy which had already embedded itself within the fields and cities of every province of Rome. Barbarian officers now led Roman armies, held positions in Roman government, owned Roman business, facilitated Roman trade, owned Roman land, plowed Roman fields, and so forth. This was not an enemy that could be met and defeated at the border. It was an enemy that already lived among them. The only way to defeat such an invasive species was to eradicate it entirely, turning true Romans against their neighbors in such a manner as could not be justified even with Rome's dying breath. Less