Rome and the Barbarians The Birth of a New World

The definitive book on the controversial relationship between Roman civilisation and the barbarian populations between the 1st and the 6th centuries A.D. It is now a well-recognized fact that during the Roman Empire, tens of millions of Germans crossed its border. Germanic mercenaries served loyally under Julius Caesar, first as auxiliaries, later as legionaries, while some reached important military ranks. Today it is accepted that without the contribution of the Germans, it would have been difficult for the Roman Empire to last as long as it did. But how did Rome repay the northern barbarians for their almost total availability? This scholarly and accessible volume attempts to provide an answer to this historical puzzle.