Fall of Rome, Ep.1: The Battle of Adrianople 378: Goths on the Danube

When the Goths turned up on the banks of the Roman frontier of the Danube river, they were desperate asylum seekers.

But through some utterly inept Roman policy-making, they were turned into enemies and the Gothic War of 376-382 erupted.

The Battle of Adrianople was the turning point in this war, allowing the Goths more or less free rein to rampage throughout Thrace, the Balkans and Greece - and it was the local Roman population which bore the brunt.

The battle, the war, and the subsequent peace that was made had huge consequences for the integrity of the Roman Empire.

There was a long way to go to the Fall of Rome, but it was a decisive moment with long-lasting repercussions. 

Welcome to the first episode in our series on the Fall of Rome.

 

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