The Illyrian Emperors of Rome (part 1): The Barbarian Legions of the Empire

Albanians want to claim even the Roman empire as Albanian, by showing that Illyrians became Roman Emperors. The reality is that at a low point in Roman history, barbarians were taken and made into soldiers. And there was nothing glorious about these soldiers. ****** 'Under the Julian emperors, the occidental legions were still composed principally of natives of Italy. From the time of Vespasian that situation gradually ended. The Italians then were assigned principally only to the Praetorian Guard in Rome. The legions were filled from the provinces in which they were stationed; even the Germans, to judge from the evidence of the inscriptions, were enlisted in them in increasing numbers. In one of the inscriptions that has come down to us, a Praetorian speaks just as Vergil has spoken of the barbarian legions. And so it was, according to their blood, but by spirit, custom, and language the legions were now recruited from the national groups of the empire there were already Romanized and were becoming completely so in the service, despite their barbarian origins.' (Hans Delbrück, History of the Art of War: The Barbarian Invasions, p 162) 'The Roman legions continued to exist in name, but their character changed. They declined to a weak militia. Besides such degenerate legions (limitanei), there existed a few others that retained their military efficiency by adopting the system of the barbarian mercenary units. The Joviani and the Herculians of Diocletian are examples <b>...</b>
Illyrian Emperors Rome Diocletian Illyia barbarians soldiers Roman Empire history Albania Albanian propaganda


































