Creation of the Medieval Roman Army

The Battle of Adrianople marked a turning point where two-thirds of the Roman army fell, threatening the future of the empire. On August 9, 378 AD, the Eastern Roman field army marched out to crush a Gothic uprising. By sunset, the Emperor Valens was dead, and the Roman Empire faced its worst defeat since the days of Hannibal. This loss was not just a failure; it forced a total reassessment of how the state defended its borders against rising threats. We examine how this catastrophe forced the creation of a new military structure. For those interested in military history, this analysis tracks the transition from the old legions to the force that would carry the state through the centuries that followed. Subscribe for weekly breakdowns on military history and the battles that shaped the ancient world.