APPENDIX II The Roman Army in the Later Fourth Century—Command Structures, Composition and Size

As the guarantor of the empire’s security, and its greatest, dominant expense, the role of the army has been crucial in almost all of the aspects which have been discussed above (only in religion was its involvement peripheral rather than central). The developments which took place within the later Roman army had a profound influence on the shape and style of the empire, and to a large degree determined its fate. This section does not set out to be a major study of the army in this period (that work has yet to be written), but seeks to address those points which are directly relevant to the arguments which have been put forward in our main text, and to expand on some of the comments made therein.1