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Perusine War - Octavian in Crisis - Post-Caesar Civil Wars DOCUMENTARY
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- Опубликовано: 24 сен 2022
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Kings and Generals' historical animated documentary series on the history of Rome continues with an episode of the post-Caesar Civil Wars, as we look at what happened after the initial shock of Caesar's assassination. Previously we talked about the battle of Mutina and its aftermath ( • Post-Caesar Civil Wars... ) as Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus created a triumvirate, taking over Rome, which signaled to Brutus and Cassius, that there will be another civil war ( • Octavian and Antony: t... ). The latter collected their legions and started building their base of operations, leading to the battles of Xanthos and Rhodes ( • Battles of Xanthos and... ), and that, in turn lead to the battle of Philippi that would decide the fate of the war between the Caesareans and Pompeians ( • Battle of Philippi - P... ). After Philippi, Octavian and Antony basically divided Rome between them. In this episode we will see what was happening in the western part in 41-40 BC as Octavian had to deal with a number of enemies and crises, which culminated at the Perusian War where Caesar's heir was forced to fight Antony's wife Fulvia and his brother Lucius.
What Happened In Rome After Caesar's Assassination: • What Happened In Rome ...
Battle of Mutina: • Post-Caesar Civil Wars...
Octavian and Antony: the Monsters: • Octavian and Antony: t...
Battles of Xanthos and Rhodes: • Battles of Xanthos and...
Battle of Philippi: • Battle of Philippi - P...
Caesar in Gaul: • Caesar in Gaul - Roman...
Caesar against Pompey: • Caesar against Pompey ...
How Caesar Won the Great Roman Civil War: • How Caesar Won the Gre...
What Happened In Rome After Caesar's Assassination: • What Happened In Rome ...
Medieval Battles: • Medieval Battles
Roman History: • Roman History
Rise of the Vandals: • Rise of the Vandals: H...
Marcus Aurelius: • Marcus Aurelius - Phil...
Aurelian: • Aurelian: Emperor Who ...
Commodus: • Did Commodus End the G...
Claudius: • Claudius: Reformer, Co...
Sejanus: • Sejanus: Almost the Ro...
Milvian Bridge: • Milvian Bridge 312 - R...
Origins of the Germanic Tribes: • Origin of the Germanic...
Julian and battle of Strasbourg: • Julian: Rise of the La... Arminius: • Arminius: Hero of Germ...
Cimbrian War: • Cimbrian War 113-101 B...
Teutoburg: • Teutoburg Forest 9 AD ...
How the Fall of Rome Transformed the Mediterranean: • How the Fall of Rome T...
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We are grateful to our patrons and sponsors, who made this video possible: docs.google.com/document/d/1o...
Script: Peter Voller
Animation: Antoni Kameran
Illustration: Nargiz Isaeva
Machinima: MalayArcher ( / mathemedicupdates ) using Total War: Rome II engine
Narration: Officially Devin ( / @offydgg & / @gameworldnarratives )
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Sources:
Appian, The Civil Wars, book 4
Cassius Dio, books 47-49
Plutarch, Life of Antony
Suetonius, Life of Augustus
Livy, Periochae
Paterculus, Book 2
Florus, Epitome
Babcock, C. (1965) ‘The Early Career of Fulvia’, The American Journal of Philology, 1965
Gabba, E. (1971) ‘The Perusine War and Triumviral Italy’ Harvard Studies in Classical Philology, 75
Lange, C. (2013) ‘Triumph and Civil War in the Late Republic’ Papers of the British School at Rome, 81
Lange, C. (2014) ‘The Logic of Violence in Roman Civil War’ Hermathena, 196/197
Reinhold, M. (1933) ‘The Perusine War’, The Classical Weekly, 26
Scott, K. (1933) ‘The Political Propaganda of 44-30 BC’ Memoirs of the American Academy at Rome.'
Production Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound: www.epidemicsound.com
#Caesar #Documentary #RomanHistory
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That skeleton must be a funny dude when he was alive.
Great video as usual.
Please soon do the classic Persian invasions of Greece, Peloponnesian War and also the Punic Wars.
@kingsandgenerals there's a track you used a lot of times in this video. One part is 20:22 - 22:15. What's that track name?
"Octavian chose the veterans." And that, my friends, Romans, and countrymen, is what makes you an emperor.
As Machiavelli said : A prince should avoid the general hate of the populace or at least the hate of the stronger faction.
@@berkanttahirov1645 Machiavelli was a failed politician who got 90% of his strategy wrong. Not someone I would take advice from.
@@AtillatheFun also a little look at history shows the military is usually the most important group to keep happy if you want power.
Few dictators got in power by pissing off the military. Few groups like commies can break this rule.
@@berkanttahirov1645 Frederick the Great of Prussia actually wrote a whole thesis on why Machiavelli's ideas were not magnificent. While it might feel good to be a c unt, it will definitely come to bite you in the arse in the future, since shockingly, people do not like, trust or enjoy dealing with scheming, backstabbing, arrogant c unts.
I guess
"Whether Octavian or Antony were right, what is undeniable is that no one gives a sh*t about Lepidus."
*Popular Roman saying*
Lol
After Caesar abandoned Marc Antony to go to Egypt with Cleopatra leaving him to clean up Italy's mess, Antony decided to do the same for Octavian. What a twist.
And octavian was called caesar back then, making it more ironic, caesar left Antony in italy to go to egypt, and now Antony leaves another caesar in Italy to go to Egypt
I guess egypt was a far better place to take a vacation than rome
@@andreysilva8418with all the politics therein surely everybody agrees with you 😂
It's puzzling how the Roman's could come up with all these legions for a civil war but struggled later in the empire to concentrate 3 or 4.
Recruiting infastructure matters more than population. 100 years of political instability after Constantine led to a drain on everything. People were much more likely to join the church than to join the military, who had to rely on hiring mercenaries more and more.
Ton of plagues and stuff hit the empire hard. And the incentives to join the military changed as the empire went on.
A lesson to learn from young Octavian. At 19, both consuls die at battle and their army falls in his hands by default, for the next 50 years he never gave up that advantage.
At one point in life you will get lucky with money, a job or a partner… recognize it and never give it up.
Hey all, I was the historian and scriptwriter for this episode, hope you enjoyed it! if you've got any questions or feedback, please do leave them below and I'll do my best to get around to them all!
Is there somewhere to get more information about Murcus? I can't seem to find anything about him online
Really high-quality work.
Can you make more episodes based on Octavion??
I really love roman documentarys, more on caesar please!
I have a question for ya! How the heck did everything calm down and become the Pax Romana after all this chaos? I'm trying to figure that out, and can not think of an answer.
Leaving aside the cruelty that Octavian may have shown in battle, it is impossible to not admire the fact that, even during his reign as Augustus, he never lost his respect for his old enemy Mark Antony. In fact, Augustus used to reproach his adoptive son Tiberius for his despicable behavior by telling him that "Antony was 1000 times more of a man than him".
Which is kind of ironic since Tiberius's father fought for Antony's side and participated at the Battle of Perusia under his brother Lucius.
He really should've adopted Caesar's son with Cleopatra.
@@brainflash1 Caesarion: "ONE DAY I WILL AVENGE MY MOTHER AND CLAIM MY TITLE AS HEIR OF MY FATHER CAESAR"
*44 years later*
Pullo: "They say that Augustus died poisoned by Livia and also that his son Tiberius and his grandson Germanicus are fighting each other for the throne. Are you going to claim the title now?"
Caesarion: "Later, Dad. I have more important things to do now..." *Continues playing video games and eating chips*
The Rise of César Octavian Augustus it’s Begins.
@@TetsuShima Wasn't Caesarion killed by Augustus
It's truly a wonder that Rome managed to hold itself together in the 1st Century BC, in the midst of near-constant civil war.
Anthony: Alright lets split the republic in half and rule it together
Octavian: What about the other guy?
Anthony: That guy? Yeah just give him Africa
Fulvia defiantly comes from a long line of popular roman politicians especially when her ancestor defeated Hannibal at Zama in 202BC and her grandfather assassination along with his older brother marked the decline or the Roman Republic.
No offence, but i guess it is spelled Hannibal. But apart from that i totally agree
@@guitaras1323 None taken thanks
jeez
Oh wow, didnt realize she was descended from the Gracchi and the Scipios
What's amazing is that the Pax Romana came into existence soon after this. No one could have guessed that.
No it didn't. It took almost 10yrs after this.
@@TheMrgoodmanners I dunno, ten years counts as soon to me for something that massive.
@@TheMrgoodmanners 10 years is a short period of time....
Especially after a good century of near constant foreign and civil wars
@@blockmasterscott i dont think experiencing ten yrs of civil wars and famine is anything small.if you read appians civil wars where i think this channel is getting most of its info. You'll see how depopulated and poor rome and greece became after all of this.
Press F for Lepidus. Never had a chance against Octavian or Antony. Since they took all the glory and most of Romes territory for themselves.
He started with a very strong army. Too bad he sucked at the Game of Thrones.
@@ElBandito Hard to be good when most of loyalty comes from Ceasar's name and he was against Ceasar's heir and his right hand.
Lepidus was the most logic political sucesor, Anthony was the other, but after his betrayal of Fulvia, former wife of Claudius Pulcher, and grandaughter of Gaius Grachus, he lost the "Populares" claim and when it came to just a name Octavian was "Caesar", they went from a simple political divission to a war of Egos
@@mikerodrigues9822 If Lepidus leveraged his battle records, and also promised the legions land grants then they would have followed him. And he should have put his foot down and participated in the Battle of Philippi.
@@ElBandito Whilst Anthony and Octavian campaigned in Greece, Lepidus remained on the home front and ensured the Rome did not dissintegrate into anarchy. Sometimes that works. Just look at Lenin and Trotsky: Lenin was way more popular for staying at home than Trotsky for beating all the White armies. Unfrotunately, this didn't work for Lepidus. Which is a shame, truly. He was seemingly competent, not power or blood thirsty, and a great administrator (as seen to when Caesar appointed him to run Rome after Anthony's screw ups). He was a tragic historical figure by all accounts. Too many ambitioius opportunists infested the Roman state at the time. The Roman Republic no longer was the noble one that drove the Kings in the 6th century BC. As sad as it sounds, Rome no longer wanted men like Lepidus to lead it.
Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa - The human cheat code.
He's the best right-hand man of the Julio-Claudian dynasties. But arguably the best bro for any Roman emperor was Flavius Belisarius.
He is the only reason Octavian and the julio-claudio dynasty lived on
Fun fact. Tiberius Claudius Nero, Livia's first husband before she married Octavia and Emperor Tiberius's father fought for Lucius at Perusia. After Lucius surrendered at Perusia, Nero fled first to Naples and then to Sicily where he was welcomed by Sextus. He would eventually make his way back to Rome with his wife and son in tow, getting pardoned after three years on the run, which became a big turning point in his life and that of his children. It was back in Rome when Nero and his family tried getting their old life back together that one day Octavia fell in love with Livia after catching sight of her. So madly was he bewitched by the then pregnant Livia that he divorced his wife Julia and got Livia to divorce Nero so that the two of them could wed each other. Nero at least was a good sport about the whole affair as he not only attended the wedding of his ex wife, but he also stood in for Livia's deceased father and gave her away during the ceremony.
So basically that was the prequel to "I, Claudius"
Thanks!
Livia was Octavianus weak point, like Cleopatra was Antonius's... She made her own connection network with some ruler's wives(there is a film about her e. g. with wife of Herodes etc.) but at the end pushed away Augustus's real successors to put his son to the top what was good for the Empire.
damn he got cucked
Just one correction: the ex wife of Octavian was called Scribonia, not Julia.
In I, Claudius and in Rome, she was an intriguing, calculating figure
Oh, boy. I hope that not anything more could happen to divide these 2 good pals that are Octavian and Anthony.
Fulvia was the only grandchild of Gaius Gracchus IIRC. A lot of soft power coming from that lineage.
And the Gracchi's grandfather was Publius Cornelius Scipio who defeated Hannibal
Source? Her mother was a Sempronia, but I don't believe she was ever identified as a daughter of Gracchus.
Cicero names the father of Semprionia as Sempronius Tuditanus, which is a different family from the Sempronii Gracchi (Philippics III)
"You know, Octavian? It's quite possible that, when you die, you will die without ever having been alive..."
*Mark Antony's disparaging comment to Octavian during Julius Caesar's dictatorship*
What did he mean...?
@@NobleKorhedron It's a pun against Octavian's psychopathy during his youth, as he acted more like a Terminator at the time of achieving his objectives instead of being virtuous and enjoying his life like a normal person
@@TetsuShima maybe he likes that life. Not everyone enjoys live drinking like a barbarian and cheating their wife like anthony did.
@@albertofrankdiaz6664Octavian cheated on all of his wives too. That was well known in Rome.
With Romes civil wars, the Hitchhikers guide comes to mind:
"The best way to pick a fight with a Silastic Armorfiend of Striterax was just to be born. They didn't like it, they got resentful. And when an Armorfiend got resentful, someone got hurt. An exhausting way of life, one might think, but they did seem to have an awful lot of energy."
Speaking of Fulvia, something very remarkable about her was her enormous hatred towards Cicero. In fact, Fulvia ordered the famous orator's head to be brought to her when he was executed. The joy that she experienced when seeing his head was so great that it made her go crazy (as many paintings would represent centuries later). How fortunate Antony was when she died and the beautiful Octavia and Cleopatra took her place as his wife
I seriously doubt that story.
Also bears remembering that before Antony, Fulvia was married to Clodius Pulcher, a violent agitator who also hated Cicero (and had a reputation for sleeping with his sister).
When Cicero defended Caelius Rufus against charges laid by Clodius and Clodia, he pretended to mistake Clodius as her “husband” instead of her brother.
Well, Fulvia was right, remember who Cicero was an Optimate, Caesar was a Popular, so the diference was a very important one, if she was loyal to the Popular cause, amidst an assasination like that of Caesar, that was a good maner to do it, her husband instead only throw Lepidus under the bus in order to become a kind of "new Pharaoh", and lost contact with the reality, who was Why to fight the war in the first place?
"I would rather betray the world, than let the world betray me"
- Octavian
Edit: i know it was Cao Cao who said that in the romance but, i am just fascinated of how those two are similar. I am sure Cao Cao would have liked to meet Augustus. Cao Cao probably would think that Caesar was naive to think popular support alone would be enough to keep him safe from his enemies.
I actually think Caesars political strategy worked very well. His only mistake was to pardon even the enemies who already took arms against him. But remaining popular with the common people and veterans alike was true genius of Caesar.
Don't believe the narrative of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The actual Records of the Three Kingdoms is far more neutral about Cao Cao (including that he was likely the best candidate to reunite China) and presents far more perspectives about every leader. Cao Cao cared about the common farmer as much as Caesar did.
That saying does not fit Octavian, the circumstances and cultural background in which Cao cao said that if he actually did say it are entirely different from what Octavian was in.
That someone would do anything to gain power by that time in the Roman world went without saying. It was not the taboo that it was in late Han China.
@@LegioXXI Not all of his pradoned enemies turned on him.
@@LegioXXI I would go even further. It was not just his ex enemies that assassinated him. Men like Trebonius, Casca or Decimus were his close friends and some of them were his long time legates. His mistake probably wasn't pardoning his enemies but being overly confident and kinda vain, too. Plans to assassinate men like Caesar are always made and many just get away with it. If Caesar was a bit cautious or maybe just even luckier, he would get away with the assassination and purge the conspirators, making his grip on power even stronger.
Yes finally a roman documentary, loving this! More please!!
Enjoying this series about Rome. Will you do something about the hellenistic IIIrd century one day?
I would also love more on the diadochi wars
Lepidus was the most logic political sucesor, Anthony was the other, but after his betrayal of Fulvia, former wife of Claudius Pulcher, and grandaughter of Gaius Grachus, he lost the "Populares" claim and when it came to just a name Octavian was "Caesar", they went from a simple political divission to a war of Egos
I swear I love Roman history!!!
Me too
Thank you 🙏 again for your EXCELLENT work 🙏👏👏👏 💪 Kings and Generals
As a history fan I have read or watched countless depictions of this period and none of them hold a candle to your work 🙏👍
I have been waiting for this episode to come out for ages, finally it’s here, but please, don’t wait months before releasing the next one.
Yep, next one is almost ready
Its about time! I've been hyped for this for so long!
I've been waiting for this moment for a long time hahaha, great Job guys 💪🏼
I always love your videos on Roman and Greek history, but I also think it would be great to get more videos on Egyptian history, particularly on the Ptolemaic Dynasty and Cleopatra’s rule.
I greatly enjoy your videos. Thank you for your high quality education and entertainment.
Amazing work K&g
I especially liked my friend's Malay archer's excellent graphics.
Another day, another amazing video from Kings and Generals
Fantastic video keep it up your doing amazing job
*Marcus Agrippa joins the fight*
The senate, antony and basically everyone else who opposed octavian: why do I hear boss music?!
Finally, a good advert for Raid. 🤣🤣 I love what y'all are doing on all your channels, keep it up! 🍻🍻💚
They actually got the guy too, what a bunch of madlads.
thanks for the video. have a nice day
Hey K n G we really appreciate your work
6 month siege... Marc Anthony was too busy snoozing in Egypt to rescue his literal bro
This was a good video. The Roman Civil Wars are endlessly fascinating to study.
great video
Agrippa, your time to shine has arrived! Finally.
Thanks for the video
Sensational video.
This is the best series and I ask you not to take so long to post new videos.
Awesome video as always !! K & G
Bravo. Superlative analysis. The maps and graphics provide essential context and illustrate the evolving military landscape and the changing dynamics of the relationship between the so-called "triumvirs" or as each called themselves on the coins they minted: "III VIR RPC" ie., _III vir res publica constituenda_ or _three men for the restoration of the republic_
*Fulvia was the only Roman woman to mint her own coins as imperator* - silver quinarii bearing her name and image - during the revolt against Octavian. Important to note also that *Fulvia was a celebrity with a significant public profile independent of Marcus Antonius* - she was the *widow of Publius Clodius* *granddaughter of Gaius Gracchus* and *great grand daughter of Scipio Africanus*
What do you have as a source that Fulvia descents from the Gracchi? Cicero names her maternal grandfather as Sempronius Tuditanus, not Sempronius Gracchus.
@@MCAPrince Don’t recall and really don’t care enough to look it up. This is the RUclips comments section - not a doctoral thesis, nor do I have a bibliography handy. It’s been more than 30 years since I was at university but it would’ve been Appian, Dio, Asconius, Plutarch, and/or numismatic and/or epigraphic archeology. Fulvia was a celebrity in her own right, and independently wealthy - her wealth derived from had the estate of Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus which was a major factor. She had some connection to Cornelia but I don’t remember what. Something to do with the coinage she minted as Imperator too.
Thanks a million !
Great video!
Being a huge fan of Roman history, I love these videos, and I learn even more on Romans.
Finally my fav series is back!
Cool vid !
"he never even left his tent!"
Lepidus, the Fredo Corleone of the Triumvirate.
Wonderful video💫💫💯
While Octavian was busy making a power move in Italy, Antony was busy becoming a simp of Cleopatra in Egypt and it was his eventual downfall.
This is an extreme oversimplification
You guys are on fire! How do you get these out so quickly?
Excellent!
cant wait for the next episode
Great video topic....it's so hard to find good books on this period at the local libraries. I could buy them but once again they aren't usually in my price range. 👍
Thanks for the episode. This part of history was mainly ignored by mainstream historians and hardly heard of
17:04 This moment was so significant, had these 3 decided to march. There wouldn't probably had been a Roman empire!
Will there be any videos of majorian coming soon?
Good thing there’s no Boat King coming or anything like that or Octavian’s gonna have a really bad time.
Imagine how great Rome would've been had Octavian and Antony had worked together.
Imagine how great it would have been had Caesar and Pompey worked together. Two of the greatest captains of their age.
They tried that. It didn’t go particularly well.
This only ever worked in Roman history during the First Triumvirate, and it started yesrs before as a secret alliance before becoming more public in the 50s, where all 3 could check each other.
It wouldn't be great at all, two tigers cannot live on the same mountain.
Would be horrible. These series only showed that Antony is good general, but horrible administrator or politician. He had to go for the sake of stability.
Great
Love how after a civil war, they had another civil war for a larf.
Rome’s traditional fratricide will never end from henceforth.
"The likelihood of a persian invasion was seeming more and more likely"
That's it, that's Roman history, like all of it, right there.
@@edrickhuge4637 Correct!
Kings and Generals, I learn something from you, I thought that after Philippi there were no more wars but another war that I am not familiar with and I am learning a lot about Roman History from you.
You're in for a treat then my friend, we've got plenty more wars and battles before (spoilers) Augustus emerges victorious!
@@petervoller3404 I can’t wait and I’m excited to see the next episode.
I can't believe how protracted this conflict was.
Agrippa is very intelligent in doing that manuever for Augustus!
Can you make a series about the Eighty years war and the Dutch English War and a video about Michel De Ruyter?
Dioclecian about the Treat of Brundisium: I think thats quiet interesting...
Octavian: has any issues happen
Also octavian to war.
This is my favourite part of roman history. I was heavily influenced by iclaudius and its sequel so I view the caesareans through rose tinted glasses.
love all the roman series
Octavian and Antony Legions : wow we successfully kick liberators butt, finally now peace is coming right? Right?
Finallyy
Agrippa is such a great guy
Veteran: "Hey Octavian."
Octavian: "Yea?"
Veteran: "You know that fortified city you're planning on besieging."
Octavian: "Yes. I'm afraid we'll have to storm it."
Veteran: "..."
Octavian: "..."
Veteran: "My lord, let me tell you a story from my time under Caesar. A story about a little town called Alesia..."
Very good documentary and love from indian jats
Could u do a video on Red Cloud
@kingsandgenerals there's a track you used a lot of times in this video. One part is 20:22 - 22:15. What's that track name?
What is the name of the piece or song at the end of the video?
@kingsandgenerals i follow your videos, you have covered almost every ancient civilisation, but i can not find a single video about Armenia.
By that time it was already shown who there was little intrest in "Caesar Populares" legacy, Lepidus may have intentions but was to weak, Fulva may also had, but was abandoned by her husband, her husband in turn was already wavering, and Octavian was in a position without political idealism.
Agrippa doesn't get near enough credit, Octavian was nothing without Agrippa
Let's gooooo
"Who would deffend the interests of the poor italian famers?
Nobody? Okay...
Who would PRETEND to deffend the interests of the pooor italian farmers, in orther to cynically further their own political carrier?"
The ones that tried too ended up dead at the hands of the senate 🤷🏻♂️
Please bring Alexander series next video.
Go and show the world the great Gokturk Khanate and the first Gokturk age
Yeah, its all good and all but where was the most important Roman at? Biggus Dickus?
As an ancient Perusian myself I'm glad the siege of my city has finally been covered in a video
Kings and generals can you do battle of Leyte gulf 1944
Ah yes, Labienus. Haven't heard that in a while. Instalaugh.
Please battle of zenta
Could you do Fall of the Ottoman Empire? #KingsandGenerals
can you do raja raja cholan empire please
It always amazes me how many Roman legionnaires lives were lost during the careers of Julius Caesar and Augustus, in particular from 53BC The battle of Carrhae where Crassus stupidly got him and his 20,000 soldiers killed, to 9AD where Varus also got himself killed and up to 20,000 Roman soldiers. In between these 62 years Caesar and Augustus had countless civil wars such as the battle of Munda 45BC 37,000 Romans dead, Battle of Pharsalus 48BC 60,000 Roman soldiers dead (according to Julius Caesar, probably exaggerated), the list goes on and on. We then go to 378AD battle of Adrianople where about 15 to 20,000 Roman soldiers die fighting the Goths and because of this one battle the Roman Empire almost collapse, as this was more than 2/3 of the Roman army. It amazes me how much martial vigour the Romans had during the Republican period and also during the wars with Hannibal, the Romans kept on getting wiped out, but could then build another army. Yet in the late Roman Empire they could not get young men to enlist into the legions. I would be interested in seeing a video explaining this. In my opinion I think it was two things, I think Roman paganism and Roman culture celebrated martial vigour, but with Christianity this mindset changed. My other reason is that in Republican times it wasn't so multi cultural, most Romans spoke Latin or Greek and believed in the Roman/Greek gods, so they saw themselves as one family and they needed to protect themselves. But when it became an Empire from Britain to Iraq joining the army meant fighting other people's wars so the motivation was lost. BTW if you read all of my little essay, thanks and feel free to reply
Those points you raised may well have been factors, but I think you've overlooked an important point, which is the reality that during the Republic and early Empire period, Rome's armies were integral to her society, and this diminished overtime. In Rome's early days, the army was not only for defence, but to expand the empire. This was baked into the national identity, you couldn't be a successful politician without some kind of military conquest that showed your prowess. Once the Empire's borders had been defined, largely under Augustus, the role of the military changed, no longer so aggressive, largely defensive. A smaller population was required in such a system. We dont need 4 legions to expand our borders, we just need one legion here to guard the border. Allow that system to deteriorate for a couple centuries, and you'll be left with only a small percentage of the population actually doing any fighting. It's a relatively common trend, once a nation/people hits a critical mass of economic prosperity, the role of the military diminishes. When people talk about Romes military "stagnating" or the Roman's becoming "complacent" or whatever, that's usually the kinda idea they're actually talking about. Once you've got secure borders established and a thriving economy, why do we really need such a vast army? This is just my opinion, of course, but I think theres something in there