Eagles in the Dust · the Roman Defeat at Adrianopolis AD 378

In AD376 large groups of Goths, seeking refuge from the Huns, sought admittance to the Eastern Roman Empire. Emperor Valens took the strategic decision to grant them entry, hoping to utilize them as a source of manpower for his campaigns against Persia. The Goths had been providing good warriors to Roman armies for decades. However, mistreatment of the refugees by Roman officials led them to take up arms against their hosts. 
The resultant battle near Adrianopolis in AD378, in which Valens lost his life, is regarded as one of the most significant defeats ever suffered by Roman arms. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus called it the worst massacre since Cannae, nearly six hundred years previously. Modern historians have accorded it great significance both at a tactical level, due to the success of Gothic cavalry over the vaunted Roman infantry, and in strategic terms, often citing it as the beginning of the end for the Empire. Adrian Coombs-Hoar untangles the debate that still surrounds many aspects such claims with an insightful account that draws on the latest research.

**

ReviewThis narrative account for history buffs and historians chronicles the battle of Adrianopolis, when the Goths defeated the Roman infantry and started the decline of the Roman Empire. The battle is examined within the broader context of the Roman Empire’s relationship with the Goths over the long term. Early chapters give detailed background on the Goths: their origins, tribal structures, military, and day-to-day life. Later chapters describe the build up to the conflict and the events of the battle itself. The author asks questions about whether the battle could’ve been prevented and sketches other possible scenarios that might have changed the course of the battle and the course of history. Bw maps and battle diagrams are included (Protoview)

About the Author

Adrian Coombs-Hoar studied at the Brockhill School for Boys in Saltwood, Kent, before joining the Royal Navy in 1974. After leaving the Navy he worked in various fields before undertaking a BSc (Hons) degree DipSw at South Bank University, London. Adrian is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is also Practice Teacher. He currently works as a social worker for Kent Count Council. Adrian is affectionately known by his friends as 'the Rockin' Historian' due to his love of history and 1950s Rockabilly music.