Lets Talk Adrianople

[ValentinianVictrix]

1. Foederetii. Not auxilaries. The Roman cavalry at Adrianople were Roman units BTW.
2 Did I say military conflict? I meant rivalry.
3. Isn't the local dux a Rich landlord?
4. Ask Theodosis at Fridigus.
5. Yeah so offensive Valens decided to negotiate. So offensive the Gratian and Theodosis didn't both engaging in pitched battles after Adrianople.
6. .
7. Um didn't you even read Ammianus? The Imperial cavalry led by Iberian Prince Bacurius during Valen's negotiation decided the Goths were easy to beat and attacked. Then Gothic cavalry showed up and routed them.

!. Wrong. Up to the Battle of Adrianople when the Romans hired non-Roman troops they were always called auxiliaries, that is what Ammianus always calls the Taifali, Franks, Alamanni and Goths who were hired by the Romans for specific campaigns rather than being enrolled into the Auxilia.
2. Not all the historians who were either contemporary with the events or writing shortly afterwards speak of any ill-feeling between Valens and Gratian. Indeed it could be Christian writers who made up this tale as both Emperors worshiped different forms of Christianity and Valens form was frowned upon at the time.
3. It was clear that the officers sent to oversee the crossing of the Danube were military officers, not landlords. Dux was a military title at the time.
4. We are talking about Adrianople, not the situation when Theodosius took up the purple. The Goths could not be considered lacky's even during Theodosius' reign as they held the balance of power.
5. Are you forgetting Valens three campaigns against the Goths between 367 and 369AD? The campaigns Gratian waged against the Alamanni and other tribes north of the Rhine and Danube? The African campaign fought by Theodosius before Adrianople? Valens campaign against Procopius?
6. No evidence that the Emperors before Adrianople were afraid of upsetting the Christians. In fact there is much evidence of both Valentinian and Valens meddling in Christian matters. Did Valens worry about upsetting the Nicene Christians when he converted Fritigern and his Goths to Arianism?
7. You need to reread Ammianus and then compare his account to the other accounts and then perhaps try and deduce exactly what happened that day.