Were the Germans physically superior?

[Robert Vermaat]

The figure I've heard-- coming from the innacuracies the History Channel-- was one Italian for every hundred somebody-elses, whomever they might be. The figure can't be fully accurate, considering its HC source; but it might not be far off.

1 in 500 Italians! Why just Italians? The Romans consisted of so much more peoples than just Italians. Well, maybe that figure might not be far off the mark, but it's useless when discussing the level of non-Romans in the Roman army.

Considering the two large recruitments, circa 382-383, by both Gratian and Theodosius, a high percentage of new blood came from the Goths, Alans, Heruli, Vandals, Gepids... three fifths being Germans. But the case is an isolated decade in a Roman millenium.

Isolated and again useless, because many of such 'recrcruitments', and others like them, consisted only of 'part-time' troops, who were only recruited for one campaign and dismissed afterwards. Germanic troops in the Roman army came from individual volunteers, drafted non-Romans settled within the Empire or from groups who were obliged by a treaty to provide troops.