From the reign of Septimius Severus at the end of the second century A.D., the Roman Empire was continuously beset by internal unrest, revolts, usurpations, civil wars, and attacks along its far-flung frontiers. Scarcely a part of the empire was unaffected, and some areas were forced to deal with several serious problems at the same time. This book is the first comprehensive discussion of the Roman army during this period, and it shows how the army adapted itself to meet.

List of emperors -- Outline of significant events -- Ch. I. Sources -- Ch. II. Crisis and Transition -- Ch. III. Barbarians and Bureaucrats: The Army from Constantine to Justinian -- Ch. IV. Recruitment -- Ch. V. Conditions of Service -- Ch. VI. Equipment -- Ch. VII. Fortifications -- Ch. VIII. Siege Warfare -- Ch. IX. The Morale of the Late Roman Army -- Ch. X. The End of the Army -- Maps I-IV: The Empire from the mid second century to the fifth century AD.