Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome, episode 150, The Parals of Mismanagement.

In the winter of 368 AD, the Valentinian was in the northern capital of Trier, making

plans to overhaul the fortifications of the Rhine frontier.

The whole region had been a disrupted mess since the revolt of Magnensius back in 350, and

though Julian had done much to restore order, since the apostate emperor had gone east

to meet his destiny, the west had slipped back into chaos.

This was partly due to the increasing entropy of the time, but it was also due to Valentinian's

own mishandling of the situation.

Now that things in Britannia were back in hand and the Aleman I had been defeated in battle,

the emperor was of a mind that it was time to re-sement Roman power.

The only problem was that Valentinian's plan was so aggressive that it had the exact opposite

effect.

When the spring of 369 arrived, a Valentinian ordered his troops to begin repairing and

rebuilding various forts along the Roman side of the Rhine, which so far so good.

But then the emperor took the provocative step of ordering his men to build a fort on

the far side of the river.

Near the spot where the Romans and Aleman I had fought the year before, just south of the

modern city of Heidelberg.

Envoys from the Aleman I immediately protested the existence of a permanent Roman base

in their territory, and they asked for an audience with Valentinian.

But as was the emperor's apparent custom, this request was denied.

Once again, the Aleman I left the imperial court furious and hot for blood.

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