Hello, and welcome to the history of Rome, episode 153, Adrian Opel.

In early 377 AD, after months of deprivation, frustration, and humiliation, the Goths finally

snapped.

They had begged for entry into the Roman Empire because they thought they might find

a refuge there.

Instead, they had been unforgivably mistreated by the local authorities.

What was the point of fleeing from the Huns, who, and I can't believe I messed this up,

used composite bows, not compound bows, because compound bows weren't invented until like

the 1960s, and God help us all if the Huns had ever gotten a hold of compound bows.

Anyway, what was the point of fleeing from the Huns if the Romans were going to

prove just as menacing a threat?

Was this a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire?

Not exactly, more a case of out of the frying pan and onto the ground next to the fire.

Still in danger, but not quite so immediately, especially given the military situation

on the Danube frontier.

The Goths may have been weak from a year of flight and harassment, but as we saw last

time, the Romans were not exactly in tip-top shape themselves.

They were outnumbered locally, and run by a commander whose judgment has to be seriously

questioned.

You'll recall from last week that following Lupikinus' botched attempt to blackmail the

Goths into submission by taking their leader's hostage, the turving-guy leader Fritagern

promised to go to his people and calm them down.

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