Ask The Expert - Dr. Peter Heather

We are happy to announce that Dr. Peter Heather has agreed to answer questions from our forum members. Every forum member can ask one question only (to make you consider what you would like discussed carefully), no follow up replies to keep the thread clean and to make it easier for the Professor to go through the questions. We also would like to point out to stick to your question to the area of his expertise, which is the period of the late roman empire. After a week or two (depending how many questions we have) Professor Heather will answer those which he thinks are the most interesting or applicable...

Dr Heather (DPhil (Oxon), Lecturer (CUF) in Modern History) at Worcester College, Oxford University, has published widely on the later Roman Empire (East and West), its cross-border relations, and the political, social and cultural history of its successor states in the period c250-600 AD. His current interests include the role of propoganda in the late Roman elite, and the related phenomena of ethnicity and migration among the groups who dismantled the western half of the Roman Empire.

Selected Publications:

The Fall of the Roman Empire

The Visigoths

The Huns

There are many questions I would like to ask Dr. Heather, not least of which is Constantine's culpability in the fall of the late Empire, as a result of his placation of the Sumatians, but I think I have to ask this -

How dedicated to Christianity was Constantine? Given the fact that he, in all likelyhood, in my opinion, did not have a vision at the Milvian bridge (unless he was prone to hallucinations), and his merciless treatment of Fausta, Crispus, Lechinius, and a host of others. He clearly enjoyed bloodsports, yet in contrast to this he showed mercy to many, especially Christians. He often chastised his court for their immorality, yet, being an Emperor, was himself weighed down by a lifetime of accumulated sins. Given these contradictions, I cannot be sure - was he a "true" Christian (even though the standards of Christianity have changed dramatically over the centuries), or was he more of an an expert propagandist?

Thanks Dr. Heather. I very much enjoyed your commentary on the "I, Caesar" series, as I have stated elsewhere.

Hello Professor Heather, first thank you very much for participating at Unrv.com As princeps above mentioned, i do have many questions as well, but i will of course stick to one!

Was was in your opinion the most significant archaeological find of recent times that helped to understand better the period of the late roman empire in the west...

regards

viggen

Hello Dr. Heather and thank you for your participation in our little corner of Romanophilia,

We (on this forum) recently engaged in a brief and indefinite discussion of Roman citizenship in the late empire and beyond. As an example of some points of the discussion... Is there a specific point when the citizenship ceased to exist? Did it continue into the post Odaecer Germanic rule of Italy? Did it simply evolve into church/parish/diocese membership?

Any thoughts you might have on the subject would be greatly appreciated.

(I don't know if you've addressed the issue in your recent book, as I haven't started it yet, but it is resting comfortably in a prominent position on my desk... awaiting my attention)

Hullo Dr Heather

Thanks for joining us here

I was wondering I realise that Late Paganism influenced early Christianity to quite an extent but was this actually two way traffic and was late paganism influenced by early Christianity?

Thanks

Hi, Dr. Heather.

What modern advances--whether in statistics, economics, population modelling or whatever--have most influenced your examination of the past, and which advances do you think have the greatest unrealized potential for improving our reconstructions of the ancient world?

My best,

Cato

Although the Roman Empire was declining, was societal structure still firmly intact and were there still technological advances (if at all) ?

Hello Dr. Heather, thank you very much for answering our questions.

My question concerns the anti-barbarian rising in Rome that began with Stilicho's death and the death of many Germans and thier families allowing Alaric to pick up 30,000 men he used to sack Rome. My question is, I understand there always was some anti-germanic/barbarian sentiment but what set it off? Was there a particular event or series of events that launched the West to kill thier general and turn on thier army so suddenly, or was this something Stilicho brought on himself and his troops? Was this due to his designs wishing to invade the East, or different? Thanks for any reply you can give me.

Regards,

Phil

Hello Dr Heather, great to have you here.

My question relates to Slavery after the sack of Rome and the fall of the West. I am curious to know what the attitude of Italys new masters was concerning people classified as slaves under the Empire. Were germanic slaves freed, or did Odaecer want to appear almost Roman/Emperor like in his attitudes as I have read ? Has any research been done into the evolution of Slavery in the area post Odaecer?

Thankyou very much,

Germanicus

My question concerns the legions. It seems that centurions, like modern senior NCO's, were the people who maintained the standards of army life and discipline. They were professional career soldiers some of whom would be serving on the front line even into their eighties. So - given the general decline of the legions toward the end of the west, were centurions of this time also declining in standards and to what extent did they set the pace of decline?

Ave Professor Heather,

Thank you so much for answering all our questions. My question also concerns the armies of the late roman empire. The armies were to an extent, barbarised at that point in time. They utilised different tactics and strategies in combatting their opponents. There is also a noticeable change in arms and armour of the period (e.g. spatha and oblong shield). my question is this: Can this change of military technology be attributed to an evolution of tactics and strategy of the late roman armies or to the extensive barbarisation of the army, or for whatever reason(e.g. economic decline)?..

Once again thanks...

Hello Dr. Heather,

I'm curious to know how you keep up with the latest developments in in your field. Are there any specific publications or journals that you find essential to your continued studies?

Thanks

Hello Professor,

like Moonlapse I was wondering about sources of information.However, my question was about museums/artefacts -in Western Europe -which sites or collections would you suggest as most evocative of Roman life/military activity/culture-to you personally (and this doesnt have to be as a scholar!)?

An argument which creeps up repeatedly in these forums, and in which I particular seem to be embroiled, is how to interpret history.

In your introduction to Fall of the Roman Empire , you note there has been a marked tendency in the last generation to apply contemporary theories of literary deconstruction to the social sciences. This has brought into question if the traditional sources can ever have a definite veracity outside of alleged prejudices and agendas of the authors

Salve Professor,

My question is this. What did the Roman Forum look like around the year 700? Deserted or transformed?

Thank you.