Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 2 - Government, Society, and Culture in the Roman Empire

194 The Imperial Government

monthsmovedtoAquincum,finallysettlingforthewinteratBrigetio(30,5).
ThereambassadorsfromtheQuadiappearedandweregrantedatreaty.But
whenadmittedintotheconsistorium,theyweretooreadytoexcusetheirpre-
viousconduct.TheEmperorwasenraged,sufferedafitofapoplexy,anddied
shortlyafter(30,6).
Thestoryexemplifiesperfectlytheconstrainingfactorsoftime,distance,
andinformationwithinwhichanemperor,likeanyoneelse,hadtooperate.
Itsendingalsoillustratestheirreduciblypersonalcharacterofthecombined
management of warand diplomacy.We are still a long way from explain-
ingwhytheseresponsibilitiespressedovermoreheavilyontheemperorin
person.Butgrantedthefactofthatdevelopmentoverthepreviousfourcen-
turies—theoppositeofwhatwemighthavepresumedinanimmense,rela-
tivelystableandhighlycivilizedEmpire—Valentinian’sapoplexyatleastis
whollyintelligible.