But mandatory training (munera?) for the militia would be best IMHO.
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Caput Unus Et Tricesimus: The Gothic Campaign
In the Great Gothic War, the Battle of Axiopolis (1023 AUC [1]) had been the turning point. The army of the Goths, led by their ruler (kindins) Cannabaudes, had suffered a terrible defeat, and while Lucius was in Rome, his general Decius hunted down the last Gothic troops in Greece. Barely escapingfrom the Numidian Cavalry, Cannabaudesentered the city of Paloda.
There, he tried to organize the Gothic defense. Many Goths wanted to sue for peace, as long as an amicable arrangement with Rome was still possible. However, Cannabaudes was determined to pursue war by all means, mainly because he knew that Rome would impose harsh terms on Gothia and maybe end its existence as an independent country.
But among his fellow Goths who had once cheered him as the unifier of Gutthiuda, he met nothing more than disloyalty. The warriors wanted to returnto their families, to their farms, tents or cities; the Gothic aristocracy hadn't accepted the modern administration established by Cannabaudes and wanted to return to a more loose organization; last but not least, the allies wanted to leave Gothic domination, hoping to come to good terms with Rome if they changed sides.
When the Sarmatian allies of Gothia, the Roxolani, as well as the Celtic Bastarnae denied him loyalty, the Goths decided to get rid of Cannabaudes. The tragic events following were related by the Gothic author and historian Wulfila, who wrote a century after the occurrences, in his book Gothia's Fall (Gutþiudas gataúrþs). According to Wulfila, the Gothic chiefs (reikis) had gathered in Cannabaudes Roman style house at Paloda, where they formed the Gothic high council (gafaúrds).
At this day, Cannabaudes started to present his plans to assemble the remaining Gothic warriors and form a new army to stop the expected Roman invasion. His adjutant, who was part of the conjuration, came nearer as to present him the numbers needed to levy the new troops. Meanwhile, the others conspirators gathered around him, as if to express their respect, but under their elegant Greek dresses, they hid daggers. Others distracted thelifeguards, and when the right moment came, the plotters surrounded Cannabaudes, attacked him and wounded him to death.
Subsequently, a Gothic aristocrat, Filimer, was elected new ruler of the Goths to arrangea peace deal with the Romans. Filimer's envoys (who spoke perfect Greek) expected Rome to agree on a simple ceasefire, at the most to a moderate tribute. In fact, the Goths didn't intend to give Rome any guaranties for a durable peace. And this was completely unacceptable for the Roman authorities.
The Goths had, within two decades, caused hundreds of millions of losses by raids, plundering and destruction. Lucius, who was now emperor and thus responsible for the commonweal of his subjects, had to ensure that no threat against Rome would ever arise again out of Gothia. Therefor, he offered the Goths to become an autonomousclient kingdom of Rome's, protected by Roman troops against the attacks of steppe nomads.
But the Goths knew that a Roman protectorate was nothing more than the first steptowards a total provincialization; only the romanophiles, mostly civilized Goths living in the cities, argued for a for a peace with Rome, because they hoped to play a role within the coming Roman order. Their opponents, the misoromans from the steppe, who called themselves patriots, despised the Roman lifestyle and wanted to preserve their nomadic way of life based on raiding.
While the cities had no common ruler, the patriots were at least loosely led by Filimer, who was charged with the organization of the hopeless defense. On the other side, Lucius deployed his troops. Since the Moesian legions had to return to their positions on the Danube to prevent any Barbarian incursions, Lucius fetched 40,000 men of the Central Army [2] from Italy over to the front.
Gothia sank into total chaos, and given the fragmentation of the Gothic forces, the resistance against the Roman legions was useless. But while the cities were quickly conquered by the Romans, the steppe couldn't be easily occupied. The Romans simply hadn't the manpower to occupy each saltus [3] of the Sarmatian plain, and the war dragged on for several years.
Still, the Romans could rely on the Numidian forces, who crushed the Gothic steppe cavalry: The steppe in general proved to be a perfect battle ground for the Numidians, who did much damage by marauding through the Gothic hinterland. By 1027 AUC [4], Filimer and his last warriors surrendered to Rome, and the Great Gothic War, that had begun in 1022 AUC [5], ended.
[1] 270 CE
[2] The Central Army or comitatus fielded 50,000 men altogether at this point
[3] Roughly 2 km²
[4] 274 CE
[5] 269 CE
The questions is: Will the new vassal states stay calm?
