... the sister empires we gain a simplistic yet pronounced, view of the differing political situations. A.H.M Jones states there were only a handful of attempted usurpations in the Eastern Empire during the fifth century, whereas the number of attempted usurpations in the Western was significantly larger. One need only look at the succession of ephemeral Empereor's that succeeded Valentinian III to see how politically unstable the West really was. This is not to say that the Western Empire was completely bereft of good leaders and commanders. Indeed Aetius was in a position of power for twenty-six years until his assassination in 454. During his career Aetius managed to protect southern Gaul from the Visgoths and more northern parts from the Franks. He also worked successfully with the Huns, as well as beating them in 452. His assassination highlights the lack of patriotism and the level of self-interest that infected the ...

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