To the east of the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire (known as the Sassanid Empire after 224 AD) was another formidable rival. The Persians and Romans fought a series of wars over control of the Middle East, with the Persian Empire frequently challenging Roman authority in the region. These conflicts were among the most significant of the late Roman Empire and added to the sense of being surrounded by powerful and hostile forces.
Conclusion
To the Romans and the wider classical world, the tribes and peoples on the edges of their empire were seen as a constant threat, often labeled as "barbarians" and "enemies at the gates." The Roman worldview was shaped by the belief in Roman superiority and the need to protect their civilization from these perceived threats. These tribes, from the Germanic and Celtic peoples to the Huns and Persians, shaped the course of Roman history through both direct military conflict and the destabilizing effects of migration and invasion.
The Roman fear of these tribes was not just about military confrontation but about the challenge to the very ideals of Roman civilization. The concept of Rome as the pinnacle of cultural and political achievement was central to the Roman identity, and any challenge to this worldview was seen as a profound threat. The eventual collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD was, in many ways, a result of these persistent and powerful "barbarians" at the gates, who would go on to shape the future of Europe in the post-Roman world. shutdown123