Romans and their Northern and Eastern Neighbors
The Roman–Persian Wars were a series of conflicts between states of the Greco-Roman world and two successive Iranian empires: the Parthian and the Sassanid. Battles between the Parthian Empire and the Roman Republic began in 92 BC; wars began under the late Republic, and continued through the Roman and Sassanid empires. They were ended by the Arab Muslim invasions, which devastated the Sassanid and Byzantine East Roman empires shortly after the end of the last war between them.
Although warfare between the Romans and the Parthians/Sassanids lasted for seven centuries, the frontier remained largely stable. A game of tug of war ensued: towns, fortifications, and provinces were continuously sacked, captured, destroyed, and traded. Neither side had the logistical strength or manpower to maintain such lengthy campaigns far from their borders, and thus neither could advance too far without risking stretching their frontiers too thin. Both sides did make conquests beyond the border, but in time the balance was almost always restored.
Members of different Germanic tribes and communities served in the Roman armies, and fought with the Romans. In exchange for military service, the Germanics got Roman objects, although not Roman weapons, as there were Roman laws against exporting arms to the Germanic tribes. Germanic tribes who fought against the Romans got war spoils, and they often used captured Roman swords and armour.
The Romans influenced Germanic military tactics and organization as well. As can be told from the huge Illerup Ådal excavation in Denmark, in which huge amounts of Roman and Roman inspired arms and equipment were found. Many of these were produced in Scandinavia, and many had Scandinavia "factory seals", after a Roman model. This tells us that the Germans used Roman arms,and it also shows that they had the required knowledge and social organization to support large armies, and produce standardized arms and equipment.
http://medievalstudies.ceu.hu/courses/20132014/cc-just-the-backyard-of-constantinople-%E2%80%93-byzantium-and-its-northern-neighbors-part-
Although warfare between the Romans and the Parthians/Sassanids lasted for seven centuries, the frontier remained largely stable. A game of tug of war ensued: towns, fortifications, and provinces were continuously sacked, captured, destroyed, and traded. Neither side had the logistical strength or manpower to maintain such lengthy campaigns far from their borders, and thus neither could advance too far without risking stretching their frontiers too thin. Both sides did make conquests beyond the border, but in time the balance was almost always restored.
Members of different Germanic tribes and communities served in the Roman armies, and fought with the Romans. In exchange for military service, the Germanics got Roman objects, although not Roman weapons, as there were Roman laws against exporting arms to the Germanic tribes. Germanic tribes who fought against the Romans got war spoils, and they often used captured Roman swords and armour.
The Romans influenced Germanic military tactics and organization as well. As can be told from the huge Illerup Ådal excavation in Denmark, in which huge amounts of Roman and Roman inspired arms and equipment were found. Many of these were produced in Scandinavia, and many had Scandinavia "factory seals", after a Roman model. This tells us that the Germans used Roman arms,and it also shows that they had the required knowledge and social organization to support large armies, and produce standardized arms and equipment.
http://medievalstudies.ceu.hu/courses/20132014/cc-just-the-backyard-of-constantinople-%E2%80%93-byzantium-and-its-northern-neighbors-part-