378 MARTIN P. NILSSON 

These settlers did not attain to the citizenship; they became something 
like serfs and in a later age contributed considerably to the army. 
Professor SEEcK contends that this invasion of Germans caused 
an important change”. The western part of the Empire was Ger- 
manised and the birth-rate commenced to increase, he says. In the 
wars of the third century there is never any mention of a deficiency 
of recruits, as in former times. He refers to the description of the 
Gauls by Ammianus MaRGELLINUS in the fourth century to show that 
they were Germanised; they were well able to fight, had blue eyes, fair 
hair and complexion, and were of high stature. But our ideas of the Celts 
are contrary to the ancient testimonies ©”. As long as the government 
desired to recruit the army from the civilized population, there was 
a lack of recruits; that the recruiting should be difficult in the great 
wars of Marcus AURELIUS is comprehensible, since pestilence ravaged 
the Empire. As soon as the emperors determined to recruit the army 
from the provincials (Pannonians, Illyrians, Africans etc.) there was 
no lack of recruits. In older times a very small minimum height 
is given for the recruits, 1,48 m.; in 367 A. D. on the contrary a very 
high one, 1,63 m., and this is believed to demonstrate a change in 
the supply of recruits. But the former figure refers to voluntary 
recruits, of which there was no surplus in these times, the latter 
to such recruits as landed proprietors had to deliver from their serfs. 
They were no less anxious to furnish as bad men as possible than 
the government to get the best men. There is no evidence for a swift 
change of blood, but the importance of the Germans that were 
transplanted into the Empire is not to be underestimated. They 
formed a strong addition to the barbarian population and paved the 
way for the German occupation at the end of the Empire. 
What has been set forth as to this point may convey the impres- 
sion that an inverted selection took place, and in reality there was 
something like it. The peoples that had created the ancient culture 
and the Roman Empire diminished in number, and the gaps were 
filled up by provincials. This process led to a sinking of the cul- 
ture, in proportion as the less civilized provincials ousted the old 
citizens, and lessened the coherence of the Empire, which depended 
on the people that had created it. But this problem we have not to 
consider here. The process concerns us directly in so far as the old 
races were ousted by races of lesser value. This fact may have’ 
been of importance, but in view of their later history it is risky to 
contend that the Semites and the Germans were less able races, and 
