The invading barbarians numbered only a few hundred thousand against 50-70 million Romans

Evidence

The Ostrogoth, Visigoth, Vandal, Suevi, Burgundi, Alamanni, and Frank peoples—that is the barbarians—whose impact on the fortunes of the Late Roman Empire from the fifth century was quick and dramatic, were in fact a small minority of thousands among the millions of the decaying state. Henri Pirenne, relying on the estimates of Emile-Felix Gautier and L. Schmidt, reports that the Ostrogoths and Visigoths may have numbered 100,000 each, the Vandals 80,000, and the Burgundi 25,000.14 Moreover, the warrior strata of each kingdom are consistently estimated at about 20 percent of their populations. On the other hand, the Empire that they invaded contained as many as 50–70 million persons. — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 128

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims

• QUESTION: How does such a tiny minority conquer and assimilate into a vast empire — did their impact come mainly through occupying administrative roles?