So there was very little stability in the West. For instance, between 235 and 284 CE, 41 different people were either emperor or claimed to be emperor. And after the year 200, many of the generals who were powerful enough to proclaim themselves emperors weren't even Roman. In fact, a lot of them didn't speak much Latin. Oddly enough, one of the best symbols of the new face of the Roman empire was sartorial. Instead of the traditional tunic and toga of the gory days of the Senate, most of the new general emperors adopted that most practical and most barbaric of garments. Pants.