Playing Ryse: Son of Rome while I realize this is inaccurate from a historical perspective I am curious to know if there is any accurate material (books, documentaries, etc) on the topic. Trying to understand how groups of mostly localized Germanic people could take down such a large and advanced empire. Any insight into this question is greatly appreciated!
Hello, I wrote an answer here specifically about the Franks that I hope you might find useful. The "Barbarians" who "took down" Rome were in most cases already either associated with or actively part of the Empire, and seceded from rather than conquered it. The military and civil elite of Belgica had been Frankish for generations before the Franks established their own kingdom, for example, while Alaric had actively led armies in defence of Rome.