It therefore merely remains to suggest why he may not have desired to mention the 27-years war at the start, although he was writing with it in mind. Perhaps three chief reasons could be advanced for the omission: first, that such a statement was unnecessary; then, that it would have violated his practice of confining himself to the period which he is describing; and third, that if he had made such a statement, he would normally have done so in a digression, which, however, was not called for until peace had seemingly been made in 421.