Proefschrift--Department of ancient history and classical archaeology--Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1991.

Th. univ.--Archéol.--Paris 4, 1988. / Notes bibliogr. Index.

Th.--Archéol.--Paris 4, 1988.

Despite the Limes Romanus has already been studied for more than 150 years, fundamental questions such as its construction, later modifications and primary function itself are still a matter of dynamic debate. From the historical sources it is currently known that a major role during the construction and planning of the whole system performed so called agrimensores using the simple geodetic tools like groma. Therefore, the essential role during the construction of the Limes had the direct visibility between individual sites of the future frontier. The core of this thesis is the presentation of the results of the so called viewshed analysis of individual sites on the Odenwald Limes (Germany) and on the Antonine Wall (Scotland). Based on combination of this method with results of the other spatial analyses in GIS, the nodal sites for both the surveying and operation of the Limes are detected in each studied sector. The thesis is also dealing with the distribution of the units in the landscape, terrain definition of the positioning of individual parts of the Limes as well as with the possibility of mutual signal communication between individual parts of the frontier. The main goal of the thesis is to shed a bit more light on the fundamental questions: how the Limes Romanus was supposed to operate and...

MESC / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology

No description available.

Malgré le redressement accompli par les Tétrarques et Constantin, les relations avec les barbares restent un problème essentiel pour Rome. En témoignent les 25 séquences de pourparlers de paix engagés le long du limes rhéno-danubien entre la mort de Constantin (337) et celle de Valentinien (375). Après une typologie des circonstances dans lesquelles s’engagent ces pourparlers, la thèse analyse la façon concrète dont ils se déroulent. Ils s’organisent en deux étapes : premiers contacts par l’intermédiaire de délégués puis cérémonie de conclusion de la paix. Tout se passe en général dans le barbaricum, quand les barbares, impressionnés par l’adversaire, terrorisés par les ravages subis ou vaincus, envoient des délégués au camp romain pour solliciter la paix. Les sources les présentent en suppliants, mais loin de faire leur deditio, ils viennent discuter les clauses de la paix. Lors de la deuxième phase, chefs et guerriers doivent se livrer à une supplicatio, rappelant le rituel de deditio. Puis ils jurent de respecter la paix et fournissent des otages en garantie. En échange, Rome offre sa fides probablement par un traité (foedus), qui fait du chef barbare un « client », à qui est sans doute remis un document écrit. Deux fois la cérémonie dérape et se termine par le massacre des barbares. Plus rarement, les pourparlers se déroulent dans l’Empire, alors que les barbares y sont encore. Rome se contente alors d’obtenir leur départ (sans conclure semble-t-il de foedus), ou accepte leur deditio et renonce à les expulser. Enfin, quand Rome accepte de conclure la paix en terrain neutre en 369 et en 374, et de traiter le barbare en « ami », c’est le signe d’une détérioration du rapport de forces entre les deux parties, dont les effets se font sentir en 376 quand Valens doit accepter l’entrée des Wisigoths dans l’Empire. / Despite the recovery achieved by the Tetrachs and Constantine, relations with the barbarians remained an essential problem for Rome, as illustrated by the 25 sequences of peace talks within the Rheno-Danubian limes that happened between the death of Constantine (337) and Valentinian (375). After understanding the circumstances in which these negotiations were undertaken, the thesis analyzes in a concrete way the involvement of actors. These talks were held in two stages: the contacts with the envoys on the one hand; an ending ceremony on the other. In general, everything took place in barbaricum: impressed by the enemy, terrorized by the sustained ravages, or beaten, the barbarians sent their envoys to the Roman camp in order to solicit peace. The sources present the barbarians as supplicants, but far from doing their deditio, they came to discuss peace clauses. During the second phase, chiefs and warriors had to engage in a supplicatio, a procedure that reminds the deditio ritual. Then, they swore to respect peace clauses, supplying hostages as a guarantee. In exchange, Rome offered its fides likely in the form of a treaty (foedus) making barbarian chiefs "clients". A written document was probably given. It happened only twice in the given period that this ceremony ended with the massacre of the barbarians. Less often, the talks took place in the Roman Empire, while the barbarians were still present. In this case, Rome contented itself with getting their departure (apparently without concluding a foedus), or accepting their deditio and renouncing their expulsion. The sign of the deterioration of the balance of power between the two parties came finally in 369 and 374, when Rome accepted to conclude peace on a neutral ground, treating barbarians chiefs as « friends ». The effects of these peace talks were felt in 376, when Valens had to accept Wisigoths’s entry into the Roman Empire.

This work is dealing with individual phases of Roman occupations of Scotland, namely with the Flavian, Antonine and Severan ones. The assessment of these occupations is based on both historical and especially archeological sources and particular attention is paid to those sites, where the presence of Roman occupation forces can be proved in above mentioned periods. The content of the dissertation is put into historical, political and military context of Roman presence on territory of nowadays Scotland. The goal of this study is linking up of already available information and researches into coherent view of patterns of Roman occupation and administration in Flavian, Antonine and Severan periods of government. Keywords Roman Scotland Limes Romanus Military occupation Obsah Abstrakt.......................................................................................................................................4 Klíčová slova ..............................................................................................................................4 Abstract.......................................................................................................................................5...

Dis..--Fachbereich 15-Philologie III--Mainz--Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 1992. / Bibliogr. p. 636-656. Index.

The basic intention of the thesis is to provide a reassessment of Constantius as a military man, specifically in the prolonged war with the Sassanian king, Sapor II. However, it also encompasses many aspects of the social, economic and religious life of the communities which lay on the frontier between Rome and Persia. In the first chapter I discuss the historical background upto the death of Constantine, attributing the major reorganization of the eastern limes to the time of Diocletian and Galerius. In chapter II I describe events on the frontier during Constantius 1 reign. I adduce reasons for his adoption of a defensive strategy against the Persians and consider the nature of the Roman forces and fortifications in northern Mesopotamia. Chapter III contains a survey of the frontier legions and the major centres which they defended. In the fourth chapter an analysis of Persian aims and capabilities is offered, and particular notice is paid to the campaign of 359, while chapter V looks at the role of Armenia and especially of its southern provinces, the regiones Transtigritanae, in the conflict. The local communities of Mesopotamia are investigated in chapter VI, and in the final chapter I give an impression of the effect which nomadic Saracens had on the imperial frontiers. I conclude that Constantius should be judged as a responsible and careful emperor, who succeeded in preserving the integrity of the eastern frontier in the face of a formidable and determined enemy. In six appendices I present observations on the distribution of auxiliary units in the Mesopotamian provinces, the Romans' retreat from Ctesiphon in 363, the Persians' use of war-elephants and their lack of artillery, the chronology of fourth century Armenia and dromadarii in the Roman army. Five maps, one plan and twelve photographs accompany the text.