The work will focus mainly on the collection of available written and archaeological data on Roman fortifications and other fortification elements in the Western Desert in Egypt. The data will be organized with the help of a database program, in which will be recorded all available information about the desert fortifications dating from the end of the 3rd century to the beginning of the 5th century AD. Thanks to the creation of this database, it will be possible to compare individual fortifications in terms of construction technology, layout, position and orientation. The potential of the work itself is therefore in the collection, comparison, and evaluation of available information. At the same time, the database will be connected to a geographic information system (GIS), which will first record the exact location of individual fortifications and other elements in the Western Desert and secondly a map of caravan routes passing through the area. As part of the evaluation of the mutual positions of fortifications and other fortification elements and caravan routes, it will also be possible to interpret localities in the context of the main roads passing through the area of the Western Desert. Key words: Roman fortifications, Roman army, Egypt, Western desert, oases, caravan routes

The work presents the Egyptian Western Desert, in its oases and caravan roads during Roman rule (1st -5th century AD). It focuses mainly on the collection of available written and archaeological data on Roman fortifications and puts it into context with other general information about the Western Desert. The interest is focused on the period 3rd -5th century AD, when the oases were fortified. The individual fortifications and fortification elements are described and set in the context of the whole oasis and events during Roman rule. Furthermore, the issue concerning the designation of these elements as fortification elements is clarified and they are compared not only among themselves, but also with other similar structures in Egyptian territory. At the same time, the work describes caravan roads connecting oases with each other to the Nile valley and the Mediterranean coast; outlines the relationship of fortification elements to these roads. The work thus creates a comprehensive picture of the Western Desert during Roman rule. Key words: Roman fortifications, Roman army, Egypt, Western desert, oases, caravan routes.

Augustodunum, civitas Aeduorum, fondée à l’époque augustéenne, fut dotée de quatre portes urbaines : la porte d’Arroux et la porte Saint-André qui sont les mieux conservées, la porte Saint-Andoche dont il ne reste qu’une tour de flanquement et la porte de Rome, depuis longtemps disparue. L’étude stratigraphique du bâti des portes et la réflexion sur le fonctionnement du chantier de construction des portes urbaines d’Autun constituent le cœur de ce travail. Par ailleurs, antiquaires, voyageurs et artistes ont laissé depuis le XVIème siècle de nombreux témoignages de leur visite des portes romaines d’Autun. Ce fonds documentaire considérable, constitué de sources écrites et iconographiques, n’avait jusqu’alors pas été étudié de manière globale. Il a fallu mettre en série les sources textuelles afin de comprendre la part des emprunts aux travaux antérieurs. Un travail semblable de critique des représentations iconographiques des portes urbaines a également été effectué. Complément indispensable de l’étude stratigraphique des élévations conservées, l’étude de cette documentation ancienne a permis de proposer une hypothèse de restitution de l’histoire longue des portes d’Augustodunum de leur construction à nos jours. Le dernier volet de ce travail a consisté à replacer les portes d’Autun dans la série des portes urbaines monumentales de l’Occident romain construites entre le IIème siècle av. J.-C. et le IIème siècle ap. J.-C. mais aussi à présenter de nouvelles propositions de restitution du projet architectural, du plan des portes et de l’organisation interne de leurs tours de flanquement. / Augustodunum, civitas Aeduorum, roman city founded under the reign of Augustus, was equipped with four roman city gates : the gate of Arroux and the gate of Saint André, both well preserved, the gate of Saint Andoche which sole remaining part is a flanking tower, and the gate of Rome, destroyed long ago.The heart of this study lies in the stratigraphic reading of those gates structure and in thoughts about the building site of Autun’s city gates operating process. Moreover, since the 16th century, antiquaries, travelers and artists have described in many ways their visits to the roman city gates of Autun. These accounts constitute a major documentary collection of written and iconographical sources that had never been studied as a whole before. A classification of written sources was necessary in order to understand the borrowings from previous works. A similar work of critical study has been realized for the iconographical representations of the gates. As an essential complement of the stratigraphic reading of remaining elevations of the gates, the ancient archeological documentation study was indispensable to propose a restoration hypothesis of Augustodunum’s city gates long term history from their construction time to nowadays. The last section of this study aims to locate Autun’s city gates in the series of monumental city gates built in Western Roman Empire between the 2nd century BC and the 2nd century AD. Furthermore, that section presents new propositions for the restoration of the architectural project, of the gates plan and of the inner organization of these gates flanking towers.