Sun, Apr 5, 2009
After the loss of governor Varrus's legions decided August to abandon the conquest of greater Germania, the empire fortifies its border in the form of the limes, a long chain of cavalry garrison forts, guard towers and fortified trade gates, mostly following Rhine and Danube. Its British counterpart, Hadrian's Wall, had a short-lived northern-more version, Antonin's Wall. Modern research sees it less as a military rampart to defend as such then a symbol of imperial power and basis for regular patrols and sorties, on horseback or by surprisingly fast row and sail boat. Still it couldn't stop the major Germanic migrations.
Sun, Apr 12, 2009
Part two of the limes story concentrates on the 550 kilometer advanced, shorter border between the upper Rhine and Danube, near Mainz. Its construction was a staggering demonstration of superior engineering and organization, such as the -functionally pointless- straight line, not a static wall but a system of early warning and reactive cavalry action. Next it examines its function in a changing historical context of interaction between Roman state and troops and Germanic tribal hordes - in plunder or invasion attempts as well as commerce. It allowed an Antique form of peacekeeping.