A New Perspective on Rome's Desert Frontier

Abstract

While the debate over the origin and purpose of the Limes Arabicus continues, the widespread and largely peaceful abandonment of its fortifications lacks a convincing explanation. Did Justinian's disbandment of the limitanei mark the decisive end of the limes (after S. T. Parker), or did the Saracen simply not warrant a fortified frontier (after D. Graf)? This study offers a new perspective, suggesting that a combination of elements ensured a precipitate and early abandonment of the limes as, generations before Justinian, Constantinople neglected its southernmost provinces in favor of more pressing problems. In the West, persistent instability and the disastrous Vandal expedition drained Constantinople's fiscal and military resources; in the East, Persia preoccupied both diplomats and soldiers. Christian Arab foederati were a practical solution to the low-level threat on the Arabian frontier, alleviating the ongoing demand for trained soldiers elsewhere in the empire. Finally, contemporary writers suggest that Constantinople viewed provincia Arabia as a distant periphery.