Frontiers of the Roman Empire

Abstract

To simplify the list of sources, all accounts postdate 1985, apart from a few key earlier works. The Roman frontiers are often referred to in the German literature as the limes. It is not practical to include specific accounts of particular sites and monuments, since there are thousands of relevant sites. The focus of the works in this list is upon the period from 1st to early 5th ce, and the list does not address the frontiers of the Byzantine Empire. The works are divided into themes that address the history of research, the meaning of frontiers, the physical character of these works, the complex nature of the populations living along and beyond their lines, late Roman frontiers, and the 21st-century move to develop approaches to the heritage of the Roman frontiers. This list deliberately emphasizes works that aim to bring a broader range of interpretations that move beyond the dominant focus of Roman frontier studies on the material remains of the Roman military units.