Protecting the Roman Empire
Fortlets, Frontiers, and the Quest for Post-Conquest Security

The fortlet, a previously overlooked military installation type, reveals how Rome built, secured, and lost its Empire.

Matthew Symonds (Author)

9781108421553, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 7 December 2017

266 pages, 49 b/w illus. 13 maps
26 x 16.4 x 1.8 cm, 0.74 kg

'Archaeologists have yet to come across the inscription MAX. FAC at Housesteads or any other of the fortlets along Hadrian's Wall but we now know much more about how the Romans protected and controlled their frontiers. Brexiteers, Remoaners, and modern military strategists too, have much to learn from Matthew Symonds' comprehensive but very readable study of the Hadrianic and Antonine Walls, and the German and Raetian frontiers.' Classics For All

The Roman army enjoys an enviable reputation as an instrument of waging war, but as the modern world reminds us, an enduring victory requires far more than simply winning battles. When it came to suppressing counterinsurgencies, or deterring the depredations of bandits, the army frequently deployed small groups of infantry and cavalry based in fortlets. This remarkable installation type has never previously been studied in detail, and shows a new side to the Roman army. Rather than displaying the aggressive uniformity for which the Roman military is famous, individual fortlets were usually bespoke installations tailored to local needs. Examining fortlet use in north-west Europe helps explain the differing designs of the Empire's most famous artificial frontier systems: Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine Wall, and the Upper German and Raetian limites. The archaeological evidence is fully integrated with documentary sources, which disclose the gritty reality of life in a Roman fortlet.

1. Introduction
Part I. Consolidating Conquest: 2. Waterways
3. Highways
Part II. Border Control: 4. Hadrian's Wall
5. The Antonine Wall
6. The Upper German and Raetian limites
Part III. Provincial Collapse: 7. Late highways
8. Late waterways
9. Imperium by Outpost
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Military tactics [JWKT], Military history [HBW], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]