Frontiers, security, and military policy

Abstract

Understanding the dynamic nature of military operations on the Roman empire's frontiers during the Flavian era requires more than the study of a physical border. It involves understanding a network of military resources and infrastructure that had evolved over time and continued to change. The armies of the frontiers were expected to respond to external and internal crises alike, providing for both the security of the empire and its defense from external threats. Typically, Roman actions on the frontiers are far more clearly preserved in ancient literary source material than is the underlying rationale for those actions. On the Rhine and Danube rivers, the fleets provided lateral lines of co..