#28 BIG Podcast - “Hadrian’s Wall, Frontiers of the Roman Empire and Border Studies” - With: David J. Breeze (PART 1)

With: David J. Breeze – British archaeologist and scholar of Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine's Wall and the Roman army; Chairman of the International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies from 2000 to 2015

The history of the Roman Empire is intertwined with the control of the entire Mediterranean Sea and reached at its peak 5 million km² for 60 million inhabitants. The empire was heterogeneous and expanded through conquests and was maintained through a network of frontiers and a system of friendly, allies or “client” states (reges amicique populi Romani). Due to rebellions from some tribes as the Brigantes, and after having visited the Danube and Rhine frontiers, the Roman Emperor Hadrian (reigned 117–138) came to Brittania in July 122 BC. By ordering the construction of the Wall (between 122 – and maybe before according to certain authors – and 127 AD), Hadrian put an end to the territorial expansion of the Roman Empire. In short, Hadrian adopted a policy of protecting frontiers without expansion. What functions did the borders of the Roman Empire have? What functions did Hadrian's Wall have? Can the frontiers of the Roman Empire be considered strict separations between the civilized (Roman) world and the world of the barbarians ("qui barbaros Romanosque Divideret")? How is archeology an interesting and relevant discipline for Border Studies? We will discuss all this and get answers with archeologist David J. Breeze.

Websites:

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Time Markers:

00:00 Intro with David J. Breeze

01:41 State of Archeological Knowledge of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire

05:13 The Functions of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire

13:15 Roman “limes” and Empire's defensive systems?

20:10 Organization of the Roman army on the frontiers and the question of what is beyond the frontiers

27:12 Emperor Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus) and the Frontiers of The Roman Empire

36:57 Hadrian’s Wall: history of archaeological research and the functions of the wall