Roman Auxiliary Forts 27 BC–AD 378

by Campbell, Duncan B; Delf, Brian

• ISBN13: 9781846033803
• ISBN10: 1846033802
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-05-19
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

With the vast expansion of the Roman Empire came a need for more and more fortifications to defend it. The borders of the Empire stretched through wildly different terrains which demanded a huge variety of different fortifications, depending on the local conditions and the threats faced by the different areas. The adoption of local troops (auxiliaries) and local building techniques at key strategic points on the outskirts of the empire led to an intriguing mix of strong Roman structure with unique culturally diverse elements. Describing the development of these hugely varied defensive systems, Duncan Campbell delves into the operation and social history behind the fortifications. With detailed colour artwork and maps, he traces their history through the Batavian Revolt of the 1st century AD, which saw auxiliary units scattered far from their native regions, until the decline of the late-3rd and 4th centuries placed their fortifications in an increasingly pressurized and eventually untenable position.

Author Biography

Dr Duncan B Campbell is a specialist in ancient Greek and Roman warfare. He published his first paper in 1984, as an undergraduate at Glasgow University, and produced a complete re-assessment of Roman siegecraft for his Ph.D. His work has appeared in several international journals. He lives near the Antonine Wall in Scotland with his wife and son.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 4
Chronology	p. 5
Chronology of Roman Auxiliary Forts	p. 7
Auxiliary forts under the Julio-Claudian emperors (27 bc-ad 68)
Auxiliary forts under Vespasian and Titus (ad 69-81)
Auxiliary forts under Domitian (ad 81-96)
Auxiliary forts under Trajan (ad 98-117)
Auxiliary forts under Hadrian (ad 117-38)
Auxiliary forts under the Antonines: Antoninus Pius (ad 138-61)
Auxiliary forts under the Antonines: Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (ad 161-92)
Auxiliary forts under the Severans: Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Severus Alexander (ad 193-235)
The Design and Development of Auxiliary Forts	p. 24
The strength and organization of auxiliary units
The sizes of auxiliary forts
The Elements of an Auxiliary fort	p. 32
The overall layout of the fort: gates and roadways
The defences
The headquarters building Granaries
Hospitals
Other buildings
Fort annexes
Living in a Roman Fort	p. 46
The commander's house (praetorium)
The barrack blocks
Women in the fort?
The bathhouse (balneum)
The water supply
The latrines
Aftermath: Auxiliary Forts in the Later Period	p. 59
The Sites Today	p. 61
Further Reading	p. 62
Select bibliography
Glossary	p. 63
Index	p. 64
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