Western Civilization I / Unit 7 WC1 0613 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The Limes: What a Frontier Was For
Captions available
The idea
By one seventeen the empire ran from Britain to Romania and from North Africa to Persia's border. Hadrian's fortifications became the limes by the third century, with river and sea fleets. Beyond lay two worlds in Roman eyes: barbarians north, Persia east.
In practice
Only Persia counted as a civilization to Rome.
Where people slip
A limes was a controlled zone, not a sealed wall.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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