Hadrian's Wall and the End of Empire

<p>There is no synthetic or comprehensive treatment of any late Roman frontier in the English language to date despite the political and economic significance of the frontiers in the late antique period. Examining Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman frontier of northern England from the fourth century into the Early Medieval period this book investigates a late frontier in transition from an imperial border zone to incorporation into Anglo-Saxon kingdoms using both archaeological and documentary evidence. With an emphasis on the late Roman occupation and Roman military it places the frontier in the broader imperial context. </p><p>In contrast to other works <em>Hadrian’s Wall and the End of Empire</em> challenges existing ideas of decline collapse and transformation in the Roman period as well as its impact on local frontier communities. Author Rob Collins analyzes in detail the <em>limitanei</em> the frontier soldiers of the late empire essential for the successful maintenance of the frontiers and the relationship between imperial authorities and local frontier dynamics. Finally the impact of the end of the Roman period in Britain is assessed as well as the influence that the frontier had on the development of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria.</p>