Editing Limes (Roman Empire) (section)

==Overview==
{{See also|Borders of the Roman Empire}}
[[File:Roman Empire 125 political map.svg|thumb|350px|Roman Empire 125 AD near its maximum extent]]
[[File:Costantino nord-limes png.PNG|thumb|350px|Northern Frontiers in 337 AD showing the reconquests of [[Constantine the Great]]]]
[[File:Roman Empire with dioceses in 400 AD.png|thumb|350px|Roman Empire with dioceses in 400 AD]]

The Roman frontier stretched for more than {{convert|5000|km|mi}} from the Atlantic coast of northern [[Roman Britain|Britain]], through Europe to the [[Black Sea]], and from there to the [[Red Sea]] and across North Africa to the Atlantic coast. The positions of the borders changed especially during the main periods of Roman expansion and contraction, and first became more stable during the early [[Roman Empire|Empire]] period under [[Augustus]], but the borders continued to change with time in different provinces. The borders had different constituents depending on local needs; often they consisted of natural boundaries (e.g. rivers) with roads behind for easier movement of troops between linked forts (e.g. [[Danubian Limes]]), or else roads with linked forts (e.g. [[Stanegate]], [[Fosse Way]]).

The remains of the frontiers today consist of vestiges of roads, forts, fortresses, walls and ditches, and associated civilian settlements. The soldiers at a border were referred to as ''[[limitanei]]''.{{cn|date=February 2024}} They were not expected to win large-scale wars, but rather to deter small-to-medium-sized raiding parties.

Notable examples of Roman frontiers include:
*[[Hadrian's Wall]] in northern England
*[[Antonine Wall]] – in Scotland<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/en/newproperties/ UNESCO World Heritage Centre.  New Inscribed Properties]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7494680.stm "Wall gains World Heritage status'"] BBC News. Retrieved 8 July 2008.</ref>
* [[Saxon Shore]], late Roman coastal forts in South-East England
*[[Limes Arabicus]], the frontier of the Roman province of [[Arabia Petraea]] facing the desert
*[[Limes Tripolitanus]], the frontier in modern Libya facing the Sahara
*[[Fossatum Africae]], the southern frontier of the Roman Empire, extending south of the [[Roman province of Africa]] in [[North-Africa]].
*[[Germanic Limes]] including the:
**[[Lower Germanic Limes]]
**[[Upper Germanic-Rhaetian Limes]]
*[[Danubian Limes]] including the:
**[[Rhaetian Limes]] (only those elements along the Danube)
**[[Noricum|Noric]] Limes, the frontier of the Roman province Noricum, from the River [[Inn (river)|Inn]] along the Danube to Cannabiaca ([[Zeiselmauer-Wolfpassing]]) in Austria.
**[[Pannonian Limes]], the frontier of the Roman province [[Pannonia]], along the Danube from [[Klosterneuburg]] Austria to [[Taurunum]] in Serbia.
**[[Moesian Limes]], the frontier of the Roman province [[Moesia]], from [[Singidunum]] Serbia along the Danube to Moldavia.
*[[Dacian Limes]] including:
**[[Limes Alutanus]], the eastern border of the Roman province of [[Dacia]]
**[[Limes Transalutanus]], the later advanced eastern frontier of Dacia