Hostile Ground: Terrain, Force, and Control in the Roman Empire

Abstract

This dissertation fuses traditional military history and modern Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to study the relationship between terrain, military force, and imperial control in the Roman world. Drawing on ancient authors’ general antipathy towards warfare on “broken ground,” I argue that Rome’s army struggled to wage war efficiently and effectively in mountainous territory. Using GIS technology and open-access data developed by natural scientists, we can map such rugged terrain in the ancient world on a larger scale than ever before, and integrate military topography into broader discussions of imperial power dynamics. The dissertation offers three case studies which demonstrate the potential use of GIS analysis for histories of Roman imperialism. The first, on the Spanish wars of the late 3rd and early 2nd century BCE, considers how rugged terrain shaped Rome’s conquest of foreign territory. While Rome was initially hesitant to extend its forces into the Iberian highlands, it was compelled to adjust its strategy when the concentration of force in river valleys and coastal plains failed to quell widespread resistance in the hills. The second case study examines the Jewish revolt between 66 and 73 CE, in which the defensive terrain of Judaea and Galilee helped turn local discontent into outright rebellion. The third and final case study reconstructs the Romans’ northeastern frontier during the first two centuries CE, considering how Rome deployed its garrisons in response to the challenges of the eastern Anatolian mountains. In this exceptionally rugged region, the empire struck a careful balance between its primary mission—intermittent, large-scale warfare with the Parthians—and the necessity of addressing small-scale, endemic brigandage within the frontier zone. Overall, this dissertation highlights Rome’s fundamental pragmatism in response to environmental challenges; the longevity of Rome’s rule depended, to a large extent, on its willingness to balance the costs and rewards of imperial control, and to govern by compromise where it could not efficiently dominate by force. The dissertation also suggests the importance of GIS tools and training within the historian’s toolkit, and outlines a flexible methodology for studying the relationship between pre-modern states and their physical contexts.Doctor of Philosoph