Session: #409

Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each

During its long existence, the Roman Empire was confronted with changing threats. As a response to new geostrategic situation, e.g. during the crisis of the 3rd century AD, induced by the “barbarians” who – often already part of Roman military structures as mercenaries and auxiliaries – became a veritable menace for the Empire, Rome adopted different strategies: they oscillated between inclusion, warfare and different forms of exerting influence. The session tries, therefore, to explore the archaeological evidence for Roman practice and especially the probably very different approaches of power and influence in the central regions on the one hand, and the south-eastern parts of the European “Barbaricum” on the other. “Divide et impera” as practical policy based on alliances, as well as consequent warfare (like the Harzhorn-event indicates) and diplomatic initiatives, which are traceable by prestige-goods and subsidia treasures found in the Barbaricum, had been presumably the issue of the day. Thus written sources (Ammianus on the motives of Valens to integrate the Goths as future soldiers against the Parthians), as well as the archaeological record can give us hints about the changing strategies of the Empire in Late Antiquity. The comparison of Roman imports in different parts of Iron-Age Europe provided by scholars from all over Europe will help understand better a complex process of shifting power and influence in an emerging new Europe, which transformed the Empire towards medieval “Herrschaft” and social structure.

Roman-Empire, Barbaricum, imports, prestige-goods, subsidia

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Professor Dr Alexander Rubel (Romania) ¹

Dr. Hans-Ulrich Voß (Germany) ²