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Signals Versus Illumination on Roman Frontiers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

P. Southern
P. Southern
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, The University, Newcastle upon Tyne.
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Extract

The existence of chains of signalling-posts in some Roman provinces has been accepted as a normal feature of military control, but recently Donaldson has raised some common-sense questions about the efficacy of such systems and the technicalities of their operation. As he points out, over anything but short distances, visual signals of any kind whether by flags, or lights, or any other means, can be disrupted by inclement weather and are susceptible to faulty transmission and misinterpretation, so that only the most uncomplicated messages can be sent by these methods. Consequently, long distance communication by relays between chains of signalling-towers was probably entirely out of the question. It may be significant that in the section ‘on sending and receiving messages’ in Frontinus' Stratagems there is no mention whatsoever of communications by visual signals and no mention of signalling between towers, despite the fact that Frontinus was fully aware of the towers built by Domitian in Germany, described in a different passage. All the messages which Frontinus includes in his list were sent either verbally or by letter. One series of messages was sent by pigeon.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 21 , November 1990 , pp. 233 - 242
Copyright
Copyright © P. Southern 1990. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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