Abstract:

The Roman defensive system on the Euphrates consisted of a series of the forts extending on the right bank of the Euphrates River. Separating the fortress from the other, with a one-day walk, i.e., a distance estimated between (20-30) miles. Moreover, a main road was connecting them parallel to the right bank of the Euphrates. In addition to the Sub-roads linking the individual forts to the main road. Some of the forts of this chain were located either directly on the bank of the Euphrates, or some distances were between (20-30) km, depending on the nature of the geographical area and the importance of the area in which the military garrison was stationed. The series of defensive forts was not isolated from the inner region of the Roman state of Syria, but was part of a network of roads, bridges and fortifications, which in Overall formed what is known idiomatically as “Limes”, which linked the first line of fortifications with the back line, which consisted of the bases of Roman and cavalry units, then linked the last to the Governor’s Residence located in the capital, Antioch. This system continued until its destruction in 256 AD by the Persian Sassanid King Shaper I.

Keywords: Governance, Defensive, East, Syria, Euphrates, Borders.