Rome, the Greek World, and the East, Vol. 2 - Government, Society, and Culture in the Roman Empire

Emperors, Frontiers, and Foreign Relations 175

island.Sothecommunicationswithwhichweareconcerneddependedon
theuseofanimalpoweronland,andallthemoresoafteritbecameclear
thatthethreekeyfrontierswerethoseoftheEuphrates,Danube,andRhine.
The mere fact of delay, in anycase common to the Empire and its neigh-
bours,andinbuiltintotheeconomicandsocialfabricoftheancientworld,
didnotofcourseprohibitconsultationonmilitarymatters,anymorethan
itpreventedtheconstantresortofprovincialembassiestotheemperor,or
correspondenceonothermattersbetweenemperorsandofficials,inwhich
intervals of several months between the composition of an imperial letter
oredictanditsreceiptorpromulgationwerecommon.^71 Indeeditisclear
thatindiplomatictrafficatleastitwaspossibletotoleratedelaysfargreater
thanthosestrictlyimposedbytheconditionsoftravel:in356Constantius
andJulianwrotetothepraetorianprefecttosaythatnoRomanemissaryon
hiswaytoAxumortheHomeritaeshouldremaininAlexandriaformore
thanayearordrawrationsthereafterthattime.^72 Norwouldtheslowness
of travel, especially by large bodies of men, affect those operations where
theinitiativelayinRomanhands.Thusfortheinvasionof Britainin43it
waspossibletoconcentratenotonlythreelegionsfromtheRhinebutone
fromPannonia,whichmusthaveinvolvedamarchoftwotothreemonths
totheChannel.^73 Buttheeffectofdistanceanddelaymusteitherhavebeen
toallowconsiderablelatitudetolocalcommandersatleastinthemedium
term,oralternativelytoparalysesignificantinitiativesorresponseswhilethe
lengthyprocessofconsultationwascarriedout.Thisfactcouldonoccasion
be put to good effect, as in the anecdote recorded by Petrus Patricius of a
governorofMoesiaInferiorunderGordianIIItellingadelegationofCarpi
that hewould consult the emperorabout theirdemands fora subvention,
andthattheyshouldreturnafterfourmonthstoheartheanswer.^74

TheConcentrationofStrategicDecisionMaking

Inadifferentpoliticalsystemtheeffectoftheseirremovablelimitationson
communicationmighthavebeenadiffusionofpoliticalandmilitarypower

71.ERW39,254.
72.CTh12,12,2.NotethatFlaviusAbinnaeusspentthreeyearsescortingbackrefugae
orlegatioftheBlemyes(P. Abinn.1).

73. Thecampofthelegio IX HispanainPannoniaisnotknown.Themarchmusthave
    meant going either through Noricum and Raetia or through northern Italy and across
    theAlps.


74. PetrusPatricius,fr.8(FGHIV,pp.186–87).Forthegovernor,Iulius(?)Menophilus,
    seeBarbieri,Albo senatorio,no.1071.