The military vici of Noricum

Abstract

This dissertation examines the civilian settlements that developed next to the auxiliary forts on the Danube frontier of the Roman province of Noricum. Chapter one of this study provides a brief consideration of the history of Roman frontier studies, a field in which the vici generally have been overlooked. Chapter two gives a short history of the Norican limes in particular. Chapter three includes descriptions of the fourteen Norican auxiliary forts and their vici, relying on archaeological material as the main basis for information about the sites. Chapter four provides an analysis of the character and development of the vici during the Roman occupation of Noricum (1st through the 5th centuries CE), including their location, layout, physical structures and the role that they played on the frontier. Chapter five considers the later history of the vici and the possibility of their survival into the early Middle Ages.