WI: Wall of Augustus?

What if, after Augustus conquered Germania, he initiated plans to build a wall across the most easily defensible border on the east, possibly from the Vistula river to the Black Sea?

Of course the wall would probably take longer than he would live, but if its completed and maintained, what effect would this have on the Roman Empire?

Would it successfully stop the influx of tribes? Would Rome last longer? I'd assume they'd be able to hold onto what they have a strengthen said hold, or would they just stagnate?
 
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No. Something of the sort of limes on the Rhinus border that were actually constructed IOTL could be built there, however, such an enterprise in such a land would be far too costly, dangerous and with little reward. Beyond the point you describe there are few Germans, and possibly fewer people to defend in such a faraway borderland.
 
No. Something of the sort of limes on the Rhinus border that were actually constructed IOTL could be built there, however, such an enterprise in such a land would be far too costly, dangerous and with little reward. Beyond the point you describe there are few Germans, and possibly fewer people to defend in such a faraway borderland.

So what would be a plausible location for a wall to be built on the eastern border of the Roman Empire?
 
Rome already had a far superior version of Hadrian's wall on its eastern border: the Rhine.
 
Rome already had a far superior version of Hadrian's wall on its eastern border: the Rhine.

Yeah, people really underestimate the barrier posed by large rivers in ancient times.

A Roman Great Wall is possible-the Chinese did it, after all. But we all know how well that worked.;)
 
Yeah, people really underestimate the barrier posed by large rivers in ancient times.

A Roman Great Wall is possible-the Chinese did it, after all. But we all know how well that worked.;)

Stupid Mongorians! :p Stop breaking my City Wall!

OT, I wanted to know if it was possible for the Romans to build a wall to stop the slavs and other migraters from coming into Roman lands and settling there.
 
Rivers were not that great a barrier. Even the Danube, which is hundreds of miles south of the Rhine would freeze during the winter, allowing barbarians to cross it with ease.

With regard to a great Northern defensive wall, I don't think it would have made much of a difference. It would be too expensive to man the length of the wall, and it would just serve as a very expensive trip wire as a result. It would be far more effective to post a few more legions in Germania, and build good roads to maintain communication with them.
 
Didn't Domitian begin and Hadrian complete a palisade wall the length of the German border OTL? The main purpose, as with Hadrian's Wall in Britain, was to block migrating tribes and to make cattle raids harder to carry out, as opposed to creating a continuous battle line from the Alps to the sea.
Indeed, staffing a wall of that length would require a much larger population and an anachronistic view of warfare. It wasn't like the Teutons were menacing the Maginot line.
 
Please keep in mind that romans in the early empire did not think in terms of geographical charts, but rather in terms of travel along known routes.
Thus conquering Germania would NOT result in a shortening of the border.
 
Perhaps a border based on the Elbe or Oder would be more appropriate and possibly more realistic too. But as already mentioned, fortifying natural border was not only more viable but fitted much more with Rome's military defences throughout the ages. They tend to build around natural borders, so a wall wouldn't really have been at the top of their list. Also, let's not forget if any crisis' come up I doubt the garrisons would be effective or even maintain the borders when civil war comes around.
 
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