NETWORK THROUGH CENTURIES: FROM THE BYZANTINE ERA TO PRESENT DAYS

Abstract

Over the centuries, the Roman Empire enlarge and restrict its borders, as a consequence of many factors, like different emperor's policies, wars and conquests. In a general view, we can identify them and we can consider the Danubian Limes as one of the most important one. This Limes was mostly characterized by the fact that it was corresponded with the path of the Danube river, from Germany till the Black Sea. Those lands, through centuries, were always threaten by the risk of barbarians' incursions and this is the reason why the Danubian Limes had always been considered as a fragile border. During the sixth century, in the midst Byzantine Era, Justinian the I was the first emperor able to consider the problem of the military protection not even "site by site". He felt the need of an (absolutely modern) idea of considering the limes as a network of sites, who need each other to guarantee a strong and efficient result. Speaking about the architectonical choices, the system of military camps and fortress starts to change its identity, becoming cities with specific relations. Focusing on the case study of Serbia, the aim of the work is to map the specific location of each archaeological site, trying to use this network as an index of places. The research would like to highlight the important value of those sites as Cultural Heritage, considering the necessity of their preservation and valorization as historical evidence in a new European and common scenario.