From traversable limes to impassable threshold: the threefold function of the fluvial frontier in Tacitus’ Germania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25145/j.fortunat.2026.43.09Keywords:
Tacitus, Germania, hydrography, frontier, limesAbstract
This article analyzes the function of the hydrography of three rivers (Rhine, Danube, Elbe) in Tacitus' Germania as a narrative device for the construction of barbarian space. It examines how the Rhine and Danube operate as traversable boundaries that generate ethnographic itineraries, enabling the mapping and organization of Germanic territory through an odological discourse. In contrast, it argues that the Elbe configures a threshold that marks the limits of Roman knowledge and power, symbolizing a retreating frontier. The triple fluvial representation reveals that the frontier is not merely geographical, but rather a discursive device that reflects the tensions of the imperial expansion project over a periphery hostile to the Roman order.
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