The Romans Built a 341 Mile Long “Great Wall” Across Germany

Limes Germanicus: Rome’s defense system for the Western frontier

The Roman Empire has long been known for its ability to build just about anything. Temples, aqueducts, and public works that they built still stand today. However, one of their greatest talents might be fortifications.

Hadrian’s Wall stretches about 73 miles across the length of Northern Britain. The 39-mile long Antonine Wall separated Roman Britannia from the wilds of Scotland. However, both were child’s play compared to what Rome achieved in Germany. The fortification there happened to be near triple the size of the previous two combined.

According to the German National Tourist Board, the entire fortification stretches for 550 kilometers or 341 miles. But it was much more than a simple wall.

The Roman term for it was “limes” and “limites” (plural). The Encyclopedia Britannica explains the significance of the term in the Roman dialect:

“limes acquired the sense of frontier, either natural or artificial; towers and forts tended to be concentrated along it, and the military road between them was often replaced by a continuous barrier.”