Discuss the view that consolidation rather than expansion was the prime objective of Roman foreign policy between 69 and 211 A.D
From studying Roman frontier policy, it seems clear that the image of the Roman army as great conquerors, sweeping through vast areas of the known ancient world, is a view which is probably more typical of the period of Augustus' reign rather then any subsequent long-term expansion policies of any of the later emperors. Indeed, it was Augustus who envisaged an 'imperium sine fine', but it seems that after A.D 69 emperors did want to consolidate and bring the existing empire together rather than extend its frontiers. It is possibly easier to see the retardation in Roman conquest after A.D 69, not as a long-term political strategy, but as the result of individual emperors responding to the specific difficulties and problems which faced them. …
