Ratiaria: The Focal Point in the Western Part of Lower Danube Frontier

This study is dedicated to the westernmost part of the Lower Danube limes zone during the Roman Imperial period from the 1st to 6th centuries AD, a region currently located within the territory of modern Bulgaria (Figure 1). More precisely, initially after the Roman conquest this area was part of the province of Moesia (Gerov 1949: 3–9; Ivanov 1999: 23; Syme 1971: 50–52; Tacheva 1997: 150–160). From AD 86, Flavius Domitianus divided Moesia into two provinces with the Cebrus River (modern Tsibritsa) as the dividing line: Moesia Superior lay to the west, and Moesia Inferior lay to