The Evidence for Late Roman Garrison Churches

This paper reviews the evidence for churches within late Roman forts during the 4th and early 5th centuries, focusing on one of the less intensively researched frontier zones, the North African limes. Three sites there in particular – Ala Miliaria (Bénian), Drah-Souid East, and Gouea – where churches have previously been identified within supposed fort compounds, are subjected to detailed scrutiny to determine whether they functioned as garrison chapels. This requires consideration of a range of issues, including the changing internal layout of Roman forts, the chronological relationship of the churches to the sites’ military occupational phases, especially where the fort coexisted with a developing urban community, and the emergence of fortified monastic complexes. Literary and documentary evidence relating to the role of Christian conversion in managing relations with Moorish tribal communities along the frontier during the early 5th century is also assessed. The paper concludes that the trio of sites were actually a rather miscellaneous assemblage, each reflecting a different aspect of the North African frontier world, and there is little indication that the wider African population’s precocious adoption of the Christian faith was reflected in the provision of churches or chapels to serve military garrisons on the frontier.