Terminalia still relevant after all these millennia
Party at a statue of the god Terminus. Origin: Rome. Date: 1643 – 1648.
Terminalia (February 23) has been observed since 753 BC when legend says that Romulus established the celebration of the god of boundaries: Terminus. From the beginning, it’s clear that Romans understood the importance of boundaries – and the art of surveying.
Roman boundary markers have proven to be remarkably resilient (like their roads and buildings). Boundaries were extremely important to help create and maintain the empire. These markers are found from Great Britain to North Africa to Asia and the Middle East.
Recently, a newly discovered Roman boundary marker was found in Northern Israel. This marker is particularly rare, as it is one of the few Tetrarch boundary markers ever found. That means that the marker was placed during the 31-year period when Rome was governed by a Tetrarchy from about 293 until 306 AD.
What’s a Tetrarchy?
How Diocletian divided the Roman Empire in the Tetrarchy
The Tetrarchy was established by Diocletian to help govern the empire and to stop the continual churn in leadership called the “Third Century Crisis.” This was a chaotic period when twenty-four successive emperors took the throne and another sixty men tried to claim it.[1]
Courtesy of the Tel Abel Beth Maacah excavations/Photo: Tal Rogovsky
Diocletian set it up so that four rulers would be kept busy with their own administrative area. The rulers weren’t all equally powerful: There were two senior augusti, including Diocletian himself, and two junior caesares who ruled the vast empire.[2]
Diocletian ruled the East and Maximian ruled the West. The two junior emperors, Galerius and Constantius Chlorus, were designated as their successors and received imperial guidance. They each would inherit half the Empire when their predecessors retired/died.
We all know that the tetrarchy didn’t solve the administrative and venal ambition problems of the Roman empire. The son of Constantius Chlorus (Constantine I) ended up defeating his rivals, including Maxentius (son of Maximian) and Licinius (from a powerful Roman family), in civil wars. Constantine was the sole ruler of the Roman empire from 324 until his death in 337. The empire soon fell into civil war. The Western Roman Empire couldn’t survive its own internal corruption and external attacks by waves of invaders. The Eastern Roman Empire continued to thrive and endured until the 1400s when it at last fell to the Ottomans.
Bromancing the stone
According to Archeology.org,
“The basalt slab bears an inscription in Greek that provides information about land ownership, taxation, and rural administration during the Tetrarchy period between A.D. 293 and 306. This boundary stone shows evidence of increased administrative control—especially in the form of taxation and land ownership. The researchers note that the high concentration of boundary stones in the area likely means that this area was controlled by a series of small landowners operating independently from more urbanized centers. Contemporary rabbinic accounts also attest that new taxation by Diocletian was particularly burdensome to those living in the area.”[3]
Additionally, the boundary stone also names a previously unknown Imperial Surveyor – Baseilikos – one of the “boots on the ground” responsible for the re-organization of the Empire into a Tetrarchy. This effort included Diocletian’s sweeping tax reforms, which aimed to systematize land ownership and taxation across the empire.
“Unlike earlier systems that tied taxes to urban centers, Diocletian’s reforms required small landholders to pay taxes directly to the empire. This shift underscores the economic independence of rural communities and the intricate relationship between imperial policies and local livelihoods.
With its rich inscription, the Abel Beth Maacah boundary stone stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Roman engineering and governance. Its discovery not only deepens our appreciation for the complexities of ancient land management but also highlights the ongoing importance of archaeology in uncovering the past.”[4]
This ancient boundary stone also underscores the importance of surveying in the past, and how it continues to be essential today. Although today’s surveyors are (fortunately) not in charge of taxation, their work undergirds our whole economic environment – from setting boundaries to ensuring buildings, roads, bridges and railways are built on firm foundations.
For more than a half-century, Berntsen has worked right alongside surveyors to provide the highest-quality products and services that help make their important work precise and lasting. Perhaps some future archeologist will uncover a Berntsen monument and learn something new about how we live(d) in 2025 AD.