The economic and political challenges along the maritime borders of the Roman Empire were multiple. The North Sea coasts were the focus of the attention of traders within the framework of commercial exchanges, of the General Staff preparing for the conquest of Britain under Claudius, and for the defence of the coastlines from the time that their protection became required. The design of a defensive system and the establishment of a supportive force followed a long path through five centuries, adapting to each development and changing strategy and evolving military installations. It had to face the threat of Saxon pirates, not to mention the use of the Roman fleet for political purposes as under Carausius. Military systems are complex because they rely upon the combination of various elements, ports, fleets - thus the famous Classis Britannica - forts protecting estuaries and watch-towers. This border represents a page in military maritime history, but its coasts, in Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, contain archaeological sites of high heritage value that deserve a large audience.

This collection of papers approaches the Roman amphitheatre from a range of perspectives both architectural and social. Coverage includes both regional and site-specific studies presenting the latest archaeological findings and research in the field, as well as sections on the social and functional aspects of the amphitheatre and on the games as spectacle.

A collection of ten papers on northern England presented at the Roman Archaeology Conference in Durham in 1999. The essays largely represent summaries of work in progress, designed to promote debate, and are written by excavators, finds specialists, environment specialists and scholars with a particular interest in the late Roman transition. Topics include: Late Roman Binchester (Iain Ferris & Rick Jones); the Late Roman transition at Birdoswald and on Hadrian's Wall (Tony Wilmott); the end of the Roman town of Catterick (Pete Wilson); Coin supply in the north (R J Brickstock); the end of Roman pottery in the north (Jeremy Evans); the remnants of Roman material culture in the 5th century (H E M Cool); the palynological evidence for the late Roman transition (J P Huntley); the environmental animal and human evidence (Sue Stallibrass); the late Roman transition in the north (KEn Dark); conclusions (Simon Esmonde Cleary) .

This is the first study of all the Roman amphitheatres in Britain, and it draws on very recent excavations at Chester, London and Silchester. Tony Wilmott describes every amphitheatre, amphitheatre-type structure and mixed theatre/amphitheatre structure in the province. He discusses the different types - rural, military and urban - and explores whether such differences are significant in terms of the uses to which the buildings were put. He then focuses on the participants in the arena spectacles - the gladiators and the animals. New evidence on the identity and behaviour of spectators is discussed. Accompanying illustrations come from inscriptions, paintings, mosaics and artefacts.