SEXTUS JULIUS FRONTINUS AND THE ROMAN EMPIRE Author of ‘Stratagems’, Advisor to Emperors, Governor of Britain, Pacifier of Wales

Sextus Iulius Frontinus is best known as the author of the military treatise Strategemata, yet his contributions extend far beyond this and other literary works, now largely lost. He pursued a distinguished and multifaceted career in both military and civil administration across the Roman Empire, serving with loyalty under at least six emperors and frequently acting as a trusted advisor, including deputising for Trajan during the emperor’s campaigns in Germany and elsewhere. Frontinus appears to have been among the longest-serving governors of Britain, holding office for five years, during which he completed the subjugation of Wales and established the northern frontier along the Ribble–Tees line. He founded several legionary fortresses, including those that later developed into the towns of York, Chester, and Caerleon. His service extended to the Rhine, Spain, and Asia, and in the civil sphere he oversaw significant reforms of Rome’s water supply system.
Grainger’s biography constitutes the first comprehensive study of Frontinus, reconstructing his life to the fullest extent permitted by surviving sources. Grainger offers a reassessment of Frontinus’ historical significance, particularly in Britain, where his achievements merit recognition alongside—and, in some respects, above—the better-known Agricola. He concludes that Frontinus’ career stands as one of the most varied and consequential of any Roman statesman whose trajectory did not culminate in the imperial office.