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Explanation: A stylised watchtower shows hikers the way from Rheinbrohl on the Rhine to Bad Gögging on the Danube. People who want to gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Limes with its surveillance systems and barriers (towers, palisades, moats, ramparts, walls) and of the forts should go on a hiking tour. https://hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/sites/default/files/2016_D...
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 1 hr (2019-01-15 16:44:39 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Bearing in mind that this was indeed a very small "Anlage", maybe "Roman outpost" would be more appropriate.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2019-01-15 19:38:50 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Fortlet seems to me a very unfortunate word (makes me think of tartlet!) and 'small fort' would be preferable - at least to me!
"Small fort" is castellum, which Vegetius explains is the diminutive of castra. He conceives of them as fortified outposts to be manned by cavalry protecting a supply route; i.e., a base from which to conduct patrols. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castra
Auxiliary Forts: These were generally rectangular or square in outline, posessed of a substantial rampart and may have several ditch systems. They were constructed at first mainly of timber but later in stone, and housed troops from allied and Romanized nations, who would become full Roman citizens on discharge, the Auxilia. These troops were not as highly trained (or as well paid) as were the citizen troops of the Roman Legions, and although they made their own Marching Camps, their Garrison Forts were actually built by the legionaries. http://roman-britain.co.uk/places/_min.htm
Thank you so much to all of your for your helpful comments I have opted for forts as they refert to forts on the Limes in general and Wendy is right, there are bigger and smaller ones. Thanks again, I appreciate your help very much. Inge 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
Now, that got me really confused. Unless there's some grammatical mistake, Thomas was indeed correct. It is das Kastell, which means that the possessive would be des Kastells, while the plural would be die Kastelle.
Never mind, I can open it now (had to remove a paranthesis at the end of your posted link). The map gives you only two options for the type of Kastell, which isn't that persuasive, IMO. I think, though, that we both gave Inge enough info to decide.
Conversely, I wasn't suggesting that fort isn't an option. I can't open your Wiki upload link, but I can't find any evidence that would support your assumption of this being an Auxiliarkastell.
From one of the Wiki links: "Kleinkastelle hatten oft nur eine Größe von 300 m². Die Besatzungsstärke schwankte zwischen 12 und 80 Mann. In der Urform gab es nur ein Tor und einen Graben." https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Römisches_Militärlager#Kleinka...
As said, small fort would work for me too. Also,it's part of the UNESCO World Heritage, so it should be listed in English somewhere (I did post a UN link below, but it doesn't shed any light on the matter). I can't find it, though.
@ Björn: I certainly wasn't disputing the existence of the word "fortlet" - I just dislike it. Small fort is also by far the most frequently used phrase. And as research now shows (see my answer box), Rheinbrohl had in any case an "auxiliary fort". I wonder if they know that?! If we had the entire sentence, we might all want to revise our suggestions again and I still think Roman forts is a good option as it covers all possibilities.
During the early-second century, for the first time in Britain, auxiliary cohorts began to be split into smaller detachments and housed in two (or more) purpose-built encampments. The camp which contained the commanding-officer's house and the regimental H.Q. are nowadays termed 'small forts', while the other type of camp without any administrative buildings are called 'fortlets'. Small forts were also built to accommodate the officers and men of small auxiliary units called numeri (sing. numerus), and for this reason should be called 'numerus forts' in order to avoid confusion. The original Roman terms for all these smaller types of fortification are not known. http://roman-britain.co.uk/places/throp.htm
It all depends just what there was in Rheinbrohl. I have a sneaking feeling it was just a watchtower, in which case I would still go for outpost.
Ramey Rieger (X)
Germany
I live
16:25 Jan 15, 2019
very close to such a Kastell, it's tiny really, for maybe 20-30 legionnaires
What I am speaking of is a relatively small "castellum" at the beginning of the Limes here in Germany in Rheinbrohl. What is the appropriate term? I am not allowed to use Latin, the text is to be positioned inside our hands-on museum