Palaestina Tertia / Salutaris · Imperium Romanum

The later Balkan provincial landscape. Dacia south of the Danube, the two Epiri… — The later Balkan provincial landscape. Dacia south of the Danube, the two Epiri, Thessaly, Macedonia, Achaia, and the Thracian districts illustrate the replacement of large commands by smaller jurisdictions. The river network helps relate frontier districts to the Adriatic, Aegean, and imperial straits.

The province combined cities, cultivated arid-zone settlements, pastoral communities, and routes towards the Red Sea and Sinai. Water management, farming, livestock, trade, garrisons, churches, and monasteries all contributed to its society. It was not simply an empty desert surrounding Petra.

The reassignment of Petra demonstrates why a city’s provincial affiliation must be dated. Christian institutions developed strongly in several southern settlements. Later warfare and conquest altered the political framework, while environmental, economic, and local security conditions affected communities differently. The names Tertia and Salutaris describe administrative stages and usages within this late southern jurisdiction.

LE-48 Palaestina Tertia / Salutaris