羅馬人大規模的領土征服從共和國中期一直持續到公元1世紀初。奧古斯都時代,羅馬知識精英頭腦中的世界觀念以其高度的包容性和無邊界性為主要特征。盡管"邊界"一詞在不同史料中擁有多個定義,但羅馬帝國早期缺乏清晰、固定的實體邊界背后,呈現出的是"無遠弗屆"的疆域觀念。這種模糊的邊界觀反映了羅馬霸權形成過程中,權力與領土之間相對松散的關系。從公元1世紀晚期到2世紀中葉,羅馬世界變得愈加整合,帝國的疆域輪廓也更加鮮明,這種變化呈現在同時代羅馬作家的作品中。不過,維吉爾筆下"無遠弗屆"的世界觀依然有較強的生命力,至少持續到公元3—4世紀。

The massive Roman territorial expansion lasted for over centuries from the midRepublican era to the early first century AD. During the reign of Augustus, the notion of the world for Roman intellectual elites was characterized by its inclusiveness and boundlessness. Despite the multiple meanings of the term "boundary" in Roman sources, the Roman Empire in the early period lacked clear and fixed physical borders, which is well conveyed by Virgil’s famous claim "the empire without the limit". This fact reflects the relatively loose relationship between power and territory in the rise of Roman hegemony. From the late first century to the mid second century, the Roman frontier witnessed a remarkable development. The empire became more cohesive, and the contours of its territory became increasingly legible. These changes in turn were reflected in the works of contemporary Roman writers. However, the Virgilian notion of "the empire without the limit" still remained robust at least until the third to fourth century AD.