Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a stone and turf fortification, built by the Romans across the width of Great Britain to prevent military raids by the Pictish tribes of Scotland to the north. The name is also sometimes used as a euphemism for the border between Scotland and England, despite it not following the modern border.
The wall was the northern border of the Empire in Britain for most of the Roman Empire's rule, and also the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its use as a military fortification, it is thought that the gates through the wall would also have served as customs posts to allow trade to be taxed.
A significant portion of the wall still exists, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length, the wall can be followed on foot. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England, where it is often known simply as the Roman Wall. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Route
Hadrian's Wall ran for 120 km, virtually due west, from Wallsend on the River Tyne to the shore of the Solway Firth. The A69 road follows the course of the wall as it starts in Newcastle-on-Tyne to Carlisle, then on round the northern coast of Cumbria. The wall is entirely in England and south of the border with Scotland by 15 km in the west and 110 km in the east.
Hadrian
Hadrian's Wall was built following a visit by Roman emperor Hadrian. Hadrian was experiencing military difficulties not just in Britain, but from the peoples of various conquered lands across the Empire, including Egypt, Judea, Libya, Mauretania, and many of the peoples conquered by his predecessor Trajan, so was keen to impose order. However the construction of such an impressive wall was probably also built as a symbol of Roman power, both in occupied Britain and in Rome.
Construction
Construction started in 122 and was largely completed within ten years, with soldiers from all three of the occupying Roman legions participating in the work. The route chosen largely followed the Stanegate road from Carlisle to Corbridge, which was already defended by a limes and several auxiliary forts, including Vindolanda.
The wall was initially built to a width of 3 metres, but later sections were narrowed to 2.5 metres. The height is estimated to have been around 4 or 5 metres. Along the Wall there were 14 auxiliary forts, including Housesteads and Birdoswald. There were 80 fortlets with gates, known as "milecastles", one every Roman mile. Two turrets were set between each pair of milecastles, probably used for observation and signaling.
The Wall was part of a defensive system which, from north to south included
- a glacis and a deep ditch armed with rows of pointed stakes
- the Wall itself
- a military road (the "Military Way")
- the Vallum—two huge banks with a ditch between. The Vallum probably delineated a military zone rather than intending to be a major fortification, though the British tribes to the south were also sometimes a military problem.
Garrison
The wall was garrisoned by a mixture of legionary units and auxiliary units of the army (non-citizens). Their numbers fluctuated throughout the occupation, but may have been around 9,000 strong, including infantry and cavalry. They suffered serious attacks in 180, and especially between 196 and 197 when the garrison had been seriously weakened, following which major reconstruction had to be carried out under Septimius Severus. After the harsh suppression of the tribes under Septimius, the region near the wall remained peaceful for most of the rest of the 200s. It is thought that many in the garrison may have married and integrated into the local community.
Decline
As the Empire declined, by 400 the garrison had abandoned the wall and it fell into disuse. A large proportion of the stone was reused in other local buildings. This continued until the 20th century.
Other fortifications
The first Roman fortification in Scotland was the Gask Ridge, a series of forts North of the
Clyde and Forth estuaries in Perthshire. This was soon abandoned for Hadrian's Wall.
Fifteen years after completion of the Hadrian's Wall, a turf fortification, the Antonine Wall, was built to run between the Clyde and Forth. This wall was considerably shorter than Hadrian's Wall, but was manned by roughly the same number of troops. In some ways the Antonine Wall was more sophisticated, including large platforms for ballista.
Within one generation the Antonine Wall had been abandoned, and Hadrian's Wall was reoccupied.
See also
References
- Forde-Johnston, James L. Hadrian's Wall. London: Michael Joseph, 1978. ISBN 0718116526.
