Hadrian\'s Wall

The wall of Hadrian is a Fortification out of stone and out of peat builds starting from 122 by the Romains over all the width of the England to protect the South from the island of the attacks of the tribes of current the Scotland. The name is also sometimes employed to indicate the border between Scotland and England, even if the current border does not follow it.

The Mur marked the north of the Roman Empire in Great Britain during very a long time, and it was also the most beautiful border of the empire. In addition to his use as military fortification, one thinks that the doors of the wall would have also been used as checkpoints for the perception of Taxe S on the imported products.

An important part of the wall always exists, in particular in the central part and the wall is still practicable with foot without danger. It is today the tourist attraction most popular of the north of England. In 1987, UNESCO registered it with the world historical heritage.

Followed route

The Hadrian's Wall extends on approximately 120 km, it starts in the east of the river the Tyne until the Solway Firth in the west. It skirts to the south the current border between England and Scotland and of it is closest at its Western end.

Construction

The Hadrian's Wall was built following the visit of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (reign from 117 to 138) in the province of Brittany.

The construction of the wall began in 122 after J. - C. and it was reinforced during the years thanks to the Soldat S of the three Roman legions which took part in the task. The selected route was largely inspired by the Roman way of Stanegate which goes from the towns of Carlisle to Corbridge, which was always protected by a Limes and many strong, whose fort Vindolanda.

The wall was initially high from 3 to 5 meters, but some sections do not exceed 2,5 meters. One estimates the width at approximately 3 meters. To protect it, fourteen strong were positioned over its length, like those of Housesteads and Birdoswald. There were 80 milliary turns (English Milecastles, to see the photograph opposite) because they were laid out all the Roman miles, approximately 1500 meters. These turns were used at the same time for the remote monitoring and as shelters for the sentinels.
The wall belonged to a defensive system which, while going from north (Scotland side) towards the south (side of the empire), included:

a Glacis and a deep ditch armed with lines of piles cut at a peak
the wall itself with its covered way
a military road (the “ Military Way ” or “Sees Military”)
the Uallum - two banks with an enormous ditch which separates them. Vallum was probably used to delimit the military zone more than with being a fortification, even if the British tribes of the south were not protected by themselves.

Diagram

Length of a little more than one hundred kilometers, the Hadrian's Wall was, at the time, an insuperable rampart. Built most of the time all along a line of hills and cliffs which faced north, and connecting the North Sea to the Irish Sea, of Newcastle with Carlisle, it was surrounded by ditches and was completely effective during more than three centuries.

Garrison

The wall was kept by the auxiliary units of the army (of the not-citizens). Their number of course varied during time but they were approximately 9 000 men by counting Infantry and Cavalry. They underwent a serious attack in 180, and more still in 196 and 197. The garrison then had been seriously weakened after these attacks; after the principal rebuilding of the wall, the emperor Septime Sévère led a relentless repression to the opposition to the hostile populations. After this brutal “pacification” of the tribes under Severe Septime, the area around the wall is remained peaceful for most of the remainder of the 3rd century. It seems that the majority of the men of the garrison were integrated in the local communities.

Decline

At the beginning of the 5th century of the Christian era, the Roman empire in full decline neglected this so remote border. The soldiers, gradually, gave up their station settling for the majority in the area to become simple peasants. During centuries which followed, the wall was left with the abandonment, was delivered to the plundering of the villagers who recovered most of the stones to build other walls, their houses, their churches. Thus, one finds in the foundations of the Abbaye of Hexham, of the Roman stones.

Other fortifications

Fifteen years after the end of the construction of the wall, peat a fortification, the Wall of Antonin, was built between the Estuaire of Clyde and the Estuaire of Forth in Scotland. Since it was sophisticated less, it was occupied for one discontinuous period and as the garrison of this sector was fewer, the Romans preferred to give in state the Hadrian's Wall and to re-occupy it.

See too

Invasion of the United Kingdom by the Romans
the Roman United Kingdom
Roman Heritage in England
Wall of Antonin

External bonds

Hadrian's Wall
Extremely of Vindolanda
Britannia - Area Northern Bibliographical Atlas of Traditional Antiquity. Library of Sciences of Antiquity (University Lille 3)

Simple: Hadrian' S Wall

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