The Context: Rome in Britain
When the Romans first invaded Britain in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius, they sought to bring the distant and often rebellious island into the fold of the empire. Over the next several decades, Roman legions pushed farther north, encountering fierce resistance from various Celtic tribes, particularly in what is now Scotland. By the time Emperor Hadrian ruled, the Roman military found it prudent to consolidate rather than expand. Thus, Hadrian’s Wall was built around 122 AD as a stable, defensible boundary across northern England.
However, a generation later, the new emperor, Antoninus Pius, adopted a more aggressive approach. In 142 AD, he ordered the construction of a new wall about 100 miles north of Hadrian’s—deep into Caledonian territory. This would be the Antonine Wall.
Design and Construction
Unlike the stone structure of Hadrian’s Wall, the Antonine Wall was primarily made of turf and timber. It stretched approximately 39 miles (63 kilometers) across the narrowest part of southern Scotland, from the Firth of Forth in the east to the Firth of Clyde in the west. It stood about 3 meters (10 feet) high, set atop a stone base, and was fronted by a deep ditch—up to 12 meters wide and 4 meters deep in some places. Behind the wall ran a military road known as the via militaris, used for moving troops and supplies.
The wall was dotted with at least 16 forts, spaced about two miles apart, and accompanied by smaller fortlets and watchtowers. Each of these installations housed Roman garrisons, including auxiliary troops recruited from across the empire—Syria, Spain, Gaul, and North Africa.
One of the most remarkable features of the Antonine Wall is the series of beautifully carved distance slabs. These stones, created by Roman legionaries, commemorated the sections they had built, often with vivid depictions of Roman victories and imperial symbols. Many of these slabs survive today and provide invaluable insight into Roman art, propaganda, and military life. shutdown123