Hadrian's Wall

One of the greatest monuments to the power - and limitations - of the Roman Empire, Hadrian's Wall ran for 73 miles across open country.

Why was it built?

At the time when Julius Caesar first small invasion of the south coast of Britain in 55 BC, the British Isles and much of continental Europe was inhabited many Celtic strains loosely connects a similar language and culture but the individual. He came back next year and met with 4,000 cars on the war in the country Catevellauni "protected forests and bogs, and filled with large numbers of people and cattle." He defeated Catevellauni and then withdrew, but not before establishing treaties and alliances. Thus began the Roman occupation of Britain.

Almost 100 years later, in 43 AD, Emperor Claudius sent Aulus Plautius and around 24,000 troops in England, this time to establish control within the military presence. Although subjugation of southern Britain occurred relatively smoothly as a combination of military might and clever diplomacy and 79 AD what is now England and Wales were firmly under control, is far North remained a problem. But the Emperor Vespasian decided that what is now in Scotland to be incorporated into the Roman Empire. According to his instructions from the controller Britain, Julius Agricola, subdued the Southern Scottish tribal chieftain clans are Selgovae, Novantae and Votadini 81 AD. Further north free lived associations of clans known collectively as Caledonian. Agricola tried to provoke them into battle by marching army Highlands eventually forced to contend with the Caledonian leader Calgacus in Aberdeenshire today at a place called Mons Graupius. Caledonian 30,000 were killed, but the Roman victory was a hollow, the next day the surviving clansmen melted away into the mountains, and it remains independent and fiercely resistant.

At a time when he became emperor Hadrian in 117 AD the Roman Empire ceased to expand. Hadrian was to consolidate its borders. Visited Britain in 122 AD, and ordered that the wall between the Solway Firth in the West and the River Tyne in the east "to separate the Romans from the barbarians."