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The "Vallo di Adriano"

The "Vallo di Adriano" was the northest border of the Roman Empire in Britain, even if Romans had reached the Baltic sea, and it was the most fortified border of the Empire. The “Vallo di Adriano” was an imposing stone fortification, and it was built by the Roman imperator Adrian in the first half of the II century as a border with the population of the “Pitti”, that marked the diving line between the Roman province of Britain and Caledonia. Moreover, it divided the island into two parts. The name is still used today to indicate the border between Scotland and England, although the wall doesn’t follow the actual border. The wall rappresented the northest border of the Empire for most of the period of Roman rule over this lands. In addition to its use as a military fortification, it’s believed that the access doors through the wall have served as customs to permise the taxation of goods. A significant portion of the wall is still existing, in particolar the central part, and for most of its length the path of the wall can be followed on foot, and it constitutes an important tourist attraction of the northern England. The “Vallo di Adriano” has became World Heritage UNESCO in 1987.

STRUCTURE:

The “Vallo di Adriano” it stretched from coast to coast for almost 120 km, from the Solway in the west to the mouth of the Tyne River in the east. Along the wall were forts presided by soldiers. The defensive system also included two ditches: one armed with pointed poles embedded into the ground and the other protected by high banks. There was also a road for military travel. It was from 2.5 to 3 meters wide, and from 4 to 5 meters high. It had 80 forts, two of which next to the gates and one every mile Roman, with a tower every two forts for lookouts and signals.

SOLDIERS STATIONED AT THE WALL:

The “Vallo di Adriano” was guarded by vexillationes, units apart from the legions, and auxiliary units of the Roman army. The number of men has certainly varied over time, but it has always remained around 9,000, including infantry and cavalry; many of these newly appointed men, it’s thought, were integrated into local communities.
The main events of the “Vallo di Adriano” connect to these dates on the timeline:

In 180 A.D. the units and the fortifications suffered numerous and fierce attacks.
Also between 196 A.D. and 197 A.D, the wall suffered several attacks, especially the garrison was rather unstructured and weakened, in strength and mood.
In the III century, under the rule of Septimius Severus, after some insurrections, a work of reconstruction of the wall was begun. Moreover, thanks to the repression of the tribes, carried out by Septimius, the situation in the territories near the wall remained calm throughout the century.
In the IV century some of the units stationed along the “Vallo di Adriano” were the legio pseudo-comitatense Defensores Seniores, in accordance with the Notitia Dignitatum. The legio pseudocomitatensis was also composed by legionary units of limitanei (military border units) later assimilated into the comitatus, that was the mobile army whose task was to intervene where needed.

During the decline of the Empire the garrison was withdrawn and the wall was abandoned. Most of the stones were reused for the construction of local buildings; the collection continued until the XX century.

AUXILIARY TROOPS INSIDE TWO WATCHTOWERS:

Click here to take a trip along the "Vallo di Adriano" in our day.

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