Antonine Wall Facts
IN 142 AD Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius ordered the construction of a long wall stretching across what is today Scotland for the purpose of protecting the northernmost frontier of the great Roman Empire. It took hundreds of soldiers 12 years to complete the Antonine Wall but just 8 years after its completion the Romans abandoned it. Find out why this amazing example of ancient Roman architecture was abandoned along with other interesting information including where exactly it was built and what materials were used to construct it in the list of facts below. Whether you are kid writing a school report or an adult interested in this famous ancient wall we hope you find the information below helpful.Antonine Wall Description
- The wall was located in what is now called the Central Belt of Scotland; this region stretches from Edinburgh in the east to Glasgow in the west. The wall basically stretched from the Firth of Clyde (a firth is a narrow inlet of the sea) on the Atlantic Ocean side of Scotland to the Firth of Forth a large inlet on Scotland's east coast.
- The wall was constructed with turf and stone.
- The wall was approximately 39 miles (63 km) long.
- The Antonine Wall stood approximately 10 feet (3 meters) high.
- The general width of the wall was 16 feet (5 meters).
- There were numerous forts along the length of the wall.
- A deep v-shaped ditch dug along the northern side of the wall aided in its defense.
Interesting Antonine Wall Facts
- The Antonine Wall, named for Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius who ordered it be built, is also referred to as Vallum Antonini.
- Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius, who ordered the wall be built, ruled Rome from 138 AD up until his death in 161 AD.
- Built to extend Roman control further north in Britannia the Antonine Wall was built 99 miles (160 km) further north than the earlier built Hadrian's Wall.
- Construction on the wall began in 142 AD and was completed 12 years later.
- A road called the Military Way was used by the Romans to move troops along the wall and to the forts along the wall.
- Roman general Quintus Lollius Urbicus was put in charge of building the Antonine Wall.
- The main reason why the Antonine Wall was built was to defend against the numerous tribes that lived in what is now Scotland. The Romans called these tribes the "Caledonians".
- The tribes that lived north of the wall made numerous attacks on the wall and raids south of the wall; due to this harassment the Romans abandoned the Antonine Wall only eight years after completing it. The Romans fell back to Hadrian's Wall to the south.
- Several decorative slabs were carved by the Romans who built the Antonine Wall, they depict the walls construction and their combat against the tribes in the north.
- Several decades after the wall was abandoned by the Romans Emperor Septimius Severus decided, in 208 AD, to repair it and send troops to defend it. The wall has been called the Severan Wall by some historians. After a few years the wall was once again abandoned by the Romans for the last time.
- Today most of the wall and its forts lay in ruins with very little remaining.
ANCIENT ROME HISTORY FACTS