Antonine Wall

1. Roman Scotland – Again, and Again
Antonine Wall
Severus
Division of Britannia

2. Hadrian’s Successors

3. Antoninus
Antoninus never willing made war
Pausanias
They prefer to preserve their empire rather than
extend it indefinitely to profitless, barbarian
peoples
Appian (~96-165)
They surround the empire with a circle of great
camps
Aelius Aristides (120-189)

4. Antoninus Pius
• Generally shied away from military adventure
• Pressure from the north
• Reconstruction of base at Corbridge
• Victory over barbarians
• Antonine Wall

5. Corbridge – New Construction 139

6. Antonine
Occupation of
Scotland

7. Military Occupation – Antonine Period

8. Interests of the Military
• Rank and file – pensions and booty
• Commanders of equestrian class
– Patronage
– Better posts in the Mediterranean

10. Reuse of Gask Ridge Forts

11. Elements of the Antonine Wall
• Rampart
• Ditch and mound to the north
• Military road to the south

12. Antonine vs Hadrian Walls
• Forts interspersed with smaller stations.
• No Vallum.
• Double the number of troops along smaller
distance than Hadrian's Wall
• Turf not stone – stone reinforcement
• 14-16’ wide, probably 10’ high

13. Antonine Siege Fort

14. Wall at Rough Castle
Annex

15. Rough Castle

16. Principia, Bar Hill

17. Latrine, Bearsden
Artist’s reconstruction

18. Wall with Fortlet

19. Distance Slabs

20. Bridgeness Distance Slab

21. Old Kirkpatrick

22. Summerston Farm, near Balmuildy
IIIDCLXVIS = 3,666 ½ paces

23. Distance Slab Hutcheson Hill

24. Legio II Duntocher

25. Other victory
commemorations

26. Consequences of Antonine Wall
• Forces involved ~6-7,000
• Pax Romana
• No evidence for native rule
• Increased use of stone construction
• New civilian communities follow the army
• Increased mining for iron and surface mining
of coal
• Production of food for army

27. Continuation of Native Life
• Round houses
• No new concentrated
settlements except near
forts
• Natives reuse bronze
but not iron from
Romans
• Roman brooches

28. Roman Artefacts
Wigtownshire
Dunure (South Ayrshire)

29. Antonine Itinerary
• Fourteen numbered roads
• List stations along the roads with distances
between them

30. Example
Iter III
(From London to the port of Dover)
Roman Name 1000 paces Miles Current Name
Durobrivis xxvii 31 Rochester
Duroverno xxv 28 Canterbury
Ad portum Dubris xiiii 18 Dover

31. Along the Way
• Mansiones, inns, every 30 miles or so
– A bed for man and horse
– Food ” “
– A hot bath
– Storage of government goods
– Postal and police services
• Mutationes, changing stops

32. Chelmsford Mansio

33. Godmanchester
Mansio
Dining
Baths room
80’

34. Abandonment of Antonine Wall
• Under Governor Julius Verus the wall was
abandoned (c. 154-8 CE)
• Hadrian’s wall was refurbished
• “Military Road” to supply Hadrian wall forts
• Outpost forts north of Hadrian’s Wall
abandoned by 185 CE

35. Maintenance

36. Breach of Hadrian’s Wall?

37. Victory in Britain

38. Commodus
• Breach of Hadrian's Wall
• C. 180 Governor Ulpius Marcellus
sent to put down rebellions
• 184-5 Victory in Britain
• 185 Protest by British legions
against prefect, Perennis

39. Numeri
• Non-citizens
• Small units
• Legionary officers
• Identified with nations
• No entitlement to citizenship
• Less-well armed than regulars
– Exploratores - scouts

40. Sarmatians
• 175 Brought to Britain by Marcus Aurelius
• Brougham cemetery
– Sword and belt fittings
– Horses
– Unusual burial - women
Archaeology • May/June 2005

41. Sarmatian Treasure - Gaul

42. Pertinax
• 126 Son of freeman and clothmaker
• c. 150 Teacher of literature
• 161 Volunteers for military, commander of
auxiliary cohort, successful in battles in Asia
• 165 Legionary tribune in York, raised to
equestrian rank
• 168 Procurator in N. Italy, Dacia
• Commander of units against Germans

43. Pertinax
• Made Senator and legionary commander
• 175 Consul
• 176 Series of governorships of provinces
– 185-187 Governor of Britain
• 189 Mayor of Rome
• 192 Consul
• Emperor
1/1/193 to 3/28/193

44. Clodius Albinus
• c.140 Born near Carthage, Senatorial rank
– 175 Governor of Bithynia
– 187 Consul
– 189 Governor fo Germany
• 191-2 Governor of Britain
• 193 Made Caesar by Septimius Severus
• 195 Severus names his own sons successors, forcing out
Albinus
– Supported by legions on German frontier and from Spain
– Defeated near Lugdunum (Lyon); suicide?

45. Lugdunum - Severus
Severus Albinus
• Pannonia • Britannia
– XIIII Gemina – II Augusta
– VI Victrix
• Moesia
– XX Valeria
– XI Claudia
• Germania Superior • Hispania
– VII Gemina
– XXII Primigenia
• Germania Inferior
– I Minerva
– XXX Ulpia Traiana