The Antonine Wall (The Roman Frontier)
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- Опубліковано 8 січ 2023
- The Antonine Wall the roman frontier that goes from the firth of forth to the river Clyde in Scotland. Today it is a UNESCO world heritage site. In this video we look at the Cramond Roman fort, Bridgeness slab, Rough castle and Bearsden Bath House
Nice video! Very interesting.
Cheers mate
Very interesting history video. Thank you!
Thank you glad you enjoyed it
lovely!
Some film studio needs to create a historical drama movie that takes place on the Antonine Wall. "The Eagle" could have been set on the Antonine Wall but instead occurs just south of Hadrian's Wall.
👍
Thank you
Interesting stuff! I knew about the wall but for sure, you don't hear much about it. Worth looking into I feel.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Few folk who are aware but needs more information out there
I would love for a historical scholar to research and hypothesize what life was like being stationed on the Antonine Wall for the Roman legionaries and the auxiliary soldiers. Even though it was short-lived, just one generation, there must have been several civilian settlements, vicii (vicus) just outside the wall at major Roman forts. A Roman fortress or fort could house thousands of well-paid Roman legionaries or auxiliaries.
Historians really don't know the true name of the Antonine Wall. That is a 19th century construct. Probably it was referred to as the "North Wall", or simply, the northern wall. It's not inconceivable that the wall could have been referred to as, "The Wall of Emperor Antoninus Pius" back in its time.
Given the historical record of chronic warfare in Scotland from the Caldedonian and Pictish tribes against the Romans, it remains quite plausible to believe there was much skirmishing, raiding, and cross-wall incursions of the Caledonians and Picts at the Antonine Wall. For one, the wall cut directly across tribal lands, something the natives would have been quite perturbed about.
Possibly, the average Roman legionary or auxiliary stationed at the Antonine Wall would not have been thrilled. The weather then and now was uncomfortable, perpetually cloudy, overcast, gloomy, wet, rainy, foggy, and especially so in wintertime with sleet and snow. Everything must have been damp, moist, and wet for almost the whole year. Romans could look forward to maybe two or three months of warm, pleasant weather at the wall out of the year.
As the years rolled by, especially in the second decade of the wall, incursions, raids, incidents, and even outright attacks at the wall must have increased. Your typical Roman legionary and auxiliary must have wondered what was the worth of this wall in such a worthless, northerly, cold wet place. To British auxiliaries from the far south of Britannia, the land this far north in cold Caledonia (Scotland) was as foreign to them as the Roman legionaries. Auxiliary soldiers originated from all parts of the Roman Empire and no doubt all of them probably felt the same, "What are we doing here?" Still, the Romans held on.
Historians and scholars differ on the final decision to abandon the Antonine Wall. Some believe that at the end of his life, Emperor Pius issued the order to abandon the wall. The wall had served its purpose in bulking up Pius' military reputation but now he no longer needed it. Others believe that upon Pius' death, his successors, co-emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, probably influenced by influential men in the military and government, decided the Antonine Wall no longer served any useful purpose in a land that was generating little, if any, income for the empire. It was time to cut losses and retire south to Hadrian's Wall, which was a more logical boundary separating the sparse Scottish lands from the more productive lands of England.
Made my day seeing even a glimpse of Bo'ness- my childhood home and a great little town with a fascinating history. Sine Metu x
Glad you enjoyed the video and seeing Bo'ness