@optilacrity: What Rome actually built Emperor Hadrian visited Britain in AD 122, and construction began around that time. The wall stretched 73 modern miles (80 Roman miles) from the River Tyne near modern Newcastle to the Solway Firth. It took at least six years to construct. It wasn’t simply a 73-mile stone barrier. The original system included: * 80 milecastles — small fortified gateways roughly every Roman mile. * About 160 turrets — two observation posts between successive milecastles. * A substantial ditch on the northern side. * Large forts were added during construction, eventually producing 16 forts associated with the Wall. * Another enormous earthwork called the Vallum ran behind much of it. The wall could reach roughly 15 feet (4.6 m) high, although its dimensions varied. And contrary to the image’s wording, it wasn’t originally all stone: roughly 30 miles of the western section were initially constructed from turf and subsequently replaced with stone. The soldiers weren’t simply waiting for an invasion This is where the meme is somewhat misleading. Hadrian’s Wall was certainly a military frontier, but historians don’t think its purpose was simply to stop a giant army from Scotland. The gateways actually allowed people to cross the frontier in controlled locations. Soldiers could inspect travelers, control trade and potentially collect taxes or customs charges. A milecastle may have contained only around eight soldiers, although some could accommodate more. The larger forts held units of roughly 500–1,000 troops. So instead of imagining something like the Great Wall of China, picture a militarized border-control network: wall → ditch → watchtower → checkpoint → fort → road → another checkpoint #History #hadrian #rome #interesting #britain

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Saturday 26 September 2026 14:36:09 GMT