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At its height, the Roman Empire was the greatest empire yet seen with borders stretching from the rain-swept highlands of Scotland in the north to the sun-scorched Nubian desert in the south. But how were the vast and varied stretches of frontier defined and defended? Many of Rome's frontier defences have been the subject of detailed and ongoing study and scholarship. Three frontier zones are now UNESCO World Heritage sites (the Antonine Wall having recently been granted this status - the author led the bid), and there is growing interest in their study. This wide-ranging survey will describe the varying frontier systems, describing the extant remains, methods and materials of construction a...
Two thousand years ago the Roman army, one of the world's most successful fighting machines, set out to conquer Scotland. Three invasions were attempted and each ended in withdrawal. These forays have left their mark on today's landscape in the form of impressive earthworks—the remains of forts and frontiers constructed by the army, including the famous and spectacular Antonine Wall. Using the latest archaeological evidence and contemporary Roman documents, including the uniquely informative Vindolanda writing tablets, Dr Breeze assesses these three periods of occupation and the effect they had on Scotland and its people. He asks: why the Romans chose to invade and why they failed, what was the strength and nature of the invasion force, how strong was the opposition, what was daily life like for civilians and soldiers, and what was the relationship between Rome and the northern tribes after the Roman withdrawal. Copiously illustrated with photographs and drawings, this informative and lively guide is enhanced by specially commissioned reconstruction drawings of military installations.
"In this new book, David Breeze tells the story of the Roman invasion of southern Scotland in the second century A.D., the building of the Antonine Wall, its occupation and abandonment. The material used to describe these events includes contemporary coins and literary sources together with inscription and sculpture from the wall itself, as well as the archaeological remains of the monument. The unique distance slabs not only record the process of building, but also provide a series of snapshots depicting the preparations, invasion and victory achieved by the Roman army over 1800 years ago, and stunning new photography by David Henrie of Historic Scotland illustrates all aspects of this most northerly Roman frontier. Both scholarly and beautifully illustrated, Edge of Empire underlines the reasons why the Antonine Wall has been proposed as a World Heritage Site."--BOOK JACKET.
As the most advanced frontier construction of its time, and as definitive evidence of the Romans' time in Scotland, the Antonine Wall is an invaluable and fascinating part of this country's varied and violent history. For a generation, from about AD 140 to 160, the Antonine Wall was the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. Constructed by the Roman army, it ran from modern Bo'ness on the Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde and consisted of a turf rampart fronted by a wide and deep ditch. At regular intervals were forts connected by a road, while outside the fort gates clustered civil settlements. Antoninus Pius, whom the wall was named after, reigned longer than any other emperor with the exception of its founder Augustus. Yet relatively little is known about him. In this meticulously researched book, David Breeze examines this enigmatic life and the reasons for the construction and abandonment of his Wall.
“Practically all new information on the greatest empire of all and how it controlled and policed its frontiers. Absolutely fascinating!”—Books Monthly At its height, the Roman Empire was the greatest empire yet seen with borders stretching from the rain-swept highlands of Scotland in the north to the sun-scorched Nubian desert in the south. But how were the vast and varied stretches of frontier defined and defended? Many of Rome’s frontier defenses have been the subject of detailed and ongoing study and scholarship. Three frontier zones are now UNESCO World Heritage sites (the Antonine Wall having recently been granted this status—the author led the bid), and there is growing inter...
This book examines Roman forts in Britain from the first to the fourth century. It describes the layout of a fort and how forts developed from the marching camps thrown up each night by the army on campaign to the strongholds of the Saxon Shore. Forts, fortresses, watch-towers and signal stations are in turn examined, and the defences of the fort and its annex analysed. Other chapters deal with how the Roman soldiers built the fort and the life of the men stationed there. A gazetteer of forts worth visiting is included and there is also a select bibliography.
This accessible account of the discoveries at the Roman fort at Bearsden examines the process of archaeological excavation, the life of the soldiers at the fort based on the results of the excavation as well as material from elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
The collection of Roman inscribed stones and sculpture, together with other Roman objects found at Maryport in Cumbria, is the oldest archaeological collection in Britain still in private hands. David Breeze places the collection in context and describes the history of research at the site.
This volume celebrates the twenty-sixth Congress of Roman Frontier Studies. It presents the history of the congress accompanied by photographs and reminiscences from participants, a story populated by many of the well-known archaeologists of the last 75 years and, indeed, earlier as the genesis of the Congress lies in the inter-War years.