The Coliseum.  The Pantheon.  Diocletian's Palace.  

These are the more famous parts of the former Roman Empire scattered across the globe.  I would like to add another to the list, Hadrian's Wall.

Hadrian:

Built in AD 122 during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, it was created to more effectively withstand the Caledonian threat from northern Britannia (Roman Province) in modern day Scotland.

Wall Location:

Wall Walk/Location from Sea to Sea:

Running more than 73 miles from the North Sea in the East to the Irish Sea in the West it traversed parts of today's English/Scottish border, but does not in fact perfectly follow it.  It was dotted by large forts, watch towers, and paralleled on both sides by massive raised mounds that acted as further defensive measures for the wall.  

Impression of Wall Fort:

Impression of Wall in Use:

Hilariously, the impact of Hadrian's Wall did not last long, as only one emperor later it was surpassed by another defensive wall built further north farther into barbarian lands by Emperor Antoninus.  This Antonine wall covered a shorter distance and added chunks of land to the Empire, but is considered less impressive as it was built of turf and natural substance rather than a fully stone wall stretching miles from coast to coast.

Wall Farther North:

Today the wall is enjoyed as a UNESCO heritage sight, source of British pride, and wonderful tourist visiting experience where re-enactments can be found and the Wall Walk can be enjoyed which traces the Wall's route from sea to sea.  

A debt of gratitude should be paid to John Clayton some old rich British guy who bought up all the land bordering the wall to protect it from being scavenged by Farmers and builders in the 19th Century.  He raised his own farms on the land and used the proceeds to make repairs on the wall.

Hope you enjoyed this small slice of Roman history, and as always

Hope your time was wellspent!

-Rom