Uploaded June 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
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Creative Commons:
Prosopee commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mus%C3%A9oparc_d%27Al%C3%A9sia_fortifications.JPG Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Fæ commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vindolanda_tablet_291.jpg Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Chapters:
0:00 Walls and Fortifications
2:45 Attacks from the North
5:10 Attacks from the South
6:46 Construction
7:38 Vindolanda
8:35 Antonine Wall
13:48 Support
The Truth About Hadrian’s Wall, Rome’s False Northern Frontier (History Documentary)
The Truth About Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman Empire's False Northern Frontier (History Documentary)
Stretching 73 miles right across northern England today, Hadrian’s Wall is often described as once serving as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, but is this true? More on that later. Today, I’ve taken you to a section of Hadrian’s Wall in the north of modern England near Greenhead, just east of the Roman Army Museum.
Standing here you’re immediately struct by a defining feature of the Roman army – Roman soldiers weren’t just soldiers, they were also skilled craftsmen and engineers. To build a wall of this magnitude in a foreign land you’re occupying almost 2,000 years ago, doesn’t just take incredible imagination, bravado and dare I say arrogance, it takes unbelievable skill, discipline and organisational power.
That is one thing that has always struct me about the Romans, their ability to throw up massive structures in foreign lands whilst also fighting wars. Julius Caesar’s army built dual fortifications during the Battle of Alesia in Gaul for instance, one to trap Vercingetorix and his men inside Alesia, and another wall around the Romans to keep the Gallic relief army out.
But what is truth about Hadrian’s Wall, why was it built and how was it built? To understand this wall we need to understand the context in which it was built. Hadrian’s predecessor, Trajan, expanded the empire greatly. In fact, when Trajan died in 117 AD, the Roman Empire was at its territorial zenith. When Hadrian came to power, he inherited an empire that stretched from Britian to the Middle East, with many local tribes across the empire having periods of resistance to Roman rule. It was time for fortification.
Fortifications were nothing new to the Romans, they had built and continued to add fortifications across the Empire, most notably to help control Germanic tribes. Roman border defences are known as Līmes, and the two sections of limes in Germany covered a length of 340 miles.
If we turn our attention back to Britain, Hadrian’s Wall was built was for the Romans to fortify their position in Britannica and keep the barbarians north of the wall at bay. Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117–138 CE) went to Britain in 122 AD and, in the words of his biographer, “was the first to build a wall, 80 miles long, to separate the Romans from the barbarians.”
Sources:
Scotland History Tours, What They Don't Say About Hadrian's Wall youtube.com/watch?v=4EZpYXcXRII
Hadrian's Wall | 10 Places That Made England with Dan Snow youtube.com/watch?v=_mHOtDbiFjI
Why Was Hadrian’s Wall Built? | Animated History youtube.com/watch?v=pmmfS4Z4Jig
Hadrian’s Wall, Britannica - britannica.com/topic/Hadrians-Wall
Hadrian’s Wall - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian's_Wall
Antonine Wall en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonine_Wall
Our History - youtube.com/watch?v=tTgFE8R6_Os
The Bridgeness Roman Distance Slab - nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/the-bridgeness-roman-distance-slab
Lilia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilia
Celtic History Decoded - What Scottish Tribal Confederation Fought the Roman Empire? Meet The Maeatae (Dumyat Hill, Ochil’s) youtube.com/watch?v=veAYaWV_kQ0
Antonine Wall: Rough Castle https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/antonine-wall-rough-castle/history/
Hadrian's Wall Documentary - Hadrian's Wall Walk - Hadrian's Wall History - Hadrian's Wall Drone - England - Roman Empire
#history #hadrianswall #romanempire
Please Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/CelticHistory
Please support this channel on Patreon and get ad-free videos and other benefits: patreon.com/historydecoded
Please donate through PayPal using this link: paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=QFB9ZECHZJDF6 – chdecoded@gmail.com
Subscribe to Celtic History Decoded: youtube.com/channel/UCCS3M_uNHH2iOJkpGhkO2SA?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Celtic History Decoded on Instagram - instagram.com/celtichistorydecoded
Subscribe to World History Decoded – youtube.com/@worldhistorydecoded
Creative Commons:
Prosopee commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mus%C3%A9oparc_d%27Al%C3%A9sia_fortifications.JPG Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Fæ commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vindolanda_tablet_291.jpg Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
Chapters:
0:00 Walls and Fortifications
2:45 Attacks from the North
5:10 Attacks from the South
6:46 Construction
7:38 Vindolanda
8:35 Antonine Wall
13:48 Support
The Truth About Hadrian’s Wall, Rome’s False Northern Frontier (History Documentary)
The Truth About Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman Empire's False Northern Frontier (History Documentary)
Stretching 73 miles right across northern England today, Hadrian’s Wall is often described as once serving as the northern frontier of the Roman Empire, but is this true? More on that later. Today, I’ve taken you to a section of Hadrian’s Wall in the north of modern England near Greenhead, just east of the Roman Army Museum.
Standing here you’re immediately struct by a defining feature of the Roman army – Roman soldiers weren’t just soldiers, they were also skilled craftsmen and engineers. To build a wall of this magnitude in a foreign land you’re occupying almost 2,000 years ago, doesn’t just take incredible imagination, bravado and dare I say arrogance, it takes unbelievable skill, discipline and organisational power.
That is one thing that has always struct me about the Romans, their ability to throw up massive structures in foreign lands whilst also fighting wars. Julius Caesar’s army built dual fortifications during the Battle of Alesia in Gaul for instance, one to trap Vercingetorix and his men inside Alesia, and another wall around the Romans to keep the Gallic relief army out.
But what is truth about Hadrian’s Wall, why was it built and how was it built? To understand this wall we need to understand the context in which it was built. Hadrian’s predecessor, Trajan, expanded the empire greatly. In fact, when Trajan died in 117 AD, the Roman Empire was at its territorial zenith. When Hadrian came to power, he inherited an empire that stretched from Britian to the Middle East, with many local tribes across the empire having periods of resistance to Roman rule. It was time for fortification.
Fortifications were nothing new to the Romans, they had built and continued to add fortifications across the Empire, most notably to help control Germanic tribes. Roman border defences are known as Līmes, and the two sections of limes in Germany covered a length of 340 miles.
If we turn our attention back to Britain, Hadrian’s Wall was built was for the Romans to fortify their position in Britannica and keep the barbarians north of the wall at bay. Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117–138 CE) went to Britain in 122 AD and, in the words of his biographer, “was the first to build a wall, 80 miles long, to separate the Romans from the barbarians.”
Sources:
Scotland History Tours, What They Don't Say About Hadrian's Wall youtube.com/watch?v=4EZpYXcXRII
Hadrian's Wall | 10 Places That Made England with Dan Snow youtube.com/watch?v=_mHOtDbiFjI
Why Was Hadrian’s Wall Built? | Animated History youtube.com/watch?v=pmmfS4Z4Jig
Hadrian’s Wall, Britannica - britannica.com/topic/Hadrians-Wall
Hadrian’s Wall - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadrian's_Wall
Antonine Wall en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonine_Wall
Our History - youtube.com/watch?v=tTgFE8R6_Os
The Bridgeness Roman Distance Slab - nms.ac.uk/explore-our-collections/stories/scottish-history-and-archaeology/the-bridgeness-roman-distance-slab
Lilia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilia
Celtic History Decoded - What Scottish Tribal Confederation Fought the Roman Empire? Meet The Maeatae (Dumyat Hill, Ochil’s) youtube.com/watch?v=veAYaWV_kQ0
Antonine Wall: Rough Castle https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/antonine-wall-rough-castle/history/
Hadrian's Wall Documentary - Hadrian's Wall Walk - Hadrian's Wall History - Hadrian's Wall Drone - England - Roman Empire
#history #hadrianswall #romanempire
