Hadrian’s Wall is an ultimate example of incredible Roman architecture. Implying the use of many fine characteristics such as the superb shape, position and look, Hadrian fused all of these together to create an absolute masterpiece. However historians can only guess the original function. The most notable opinions, that challenge the idea that the function was to omit a fear factor, are the defence of a frontier from a dangerous enemy in the North, and the taxation and the monitoring of movement of people. Throughout Roman history there is no greater symbol of Rome and the untold nature of the power possessed by the Empire, as a great bastion of invincibility, quite like Hadrian’s Wall. The wall held within its bosom the unmatchable power
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Many thousands of classical texts were lost carrying with them the knowledge of the original Function. One of the earliest accounts of the function of the wall comes from Gildas the Wise and later, re-written transcripts from Bede in the Ecclesiastical History of England in which …show more content…
Roman ideology was a massive factor as to how Romans advanced through life. Barbarians were the bottom of the social and political spectrum whilst Romans sat, unmatched at the top. Hadrian along with his intensive interest in architecture, led to the creation of Hadrian’s Wall and the function was to warn those of the vast power held by Rome. Hadrian, proud of Rome, ‘wished to make a statement’ according to John Mann and that statement seems to be a very plausible theory. The creation of a Symbolic wall would show the supreme power mastered by Rome. Anthony Everitt sums the Symbolic/Power of Rome theory perfectly by stating that no actual explanation survives and that most theories begin somewhere with an expression of Roman power being the forefront . Eric Birley agreed the wall would serve no defensive purpose and the positioning of troops behind the wall is purely coincidental because the wall was simply built to show the world the capability of Roman Power. The best assumption comes from Professor Jim Crow and he puts the theory in its place perfectly ‘the Romans were saying to the local tribes “you guys live in round huts, we come from a city with a million people and we can build a wall 80 miles long” ' also, Roman military presence would have clustered around the northern half of Britannia, probably
Many thousands of classical texts were lost carrying with them the knowledge of the original Function. One of the earliest accounts of the function of the wall comes from Gildas the Wise and later, re-written transcripts from Bede in the Ecclesiastical History of England in which …show more content…
Roman ideology was a massive factor as to how Romans advanced through life. Barbarians were the bottom of the social and political spectrum whilst Romans sat, unmatched at the top. Hadrian along with his intensive interest in architecture, led to the creation of Hadrian’s Wall and the function was to warn those of the vast power held by Rome. Hadrian, proud of Rome, ‘wished to make a statement’ according to John Mann and that statement seems to be a very plausible theory. The creation of a Symbolic wall would show the supreme power mastered by Rome. Anthony Everitt sums the Symbolic/Power of Rome theory perfectly by stating that no actual explanation survives and that most theories begin somewhere with an expression of Roman power being the forefront . Eric Birley agreed the wall would serve no defensive purpose and the positioning of troops behind the wall is purely coincidental because the wall was simply built to show the world the capability of Roman Power. The best assumption comes from Professor Jim Crow and he puts the theory in its place perfectly ‘the Romans were saying to the local tribes “you guys live in round huts, we come from a city with a million people and we can build a wall 80 miles long” ' also, Roman military presence would have clustered around the northern half of Britannia, probably