Hadrian’s Wall: a monument to conflict

Hadrian’s Wall is not a typical Roman frontier. Its imposing scale sets it apart from its peers, raising questions about what such a substantial barrier system was intended to achieve. Was it a hollow piece of imperial rhetoric, or a bulwark against full-blown ‘barbarian’ invasions from the north? Setting the priorities apparent in the design and building schedule for the Wall alongside what is known of the fighting style of Rome’s regional enemies presents a new possibility: that the Wall served as a component of what could today be described as a sophisticated counterinsurgency strategy. Implementing this approach changed the nature of the threat in the region, requiring the Wall to be adapted in turn to meet the new circumstances it had helped to create.

Host or Publisher Centre for Geopolitics