65 minutes 01 seconds · Full-length talk
David Breeze follows the changing use of Hadrian’s Wall through the centuries after its founder’s reign.
What this video covers
Did Hadrian’s Wall continue to serve the same purpose throughout its long history? Professor David Breeze considers this question through changes to its forts, milecastles and turrets, alongside developments in the deployment of the Roman army in northern Britain.
The lecture moves beyond the original building programme to consider how the frontier operated under changing circumstances. Particular attention is given to the later Roman army and fourth-century military architecture, and to what these developments might reveal about the peoples beyond the frontier.
Breeze also asks how the success of the Wall should be judged. This makes the recording a useful companion to his lecture on its original design: together they encourage viewers to think of the frontier as a system that developed over time.
For Roman Scotland, the value lies in placing activity north of Hadrian’s Wall within a longer history of military decisions and frontier change. The explanations presented are scholarly interpretations of the surviving evidence.
About the video
Speaker: Professor David Breeze
Publisher/channel: Society of Antiquaries of Scotland
Recorded: 11 May 2019, National Museums Scotland
Uploaded: 7 August 2019
Captions: Automatic captions available on YouTube; names and specialist terms may contain errors.
Overview based on the publisher’s description; this is not a transcript.
