An up-to-date and in-depth historical study of the northern Roman
frontier in Britain - why was the military conquest of Scotland never
completed and what were the criteria governing Roman policy over the
centuries? The idea of the Roman frontier immediately conjures up
pictures of Hadrian's Wall with its forts and other remains, and of the
Antonine Wall in Scotland. These two structures, however, represent two
elements in a story which took a great deal longer to evolve and which,
if taken in isolation, tend to mask a clear appraisal of the way in
which the frontier in Britain actually developed. What, after all, did
the Romans want to achieve in Britain? Why did they not capitalise on
Agricola's victory at Mons Graupius in AD83 to subdue the entire country
once and for all? How did the idea for a physical barrier evolve? And
why, after all the effort of building Hadrian's Wall, did the emperor
Antoninus Pius embark upon fresh conquest in Scotland? This book is
intended primarily as an historical treatment of the Roman military
occupation in Britain up until the early third century AD, although it
does also describe the later history of the frontier zone.It draws upon
archaeological evidence, but is not intended as a guide to the remains
of Hadrian's and Antonine's Walls. Rather, it aims to set these
spectacular fortifications into the broader context of Roman military
plans.
