The Roman Wall / A historical, topographical, and descriptive account of the barrier of the lower isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway, deduced from numerous personal surveys

by J. Collingwood Bruce

IMP[ERATORIS] CAES[ARIS] TRAIAN[I].

HADRIANI AVG[VSTI]

LEG[IO] SECVNDA AVG[VSTA]

AVLO PLATORIO NEPOTE LEG[ATO] PR[O]PR[ÆTORE.]

Of the Emperor Cæsar Trajanus

Hadrianus Augustus,

The second legion, styled the August,

Aulus Platorius Nepos, being legate and proprætor.

Of all the inscriptions discovered in Britain, Hodgson pronounces this to be of the greatest historical importance, inasmuch as it leads to the true reading of several fragments of similar inscriptions throwing|MILKING-GAP INSCRIPTION.| light upon the authorship of the Wall. One of these was known to Horsley, and seems to have puzzled that great antiquary. It and other fragments which have since been found in different mile-castles, tend to produce the conviction, that the mile-castles, (which are on the line of the Wall, ascribed to Severus,) were built by Hadrian. The simplicity of the inscription will strike the classical reader, who will not fail also to observe the peculiarity of the name of the emperor being in the genitive case.