A recent writer, who, in a work denominated ‘A History of the Picts or Romano-British Wall,’ adopts the notion of Gildas, that the stone wall was built, not by Hadrian or Severus, but by the trembling Britons on their abandonment by the Romans, supports his opinion by denominating the work an un-Roman-like defence, and argues that men who were unaccustomed to fear, would not seek the assistance of a wall and a ditch. However regardless of life the Romans may, in the abstract, have been, they knew how to economize their resources. In the battle of the Grampians, Agricola withheld his legionary soldiers, and made use only of his auxiliary troops. He could better afford to expend the one than the other. As well might a warrior despise the protection of a helmet or a shield, as refuse the defence of a stone wall.

WALLS NOT UNWORTHY OF ROME.

The best refutation, however, of this theory, is the fact, that in other places the Romans, about the same period, raised similar barriers. At two of these we shall glance, before beginning a detailed inspection of the Barrier of the Lower Isthmus. The comparison will probably afford valuable instruction.

THE GERMAN BARRIER.

The Devil’s Wall, in Germany, bears many marks of resemblance to the English Wall. It seems[[50]] to consist of the Pfahl, a mound of stakes, or vallum, ascribed to Hadrian, and a stone wall which is said to have been executed by some of his successors. The works extended westwards from Regensburg [Ratisbon] on the Danube, towards the sources of that river, a distance of nearly two hundred miles. They formed the boundary of the Roman empire in those parts where the Danube was not broad and deep enough to be of itself a sufficient protection. A deep trench ran along the Wall on its northern side, and along its southern face roads and camps were formed. At regular intervals of one mile, towers of observation were placed of the same size, though, being circular, not of the same form as the mile-castles on the English Wall. It is not possible, from the present remains, to determine with certainty the height or breadth of the Wall. ‘I found it in many places,’ says Professor Buchner, ‘from four to six, in others from ten to twelve, feet broad. We may therefore perhaps conclude, that its medium breadth was from six to seven feet, and that its height, as corresponding to this breadth, may have been from eighteen to twenty-four feet.’ The works have the same tendency to advance in a straight line as those of our own Barrier. ‘No mountain is so high, no abyss so steep, no wood so thick, no morass so profound, through which it does not penetrate.’ ‘The whole line of the fortification has been laid down and executed according to a well-digested plan.’

THE ANTONINE WALL.

Graham’s Dike, so denominated probably from the Celtic words grym, strength, and diog, a ditch, is a barrier which fortified the Upper Isthmus of Britain. It extended from Borrowstoness, on the Firth of Forth, to West Kilpatrick, on the river Clyde, a distance of about twenty-seven English miles. It was constructed by Lollius Urbicus in the reign of Antoninus Pius, the adopted son of Hadrian. The following succinct account of this important design is taken from the ‘Caledonia Romana,’ a work of great ability, by the late lamented Mr. Robert Stuart, of Glasgow:—

This great military work consisted, in the first place, of an immense fosse or ditch—averaging about forty feet in width, by some twenty in depth—which extended over hill and plain, in one unbroken line, from sea to sea. Behind this ditch, on its southern side, and within a few feet of its edge, was raised a rampart of intermingled stone and earth, strengthened by sods of turf, which measured, it is supposed, about twenty feet in height, and twenty-four in thickness at the base. This rampart, or agger, was surmounted by a parapet, behind which ran a level platform, for the accommodation of its defenders. To the southward of the whole was situated the Military Way—a regular causewayed road, about twenty-feet wide—which kept by the course of the Wall at irregular distances, approaching, in some instances, to within a few yards, and in others receding to a considerable extent. Along the entire line there were established, it is believed, nineteen principal stations or forts. The mean distance between each may be stated at rather more than two English miles. Along these intervals were placed many smaller castella, or watch-towers. While the continuous rampart seems to have been little more than a well-formed earthen mound, it is probable that many, if not all, of the stations, were either rivetted with stone or entirely built of that material. In some places, it would even appear that the Vallum itself had been raised upon a stone foundation—probably in situations where the ground was low and marshy, and where it was found necessary to form drains beneath the works, to prevent the accumulation of water on their anterior side.

MUTUAL SUPPORT OF THE BARRIERS.

The Barrier of the Upper Isthmus never consisted of more than a single line of fortification. This circumstance may seem to militate against the view that we have taken of the double line of the Southern Barrier. If in the one case the conquered tribes to the south were disregarded, why should they not be so in the other also? We shall not, however, greatly err if we regard the Antonine Wall as but an advanced work of Hadrian’s entrenchment. On this view of the matter, the difficulty is at once removed, for the Lower Barrier would be a sufficient security against danger in the rear. Certain it is, that the southern line was not abandoned when the other was constructed. Several altars have been found on the Lower Barrier inscribed with the name Antoninus Pius.[[51]] A slab bearing the names of the consuls Sex. Sulpicius Tertullus, and C. Tineius Sacerdos, elicits the following remarks from judge Cay[[52]]:—