A penetrating and lucid history of the best-known and most spectacular monument to the Roman Empire in Britain

In this new edition of their remarkable book, the authors have updated their study of the famous Wall that divided Britain in two. Occasionally the Romans would march north and consider the complete conquest of the island; at other times the northern tribes would spill over the Wall to pillage the Roman province. Despite this, for three hundred years, with very few lapses, the peace of the frontier was regulated by the troops along the Wall. Only when the Western Empire fell did the soldiers drift away and the Wall decay.

Taking into account new research findings about the building of the Wall, David Breeze and Brian Dobson include fascinating details about the Roman army, its religion and daily bureaucratic life. A selection of photographs, maps and diagrams help to make this a book for both the expert and the layman, being simultaneously erudite and unusually accessible.