SOUTHERN ROMAN BARRIER IN BRITAIN. 137 



Severus, but the evidence of almost all, including Julius Capitolinus, 

 Eusebius, Aurelius Victor, Eutropius, and Cassiodorus, is in favor of 

 the latter, whilst most mediaeval writers, beginning with Gildas, ascribe 

 the building of the wall to a Roman legion that was sent back to the 

 island about the middle of the fifth century. Horsley, the author of 

 the Britannia Romana, " thought that most of the stations of the 

 wall were built by Agricola. He considered that the north agger of 

 the Vallum was also the work of that general, and that it was the 

 military way by which his garrisons held communication with each 

 other. The fosse of the Vallum and its southern ramparts he ascribed 

 to Hadrian, whom he represents as taking for his military way the 

 previously existing north agger — the military way of Agricola. The 

 stone wall, with its ditch, mile-towers, and turrets, he considered to be 

 the work of Severus." The Rev. John Hodgson, '' the historian of 

 Northumberland," formed a diflferent opinion. He says: '' In the pro- 

 gress of the preceding investigations I have gradually and slowly come 

 to the conviction that the whole barrier between the Tyne and the 

 Solway, and consisting of the Vallum and the Murus, with all the 

 castella and towers of the latter, and many of the stations on their line, 

 were planned and executed by Hadrian ; and I have' endeavoured to 

 show that in this whole there is unity of design, and a fitness for the 

 general purposes for which it was intended, which I think would not 

 have been accomplished if part of the Vallum had been done by 

 Agricola, the rest of it by Hadrian, and the Murus, with its castella, 

 towers, and military way, by Severus." This theory is ably and enthu- 

 siastically advocated by Dr. Bruce. In the years 1852-1854, through 

 the munificence of Algernon, fourth Duke of Northumberland, a minute 

 survey of the whole line was made by Mr. Henry MacLauchlan. 

 The conclusions, on the qusestio vexata, at which he arrived "coin- 

 cide in a great measure with those of Horsley." " It seems probable," 

 he remarks, "that the Stations were made by Agricola, and walled at 

 some subsequent period." " It is probable that the Vallum was made 

 by Hadrian, at all events before the wall. The wall and castles may 

 have been made (ir designed at the same time, after the walling of the 



every appearance of being erected in the reign of Hadrian." Botli these charac- 

 teristics, especially the former, are fallacious criteria. In Hadrian's diploma, 

 unquestionably of the date A.D. 124, the lettering ia so bad, that I doubt not 

 that, if the elements of the date had been obliterated, some of those who under- 

 take to determine the age of an inscription from the form of the letters, would 

 have placed it two or three centuries later than it really is. 



