THE ROMAN WALL IN NORTH BRITAIN. 



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invaded Caledonia, which, however, they never subdued. For 

 some time we have little evidence of Roman occiipation of 

 England. In a.d. 199 the Emperor Hadrian, in consequence of 

 a revolt by the British, came with a strong military force, and it 

 is probable that at this time the building of the Wall across 

 Northumbria was commenced. So far as we can gather from 

 the inscriptions, coins and other relics which have been found 

 in the proximity of the Wall, its Roman occupation continued 

 practically for two centuries. 



Before we come to details, it may be well to take a general 

 view of this great fortification, first as to its extent and then as 

 to its construction. It began, not strictly on the eastern shore, 

 but at a point near to and north of the Tyne, a few miles to the 

 west. Few, probably, who order from their coal merchants the 

 best " Wallsend " realize why it has that name. There is no 

 doubt, however, that the whole estuary of the Tyne was strongly 

 fortified. There was certainly an important camp near South 

 Shields, among the remains of which two interesting tombstones 

 have been found. One is to a lady, and the inscription is 

 bilingual. The first part, in Latin, may be translated, " To the 

 Divine Shades, To Regina, freedwoman and wife. Barates a 

 Palmyrean (places this). She was by nation a Catuallaunian 

 (and lived) thirty years." Then follows a line in Palmyrean, 



Regina, freedwoman of Barate, alas ! " The other tomb is of a 

 man by name Victor. He is described as a Moor, twenty years 

 of age, a freedman of Numerianus, who was a soldier of the first 

 wing of the Asturian cavalry, and aflectionately followed him to 

 the grave. 



The westward course of the Wall passes through Byker, where 

 are old quarries, from which stones were taken for the building, 

 and then it continues through what we now call Newcastle, and 

 where fragments of the old castellum have been found below the 

 Norman fortifications of William Rufus. Near this place there 

 was dredged some years ago from the river an interesting relic. 

 It is a stone altar dedicated to Neptune, the sea god, and was 

 probably erected by some legion in grateful memory of a pros- 

 perous voyage. At Benwell, a few miles further west, the first 

 traces of the Wall that remain above ground may be seen. About 

 fifteen miles further it crosses the old Watling Way, and soon 

 after it reaches the North Tyne, a few miles above Hexham. An 

 interesting carved stone was found some years ago at this place, 

 and is now preserved in the Abbey. It records the death of a 



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