Hadrian Strengthens the Borders

Hadrian, the emperor who ruled after Trajan, realized that the endless borders of the enormous Roman Empire had become difficult to defend. To strengthen the places where he thought Rome might be attacked by its enemies, he added permanent bases for the army. His most famous work on the frontier became known as Hadrian’s Wall. In 122, Hadrian had this 73-mile (l18-kilometer) fortified wall built across the northern border of Roman Britain to keep out the barbarian tribes beyond.

A tall and elegant man with a full beard, Hadrian was a practical ruler. He concentrated on helping the government work more smoothly and gave the Romans two decades of peace before he died in 138.

For the rest of the second century, Rome continued to prosper in the hands of the capable emperors Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. The Roman army spread Roman culture throughout the empire, encouraging even those in the far reaches of the empire to live as Romans did. In this way, the people in lands that had been conquered by Rome came to feel like Romans themselves. By 212, all free people living in the empire, which stretched from Britain in the west to Arabia in the east, were granted citizenship. But during the third century, the Roman Empire had begun to decline as civil wars, invasions, and economic problems threatened its prosperity and security.

Modern-day view of Hadrian's Wall. The emperor Hadrian strengthened the borders of the empire by stationing military garrisons on its frontiers. Hadrian's Wall, built across Britain's northern border, is the longest surviving Roman structure.