The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1908-09-25

nclal OF immense pOWer). Many auXil
larry troops served on the wall.
1t was the Roman policy not to
make slaves OF conquered nation
but civilize them, and, when proficient
in the art of war, to draft them &c
take part in conquests abroad. The
young British soldiers excited much
surprise when trained to fight with
the Roman army abroad. Tacitus de.
scribes them as being of great stature,
with large limbs and muscles, and
having easy management of powerful
weapons. He also remarks "They
are half foot taller than the Gauls
and the Gauls are a bulky race com.
pared to the Italians"
AS the young trained Britons were
carried abroad, so other conquered
tribes were brought to Britain. Span
ish cavalry, Balearic singers, Par
THAN bowmen and swarthy Numidians
all probably helped the Roman and
Latin infantry in manning the wall
Every four miles on the south side OF
the great barrier was a big station or
camp covering several acres. with
guardrooms. barracks, stables, gov
ernor's house, ETC., and four gates
north sourth, east and west. the roads
from them crossing in the middle of
the station. There were % such sta.
tons. There were also castles. Joined
to the wall-these were known as
mile castles" being in almost every
case Roman mile (seven-eighths of
an English mile) distant each from the
other. A mile castle, however. always
protected any specially weak place. |
On the wall, also, every fourth part
of a mile. turret, or watch-tower.
was placed about ten feet square:
thus, on given alarm the whole wall
could be in arms from one end to the |
other. The military way" wonder. |
full road south of the wall Ga protected |
passage from station to station and
castle), ran the whole length of the |
wall, insuring quick journey for |
troops, horses and provisions: part of |
this road is still in use and in excel. |
lent preservation. 1t was originally |
lS feet wide and raised some IL inches
towards the middle. The foundations
can be seen after heavy rain, the
stones placed edgeways.
On the same side of North Tyne as
the bridge, but some three-quarters of
mile distant, further west. is a fine
piece of the wall at Brunton. where
the owner of the property kindly gives
permission to pass through his gar
den and inspect IL. The wall is eight |
feet high here, mortar still binds II to |
gether and trees are growing on the
wide top. The fosse, which NAV be |
plainly traced In early summer. Is |
beautiful with its variety of wild flow.
ers and tangle OF bramble and fern.
turret is seen on the south side I'm |
fine preservation, the wall of it eight
feet high. Crossing the river we come |
to the remains of the other ahutment |
OF the bridge and the wonderful ex.
cavations OF the station of Cilurnum. |
This is considered to have been one of
the forts of Agricola, an important |
point commanding the North TYNE.
The four gateways can all be traced. |
the eastern gate being especially inter
esting. IL was. as usual, double. |
arcned over the top, and the gates |
shutting on the big stones in the cen
ter. On either side were guardrooms. !
with doorway passing through to the |
gates. In one OF the Cilurnum guard |
room was found a diploma of Roman |
citizenship in bronze. such 'tabulae"
as st. Paul would have possessed. Big
stabling and barracks run near the
guardrooms. In the center OF the sta |
ton may be seen the remains OF the |
Forum, and the bases Of the pillars
can be traced which once supported
the roof, under which the grain and
perishable goods we're exposed for |
sale. The gutter below shows where
the water from the rooted shed was
carried of.
Passing from the station towards |
the river here, and still further south
Of the wall. a madvelous range of |
buildings has been unearthed, said to
have been the villa of the officer COM
handing the garrison (composed main
ly at Cilurnuml Of Asturian cavalry.