The Walls Of Rome (fortress)
by Nic Fields /
2008 / English / PDF
14.6 MB Download
Having defeated a Germanic invasion of northern Italy, the
Emperor Aurelian surrounded Rome with a powerful circuit of
walls. This great fortification is one of the best preserved of
all city walls in the Roman Empire and remains a dramatic feature
of Rome today, representing the most emblematic and the most
enduring monument of Aurelian's age. Nothing else so eloquently
demonstrates that, by Aurelian's day, the empire was on the
defensive. Although embellished, strengthened and restored many
times down the ages, Aurelian's original structure remained the
basis of the city's defences through to the mid-19th century,
when the Republican forces under Giuseppe Garibaldi managed for
some time to withstand the French, and is still discernible today
along much of the walls' circuit.
Having defeated a Germanic invasion of northern Italy, the
Emperor Aurelian surrounded Rome with a powerful circuit of
walls. This great fortification is one of the best preserved of
all city walls in the Roman Empire and remains a dramatic feature
of Rome today, representing the most emblematic and the most
enduring monument of Aurelian's age. Nothing else so eloquently
demonstrates that, by Aurelian's day, the empire was on the
defensive. Although embellished, strengthened and restored many
times down the ages, Aurelian's original structure remained the
basis of the city's defences through to the mid-19th century,
when the Republican forces under Giuseppe Garibaldi managed for
some time to withstand the French, and is still discernible today
along much of the walls' circuit.
This title describes Aurelian's Wall in detail with cut-away
cross sections, and investigates its historical purpose and
military effectiveness within the general context of late Roman
fortifications. A final section follows the history of the Wall's
continued use beyond the Romano-Byzantine period, and provides an
invaluable tourist aid.
This title describes Aurelian's Wall in detail with cut-away
cross sections, and investigates its historical purpose and
military effectiveness within the general context of late Roman
fortifications. A final section follows the history of the Wall's
continued use beyond the Romano-Byzantine period, and provides an
invaluable tourist aid.