The Walls of Rome

by Fields, Nic; Dennis, Peter

• ISBN13: 9781846031984
• ISBN10: 1846031982
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-03-18
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Summary

This book provides a detailed examination of the design, development and construction of the defences of ancient Rome, with a particular focus on the Aurelian Wall - arguably the best preserved of all city walls in the Roman Empire. From the first early ditches and banks thrown up by Rome's founding fathers, through the 4th-century BC wall created by the Roman king Servius Tullius, to the massive Aurelian Wall built between AD 271 and 275 and its subsequent improvements, this books documents the changing threats faced by the Eternal City. It also looks beyond the classical period, and describes the city walls' role in conflicts stretching up to the 19th century. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Dr Nic Fields started his career as a biochemist before joining the Royal Marines for seven years. Having left the Navy he went back to university and completed a BA and PhD in Ancient History at the University of Newcastle. He was Assistant Director at the British School of Archaeology, Athens, and is now a lecturer in Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh. The author lives in France, UK.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 4
Chronology	p. 5
Rome's Early Defences	p. 6
The seven hills
First defences
The Servian wall
The Age of Aurelian	p. 11
The eastern front
The battle for the west
Restoration and the defence of Rome
The man who built the wall
Aurelian's army
Aurelian's Wall	p. 23
Aurelian's Rome
Tracing the circuit
Design of the wall
The method of construction
The anatomy of the wall
The function of the wall
After Aurelian
The Maxentian Improvements	p. 40
The Maxentian curtains
The Maxentian towers
The Maxentian gateways
From Honorius to Belisarius	p. 45
The Honorian alterations
The Belisarian alterations
Aurelian's Legacy	p. 53
The trace italienne
Garibaldi's Rome
The Sites Today	p. 61
Glossary and Abbreviations	p. 62
Bibliography	p. 63
Index	p. 64
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