Roman Temple of Mithras near Hadrian's Wall
2,440 views · Published 28 September 2009 · 4:03 · Indexed 12 November 2026
Channel: Alan Heath · 2009 · Travel & Events
SEE MY HISTORY GROUP ON FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alan-Heaths-History-Page/173472422695696 There are many Mithraic temples throughout the Roman Empire and here on my site I present the second - the first being in Caesarea in modern Israel. This was a mystery religion which became popular among the military in the Roman Empire, from the 1st to 4th centuries CE. Information on the cult is based mainly on interpretations of monuments. These depict Mithras as born from a rock and sacrificing a bull. His worshippers had a complex system of 7 grades of initiation, with ritual meals. Little else is known for certain. Near Carrawburgh fort stands a fascinating temple to the eastern god Mithras, with facsimiles of altars found during excavation. Sited like many Mithraic temples near a military base, it was founded in the 3rd century, and eventually desecrated, probably by Christians. Nearby, but no longer visible, was the shrine of the water nymph Coventina. Hadrian's Wall was 117.5 km long, it varied in height depending on what construction materials were available nearby. In this area the wall was around 2.4m high and we can still see where the ditches were located. Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain in 122CE and the wall was no doubt planned before then, maybe even started before then. The wall was a clear indication of Roman power but also an indication that enough was enough and that the Empire was not going to continue growing. Hadrian's father Trajan had extended the Empire with the acquisition of Dacia in modern Romania and Mesopotamia in modern Iraq but Hadrian retreated from these areas. Hadrian followed the principle of Augustus a century earlier that consolidation, not enlargement was the name of the game. Would it not have been easier for Hadrian simply to have conquered the remainer of Britain rather than build a wall? After all, he knew it was an island. This is a good question, the north had a low population and indeed the Empire did make north briefly later. I am unable to give an answer. The Wall served more of a statement than a military value. It showed outsiders how strong Rome was and was useful in collecting taxation revenues. Certainly in other parts of the Empire, the 'barbarians' outside were beginning to live like Romans at this time and organise towns, roads etc. The wall took only six years to finish although no doubt extra work was continually being done. At each of the 80 Roman miles there was a milecastle holding a handful of troops who could be called out if necessary. These milecastles were located within signalling or physical view of each other and so they are not equidistant. The garrison was made up of auxiliaries, sometimes from far away places. The fortress of Arbeia (not strictly speaking a border fortress) at South Shields was garrisoned by people from Iraq! Although there were attacks on the wall, on the whole it was peaceful. In 410CE, Rome itself was under attack and Roman troops were pulled out of Britain. The locals, who were Romanised, were told that they needed to take care of their own defence. The wall lasted long after the Romans went. Most damage was done in the eighteenth century as stone was removed for road and agricultural use. Fortunately the wall was protected from the nineteenth century onwards. Hadrian's Wall was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and in 2005 it became part of the transnational "Frontiers of the Roman Empire" World Heritage Site which also includes sites in Germany
