Bridgeness Commomerative Slab

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 27 November 2015
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This carved slab (also known as the Bridgeness slab) commemorates building the most eastern part of the Antonine wall, which cut Scotland into two. Its grand inscription records the army's dedication of the building work to their emperor. The theme of the slab is conquest and domination. The left hand panel depicts the noble Roman soldiers defeating the native tribes, who are shown as naked and cowering barbarians. The right hand panel shows a religious ceremony in which sacrifices are being offered to bring luck to the army. This was a religion very far from native ways. The inscriptions on the slab read "For the Emperor Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus Pius, Father of his Country, the 2nd Augustan Legion completed [the Wall] over a distance of 4655 paces." From Bridgeness, Scotland, 2nd century CE. (National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK)

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2015, November 27). Bridgeness Commomerative Slab. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4245/bridgeness-commomerative-slab/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Bridgeness Commomerative Slab." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified November 27, 2015. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4245/bridgeness-commomerative-slab/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Bridgeness Commomerative Slab." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 27 Nov 2015. Web. 18 Apr 2024.

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