Roman stone altar with dedication to Jupiter, the main state deity and embodiment of Imperial Rome, with carved images of a patera (small pan) and jug used to pour libations into the hollow scoops on the altar top, at the Housesteads Roman Fort Museum, Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, England. An inscription reads, 'to Jupiter best and greatest, and the spirit of the Emperors, the 1st regiment of Hungarians, under the command of Quintus Julius Maximus'. Such dedications of new altars enabled individuals and regiments to record their achievements and document their allegiance. Housesteads Fort was built in 124 AD and is the most complete Roman fort in Britain, built by legionaries to house 10 centuries of auxiliary soldiers based on the frontier. Hadrian's Wall was built 73 miles across Britannia, now England, 122-128 AD, under the reign of Emperor Hadrian, ruled 117-138, to mark the Northern extent of the Roman Empire and guard against barbarian attacks from the Picts to the North. The Housesteads Roman Fort Museum is run by English Heritage and forms part of the Hadrian's Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen
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