Editing Ancient Roman architecture (section)

===Defensive walls===
{{Main|Ancient Roman defensive walls}}
[[File:Lugo 2023 - Roman Walls.jpg|thumb|[[Roman walls of Lugo]], Spain]]
The Romans generally fortified cities rather than fortresses, but there are some fortified camps such as the [[Saxon Shore forts]] like [[Portus Adurni|Porchester Castle]] in England. City walls were already significant in [[Etruscan architecture]], and in the struggle for control of Italy under the early Republic many more were built, using different techniques. These included tightly fitting massive irregular polygonal blocks, shaped to fit exactly in a way reminiscent of later [[Inca]] work. The Romans called a simple rampart wall an [[Agger (ancient Rome)|agger]]; at this date great height was not necessary. The [[Servian Wall]] around Rome was an ambitious project of the early 4th century BC. The wall was up to {{convert|10|m|ft|abbr=off}} in height in places, {{convert|3.6|m|ft|abbr=off}} wide at its base, {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=on}} long,<ref>Fields, Nic; Peter Dennis ''The Walls of Rome'' Osprey Publishing; 2008 {{ISBN|978-1-84603-198-4}} p.10 [https://books.google.com/books?id=SDxrLQymWWwC&dq=height+servian+wall&pg=PA10]{{Dead link|date=November 2023|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> and is believed to have had [[Servian Wall#Gates along the Servian Wall|16 main gates]], though many of these are mentioned only from writings, with no other known remains. Some of it had a ''fossa'' or ditch in front, and an agger behind, and it was enough to deter [[Hannibal]]. Later the [[Aurelian Wall]] replaced it, enclosing an expanded city, and using more sophisticated designs, with small forts at intervals.

The Romans walled major cities and towns in areas they saw as vulnerable, and parts of many walls remain incorporated in later defensive fortifications, as at [[Roman walls of Córdoba|Córdoba]] (2nd century BC), [[Chester city walls|Chester]] (earth and wood in the 70s AD, stone from {{Circa|100}}), and [[York city walls|York]] (from 70s AD). Strategic walls across open country were far rarer, and [[Hadrian's Wall]] (from 122) and the [[Antonine Wall]] (from 142, abandoned only 8 years after completion) are the most significant examples, both on the [[Picts|Pictish]] frontier of [[Roman Britain]].