The Aurelian Walls were a defensive circuit around Rome begun by the emperor Aurelian after Germanic invasions of Italy showed that the city, long without defenses, was vulnerable. About nineteen kilometers long, the walls were built of brick-faced concrete with square towers, and they incorporated existing structures such as the Pyramid of Cestius and the Praetorian camp. They were completed under Probus and later raised and strengthened by Maxentius and Honorius. They defended Rome for centuries, including during the Gothic siege of 537 and 538, and they remain largely standing, among the best-preserved ancient city walls. In 1870 Italian troops breached them near the Porta Pia during the capture of Rome.
Before and after
- 250 CEDeath of Nagarjuna
- from 250 CE to 538 CEKofun period
- from 266 CE to 420 CEJin dynasty
- 271 CEOrigins of Gundeshapur
- 271 CEConstruction of Aurelian Walls
- 27 February 272 CEBirth of Constantine the Great
- 274 CEAurelian reunifies the Roman Empire
- 278 CEDiscovery of 278 Paulina
- from 284 CE to 306 CERoman Tetrarchy
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The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century.