Gelibolu Yarımadası, Trakya'dan Ege Denizi'ne uzanan ve Trakya'ya dar bir berzahla bağlı bir Yarımadadır. Antik çağda tarımsal zenginliği ile ünlü olması ve stratejik bir suyolu üzerinde yer alması nedeniyle sürekli olarak, özellikle de Trakya'dan kaynaklanan istilalara maruz kalmıştır. Dolayısıyla Gelibolu'nun yerli halkları antik çağ boyunca sürekli olarak Yarımada 'yi Trakya 'ya bağlayan berzah üzerinde savunma duvarları inşa etmişlerdir. Arkaik ve Klasik ve Geç Antik çağlarda Trakya 'dan gelebilecek tehlikelere karşı inşa edilen duvarlar, kimi zaman bakımsızlıktan kimi zaman da depremlerden zarar görmüş ve yıkılmıştır. Günümüzde çok az parçası görülebilen duvarlar, geç Bizans dönemine aittirler.

Several defensive walls were built at the neck of Gallipoli Peninsula, or the Thracian Chersonese as it was known in the antiquity. Ca. 565 B.C. Miltiades the Elder, a member of the famous Athenian Philaid family, built a wall from Kardia to Paktye to secure his private dynastea against the Thracian threat. In the last two decades of the sixth century B. C. Darius and his generals conquered Thrace and northern Aegean coast and, established Pax Persica in and around the Chersonese. The wall must have lost its importance during the Persian rule in the area as both Thrace and the Chersonese were under the control of the Persians. At the end of the Persian Wars, Pax Persica received a mortal blow in Thrace and thus Thracian threat against the Chersonese revived again. In 447 B.C. Perikles led WOO settlers to the Chersonese and rebuilt a wall. However, the Athenian withdrawal from the Chersonese and its environs as a result of the end of the Athenian Empire at the end of the Peloponnesian War and policies of Spartan commander Lysander weakened the defense of the Chersonese. In 399 B.C. Spartan Commander Derkyllidas built another wall at the neck of the peninsula. The events of the fourth and the third centuries B.C. demonstrate that the wall was of no use: It failed to stop the repeated invasions of the Odrysian kings, Philip II and the Celts. Strabo and Pliny's reports show that there was a wall near Ortaköy in the Peninsula in the first century A.D. Sources are silent about the wall from then until 400 A. D. The establishment of Byzantion as the new imperial capital in 330 led to the increase of reports about Constantinople and its environs. Thanks to the Byzantine sources that report several earthquakes, invasions, rebellions that occurred in Constantinople and its hinterland, we have much more knowledge on the defenses of the Chersonese. Thus we know that the wall was severely damaged by the earthquakes that took place in 447 and 478. We also know that the Peninsula was invaded in 400, 447 and 540. Sometime between 540 and 559 Justinian rebuilt wall, which successfully stopped Kutrigurs in 559. Although several defensive walls were built at the neck of the Chersonese throughout antiquity, they failed to stop invaders unless there were great powers (Athenians Persian, Spartans, Romans etc.) to protect and defend the Peninsula.