AQUAE SVLIS SSE (1.5) to Combe Down The Roman Baths of Aquae Sulis (Picture Taken in November 2003) Aquae Sulis - The Spa Town of Sul [Minerva] Aquae Calidae - The Spa Town of the Hot Springs The Roman city of Bath was (and still is) known throughout the civilized world, by virtue of it being endowed with an impressive and complex bath-house built around natural hot springs. The baths were dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, and was one of the most sought-after retirement places in Roman Britain, being surrounded by a plethora of country villas and several temples. The spa town was a major focus in the Roman road system and was also served by the sea-port of Abona (Sea Mills) at the mouth of the River Avon. Evidence from the Classical Geographies In the early second century Ptolemy's Geography attributed three towns to the Belgae tribe of Avon and Hampshire, one of which was named Aquae Calidae or 'The Spa Town of the Thermal Springs', which in Britain can be nowhere other than Bath.

Aside from Bath, Ptolemy also mentions the cantonal capital Venta (Winchester, Hampshire) and the unknown town Iscalis. The Antonine Itinerary of the late second century contains an entry in Iter XIV - "an Alternative Route from Caerleon to Silchester" - named Aquis Solis, which again may be undoubtedly equated with Bath. The entry is listed 6 miles from an unidentified station named Traiectus which lies somewhere near Willsbridge in Avon, also 15 miles from Verlucio (Sandy Lane, Wiltshire). By far the most tentative link is contained in the difficult work, the Ravenna Cosmology of the seventh century, which, between the unknown towns Aranus and Melezo lists a town named Anicetis (R&C#35). This entry has been identified with Bath due to altarstone RIB 148 , the text of which contains the name Anicetus and is shown below. The name now commonly accepted for Roman Bath is that quoted in the Antonine Itinerary, Aquae Sulis 'The Spa Town of the goddess Sul'.

The Roman Military at Aquae Sulis There are about half a dozen altarstones dedicated to various gods by men from nearly every Roman legion stationed in Britain, and almost an equal number of tombstones recording their earthly remains. There is, however, but a single inscription which mentions a Roman auxiliary regiment, on the tombstone of a retired cavalryman (RIB 159 infra). The presence of these military men here in a thriving Spa-town, where veteran soldiers and retired statesmen would often come to 'take the waters', cannot be taken as conclusive evidence that Bath was ever occupied by the Roman military. Legio Sextae Victrix - The Sixth Victorious Legion The Sixth Legion is mentioned in three inscriptions on stone recovered from Bath, all of them altarstones; one to the Genio Loci or the Local Spirit, (vide RIB 139 infra), and two altars to Sulis herself (RIB 143 & 144) the texts of which are shown below.

These latter two altars are very interesting as they were both dedicated to the goddess to ensure the health and well-being of a centurion of the Sixth named Marcus Aufidius Maximus, who bears the traditional three names indicative of Roman citizenship. In traditional usage a citizens last name or cognomen was the name by which he was recognised among his peers, in this instance the praenomen Maximus 'The Best', was probably earned during service in the legions and would certainly indicate that this particular centurion was very good at his job. Each stone is dedicated by a freedman of this centurion who keep with ancient Roman tradition by taking the praenomen and gens of their former master, Marcus Aufidius, and retaining their former slave-name as their new cognomen, thus indicating their new standing as Roman citizens by their triple-barrelled names. Under ancient Roman law the grandchildren of these men would be eligable to enter the senatorial class of Rome, the most powerful citizens in the empire, other than the emperor and his family of course.

DEAE SVLI PRO SALVTE ET INCOLVMITATE MAR AVFIDI MAXIMI C LEG VI VIC AVFIDIVS EVTVCHES LEB VSLM DEAE SVLI PRO SALVTE ET INCOLVMITATE AVFIDI MAXIMI C LEG VI VIC M AVFIDIVS LEMNVS LIBERTVS VSLM "To the goddess Sul, for the health and safety of Marcus Aufidius Maximus, centurion of the Sixth Victorious Legion, [Marcus] Aufidius Eutuches [his] freedman willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." "To the goddess Sul, for the health and safety of [Marcus] Aufidius Maximus, centurion of the Sixth Victorious Legion, Marcus Aufidius Lemnus [his] freedman willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (RIB 143; altarstone) (RIB 144; altarstone) These stones present us with the inescapable scenario of a benevolent centurion who granted at least two of his slaves their freedom on the proviso that they would honour their patron goddess Sulis.

They were compelled by their former master's benevolence to take on his own name as demanded by tradition, which in turn, increased the veteran centurion's own standing. The manumission of slaves was formally conducted before the decurions or 'head-honchos' of the local town council, but the slaves of Marcus Aufidius were treated to another more private ceremony, perhaps conducted within the temple/baths complex of the goddess Sulis herself. Legio Secundae Augusta - The Second Augustan Legion DEAE SVLI OB SALVTEM SAC G IAVOLENI SATVRNALIS ...

IMAGINN LEG II AVG L MANIVS DIONISIAS LIBET VSLM "To the goddess Sul, an offering for the well-being of Gaius Javolenus Saturnalis [...] Imaginifer¹ of the Second Augustan Legion, Lucius Manius Dionisias, freedman, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (RIB 147; altarstone) The Second Augustan Legion is represented on two altarstones from Bath; an altar dedicated to Sul Minerva and the 'Spirit of the Emperors' (RIB 146 infra), and another dedicated to Sulis alone (RIB 147 supra). Legio Vicesimae Valeria Victrix - The Twentieth Legion Valiant and Victorious IVLIVS VITA LIS FABRICIESIS LEG XX VV STIPENDIORVM IX ANOR XX IX NATIONE BELGA EX COLEGIOFABRICE ELATVS H S E "Julius Vitalis, Engineer in the Twentieth Legion, Valiant and Victorious, with nine years service, twenty-nine years old, a citizen of the Belgae,¹ formerly of the Elatus² School of Craftsmen.

He lies here." (RIB 156; tombstone) Most likely from the native British Belgae of Avon and Hampshire, in whose canton the spa-town was situated, although possibly of the continental Belgae. See the Belgae . This name is most often associated with Greek men; one of the first Ephori of Sparta, the father of the Argonaut Polyphemus, a king in the army of Priam who was killed by Agamemnon, also one of Penelope's suitors killed by Eumenus. Although all these people bore the requisite name, it seems none are associated with manufacturing. It would appear, then, that our Julius Vitalis was a former apprentice at a Greek college run by an eminent engineer named Elatus, although the whereabouts of this school is as yet unknown. There is a Mount Elatus on the island of Zacynthos in the Ionian Sea.

The Twentieth Legion is represented at Bath only on tombstones, of which there are three; that of a fabriciensis or engineer (RIB 156 supra), of a 'centurion, horseman and soldier' (RIB 158 infra), also one of an emeritus or veteran soldier (RIB 160 etiam infra). DIS MANIBVS M VALERIVS M FIL LATINVS C EQ MIL LEG XX AN XXXV STIPEN XX H S E "To the spirits of the departed and Marcus Valerius Latinus, son of Marcus, centurion, horse-trooper and soldier¹ of the Twentieth Legion Valiant and Victorious, thirty-five years old with twenty years service. He lies here." (RIB 158; tombstone) As is usual for a Roman curriculum vitae the position of highest importance is listed first.

The wording centurio, eques [et] miles implies that this ex-soldier had spent all of his military life in Legio XX Valeria Victrix, starting as an ordinary soldier (miles), progressing into the legionary cavalry as a trooper (eques) - of which there were around one-hundred and twenty per legion - afterwards being promoted to the rank of centurion (centurio). ... SER ANTIGONVS NIC EMERITVS EX LEG XX AN XLV H S E G TIBERINVS HERES F C "[...] Sergius Antigonus, prize-winning¹ veteran of the Twentieth Legion, forty-five years old. He lies here.

Gaius Tiberinus his heir had this made." (RIB 160; tombstone) Legio Secundae Adiutrix Pia Fidelis - The Second 'Assistant' Legion, Loyal and Faithful G MVRRIVS C F ARNIENSIS FORO IVLI MODESTVS MIL LEG II AD P F C IVLI SECVNDI ANN XXV STIP H S E "Gaius Murrius Modestus, son of Gaius, of the Arniensis¹ voting tribe from Forum Julii,² soldier of the Second Legion Adiutrix, Loyal and Faithful, twenty-five years old [who died] in service. He lies here. Gaius Julius Secundus [made this]." (RIB 157; tombstone) Named after the Arnus river of Etruria in north-west Italy, on which the Roman city of Pisae still stands. Possibly Forum Iulii Oxybiorum (Fréjus, between St. Tropez and Cannes on the Côte d'Azur) on the opposite coast of the Sinus Ligusticus from Pisa in nearby Gallia Narbonensis.

However, there is another like-named town, Forum Iulii Italiae in the Alpes Iulii region of Venetia - old Gallia Transpadana - now Azzida north-east of Cividale in the Venezia district of north-eastern Italy. The Second Legion Adiutrix is represented on a single tombstone, that of a miles or common soldier (RIB 157 supra). Tombstone of Tancinus The Vettonian Wing, Citizens of Rome L VITELLIVS MANTAI F TANCINVS CIVES HISP CAVRIESIS EQ ALAE VETTONVM C R ANN XXXXVI STIP XXVI H S E "Lucius Vitellius Tancinus, son of Mantai, a citizen of Spain, from Caurium,¹ a trooper of the Vettonian Wing, Citizens of Rome, forty-six years old with twenty-six years service.

Here he lies." (RIB 159; tombstone; pictured on right) Caurium was a town on the Tagus river in Lusitania, in the southern half of the territory of the Vettones, now known as Coria in the southern Sierra de Gata region of western Spain, close to the Portuguese border. The only evidence uncovered from Bath which mentions the Roman auxiliary forces is a single tombstone of a trooper from the Ala Vettonum (vide RIB 159 supra). This unit was a five-hundred strong regiment of auxiliary cavalry recruited from among the Vettones tribe who lived on the plain between the rivers Tagus and Durius in central Hispania. Their chief town was Salmantica now known as Salamanca in the southern Castilla y Leon district of central Spain, called Salmatis by Polyaenus.

Religion in Roman Bath DEAE SVLI MINERVAE SVLINVS MATVRI FIL VSLM "To the goddess Sul Minerva, Sulinus son of Maturus willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (RIB 150; altarstone) Apart from a dozen or so altars and other inscribed stones dedicated to the patron goddess Sul Minerva which are discussed below , there are five known altars to other pagan deities; an altar or statue base to Diana, the goddess of the hunt (RIB 138), an altar to the Genio Loci or Local Spirit (RIB 139) also one shared with Sul Minerva (RIB 146), an important altar to Loucetious Mars and Nemetona (RIB 140) and an altar repaired and rededicated to the Numen Augusti, the Living Spirit of the Emperor (RIB 152).

Base of Statue or Altar to Diana DEA DIANAE SACRATISSIMA VOTVM SOLVIT VETTIVS BENIGNVS LIB "To the goddess Diana the most holy, Vettius Benignus, freedman, fulfilled his vow." (RIB 138; statue or altar base) Altar to the Genio Loci GENIO LOCI ..IA.N.P ... ...

LEG VI VICTORIANVS V S L L M "To the Spirit of this Place [...] of the Victorious Sixth Legion, gladly, willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (RIB 139; altarstone) Altar to Mars Loucetius and Nemetona PEREGRINVS SECVNDI FIL CIVIS TREVER LOVCETIO MARTI ET NEMETONA VSLM "Peregrinus son of Secundus, a citizen of the Treviri,¹ to Loucetius Mars and Nemetona willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (RIB 140; altarstone) Altar to the Numen Augusti LOCVM RELIGIOSVM PER INSOLENTIAM ERVTVM VIRTVTI ET N AVGVSTI REPVRGATVM REDDIDIT G SEVERIVS EMERITVS C REG "This sacred place, destroyed by the insolent, was cleaned and rededicated to the virtue and the Living Spirit of the Emperor, by Gaius Severius, a retired veteran centurion." (RIB 152; altarstone) DEAE SVLI L MARCIVS MEMOR HARVSP D

 D "To the goddess Sul, Lucius Marcius, a grateful Haruspex,¹ donated out of his devotion." (Burn 82) A Haruspex was a Roman soothsayer who drew omens by consulting the entrails of victims sacrificed to the gods.

The Sul-Minerva Classical Temple Centrepiece of Sul/Minerva Temple Pediment (Picture Courtesy of the Roman Baths Museum) The podium of the Sul-Minerva temple measured about 4 ft. 2 ins. tall, 30 ft. wide and was approximately 50 ft. long (1.27 x 9.14 x 15.2 m). Set upon this base at the front of the temple there were four columns (tetrastyle) spaced roughly 9 ft. apart and reached by a flight of 7 steps. These columns were about 2 ft. 8 ins. in diameter which points to a column height of about 25 ft. The columns around the side of the temple were 'engaged', that is, they were set in contact with the walls of the building. The columns would have supported an achitrave and frieze, but, as none of this architecture has survived the actual height of the feature may only be guessed. Above this, at the front of the temple was a triangular pediment, about 26 ft. wide across the base and 8 ft.

tall at the apex, decorated in the centre with the famous "head of medusa" emblem which has survived. the total height of the temple from its base to the apex of the roof is estimated to have been somewhere in the region of 41 ft. The Sul Minerva Frieze in the Great Bath The most impressive inscriptions from Roman Bath which form the so-called 'Sul Minerva Frieze' (RIB 141a-e infra). This consists of five separate stone panels surrounding the Great Bath, two of which contain identical texts and one of which is completely obliterated. This dual goddess also has two altarstones dedicated to her divinity; separately on one (RIB 150 supra) and shared on another with the Genius Loci or Local Spirit (RIB 146 infra). ... CLAVDIVS LIGVR... ... AE NIMIA VETVSTATE ... ... COLEGIO LONGA SERIA ANNORVM ... ... SVA PECVNIA REFICI ET REPINGI CVRAVIT ... G PROTACIVS ...

DEAE SVLIS MINERVAE "[...] Claudius Ligurius [...] the temple for a very long duration [...]" "[...] the guild for a long succession of years [...] he has administrated the rebuilding and replacement of her property [...]" "Gaius Protacius [...] to the goddess Sul Minerva" RIB 141a RIB 141d Altar to Sul Minerva and the Numinis Augusti DEAE SVLI MIN ET NVMIN AVG G CVRIATIVS SATVRNINVS C LEG II AVG PRO SE SVISQVE VSLM "To the goddess Sul Minerva and the Spirit of the Emperor, Gaius Curiatius Saturninus, centurion of the Second Augustan Legion, for himself and his [family], willingly and deservedly fulfilled his vow." (RIB 146; altarstone) Head of Sul/Minerva Statue from the Baths (Picture Courtesy of the Roman Baths Museum) Sulis is celebrated separately (i.e.

without association with Minerva) on six altarstones (RIB 143, 144, 145, 147, 149 vide supra et infra), including one dedicated by a Haruspex (RIB 178a supra), presumably of her own cult. There is in addition, another altarstone shared with the god Anicetus (RIB 148 infra) and one more dedicated to the goddess in her triple-form Sulevis (RIB 151 infra). Inscription (base) Lapidarius means 'a worker of stone'. A son of Hercules by Hebe, also the name of a notorious freedman advisor of the emperor Nero. In this instance it is possible that Anicetus is the last name or cognomen of the Roman dedicator, but see above . The name probably refers to the goddess Sul in her triple-form. Civilian life in a Roman Spa Town Ironically perhaps, the best concrete indicators of civilian life in many Roman towns are the tombstones of its citizens.

The degree of quality and fineness undertaken in the execution of the tombstone obviously has a direct relation to the wealth of the individual, also the stones themselves often bear inscriptions telling of the social situation of the deceased. A selection of the better civilian tombstone inscriptions from Bath listed in the R.I.B. are shown below. Tombstone of a Sacerdos of Sulis D M G CALPVRNIVS RECEPTVS SACERDOS DEAE SVLIS VIXIT AN LXXV CALPVRNIA TRIFOSA LIBERTA CONIVNX F C "To the spirits of the departed and Gaius Calpurnius Receptus, Sacerdos¹ of the goddess Sulis who lived for seventy-five years, Calpurnia Trifosa his freedwoman and wife, had this made." (RIB 155; tombstone) A Sacerdos was a Roman priest devoted to the worship of a specific deity. In theory, these men came under the direct control of the emperor, who himself held the title Pontifex Maximus or Chief Priest. Memorial Plinth of a Decurion from Gloucester ... DEC COLONIAE GLEV ...

VIXIT AN LXXX VI ... "[...] Decurion¹ of Colonia Glevensis,² [...] who lived for eighty-six years [...]" (RIB 161; plinth) A member of the governing council of a Roman town or city. Gloucester, also known as Glevum , which became a Roman colony for retired veteran soldiers c.97AD. Tombstone of a Toddler Aged 1½ D M MERC... MAGNI L ALVMNA VIXIT AN I M VI D XII "To the spirits of the departed and Merc[urius]? the foster child of Lucius Magnus, who lived one year six months and twelve days." (RIB 162; tombstone) Tombstone of a Fifty-eight-year-old Midwife RVSONIA AVENTINAE C MEDIOMATRIC ANNOR LVIII H S E L VLPIVS SESTIVS H F C "To Rusonia Aventina from the School of Midwives,¹ who lived for fifty-eight years. Here she lies. Lucius Ulpius Sestius her heir had this made." (RIB 163; tombstone) Collegium Mediomatrices.

The Latin name for this - definitely the oldest - profession may be literally translated 'middle-mother'. Tombstone of a Three-year-old Girl D M SVCC PETRONIAE VIX ANN III M IIII D IX VET ROMVLVS ET VICT SABINA FIL KAR FEC "To the spirit of the departed Succa Petronia, who lived for three years four months and nine days, the veteran Romulus¹ and Victoria Sabina, had this made for their most affectionate little daughter.²" (RIB 164; tombstone) I have trouble with this name. The usual word used for an ex-soldier was emeritus which implied one discharged on a military pension after a full term of service, not Veteranus which was used to indicate former service, but not necessarily in the military. The girls father does not have the three names indicative of Roman citizenship, indeed, he apparently possessed only one, and a very pretentious one at that. The name Romulus is perhaps a stage name, and in view of this I am given to believe that he may have been a retired gladiator or perhaps an actor.

The letters FIL KAR have been expanded to filiola carissima or 'dearest/sweetest little daughter', purely in view of her age. Tombstone of a Thirty-year-old Woman VIBIA IVCVNDA AN XXX HIC SEPVLTA EST "Vibia Jucunda, thirty years old, lies buried here." (RIB 165; tombstone) See: The Romans in Britain - An Anthology of Inscriptions by A.R. Burn (Blackwell, Oxford, 1969); Temples in Roman Britain by M.J.T. Lewis (Cambridge 1966); The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965). All English translations, including any inherent mistakes, are my own. This page was last modified: 27/1/2016 Aquae Sulis Aquae Sulis Guest Book Page The Baths At Aquae Sulis The Roman city of Bath was (and still is) known throughout the civilized world, by virtue of it being endowed with an impressive and complex bath-house built around natural hot springs.

The baths were dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, and was one of the most sought-after retirement places in Roman Britain, being surrounded by a plethora of country villas and several temples. The spa town was a major focus in the Roman road system and was also served by the sea-port of Abona (Sea Mills) at the mouth of the River Avon. The Roman Military There are about half a dozen altarstones dedicated to various gods by men from nearly every Roman legion stationed in Britain, and almost an equal number of tombstones recording their earthly remains. There is, however, but a single inscription which mentions a Roman auxiliary regiment, on the tombstone of a retired cavalryman. The presence of these military men here in a thriving Spa-town, where veteran soldiers and retired statesmen would often come to 'take the waters', cannot be taken as conclusive evidence that Bath was ever occupied by the Roman military. The Roman Baths of Aquae Sulis (Picture Taken in November 2003) The Sacred Fountain The Sacred Spring lies at the very heart of the ancient monument. Water rises here at the rate of over a million litres a day and at a temperature of 460C.

The Spring rises within the courtyard of the Temple of Sulis Minerva and water from it feeds the Roman baths. There is some slight evidence, an earthen bank projecting into the Spring, that suggests it was already a focal point for worship before the Roman Temple and baths were built. Roman engineers surrounded the Spring with an irregular stone chamber lined with lead. To provide a stable foundation for this they drove oak piles into the mud. At first this reservoir formed an open pool in a corner of the Temple courtyard but in the second century AD it was enclosed within a barrel vaulted building and columns and statue bases were placed in the Spring itself. Enclosing the Spring in a dimly lit building in this way and erecting statues and columns within it must have enhanced the aura of mystery that surrounded it. Offerings were thrown into the Spring throughout the Roman period. Eventually the vaulted building collapsed into the Spring itself. We do not know when this was, but it is likely to have been in the sixth or seventh century. The oak piles sunk into the mud two thousand years ago continue to provide a stable foundation for the Roman reservoir walls today.

The Roman Temple At Bath The Temple at Bath was built in a classical style and is unusual in Britain as only one other truly classical temple â€“ the temple of Claudius at Colchester â€“ is known. It dates to the later first century AD. The Bath Temple stood on a podium more than two metres above the surrounding courtyard. It was approached by a flight of steps. As one approached it there were four large, fluted Corinthian columns supporting a frieze and decorated pediment above. Behind the columns was a large door to the cella where the cult statue of the goddess was kept. This room would have been dimly lit without windows, with the only light coming through the doorway and from the Temple fire burning before the cult statue. In the later second century the Temple was modified by the addition of small side chapels and the construction of an ambulatory around it. This change moved away from the simple classical style as first built and turned the Temple into something more akin to other Romano â€“ Celtic temples from Roman Britain. These changes coincided with the enclosure of the sacred Spring within a new building and may reflect a change in ritual practice at the site. The Temple remained a focal point for worship until late in the fourth century AD.

As Christianity gathered strength the old pagan religion was marginalised and in 391 AD the Emperor Theodosius ordered the closure of pagan temples throughout the Empire. The Temple fell into a state of disrepair and eventually collapsed. Some of the carved stones from the pediment were re-used as paving slabs in the courtyard and their chance survival has helped us build a picture of one of Roman Britain’s most remarkable religious buildings. The Sacred Spring Saxon Bath: Aquae Sulis to Aquaemann Georgian Aquï¿½ Sulis to Aquï¿½mann In the late Roman period Christianity perhaps made little headway in Aquï¿½ Sulis (Bath), where the worship of Sulis Minerva was an integral part of its function as a spa. A fourth-century curse tablet thrown into the Sacred Spring provides evidence of divided loyalties. The writer, Annianus, asks the Lady Goddess to retrieve six silver coins from whoever stole them, whether pagan or Christian . Only a Christian would use such terminology. (Pagans did not refer to themselves as such.) Yet Annianus did not shrink from invoking the power of Sulis.( 1 ) If he attended a local church, it would probably have been outside the city walls.

Sites for the churches of this new religion generally had to be found on the edges of towns, rather than the established centre. Those with cemeteries needed to be outside the city walls to comply with Roman law.( 2 ) So the churches of St Michael in Broad Street and St Swithin in Walcot are possible sites.( 3 ) Although St Swithin suggests a Saxon origin, in fact the medieval church at Walcot was dedicated to All Saints.( 4 ) Many pagan temples in Britain seem to have come to an abrupt end around 410.( 5 ) Christian militancy was raging across the empire. Impatient with gradual conversion, militants destroyed temples and cult images. The failure of the pagan gods to wreak a terrible revenge undermined the whole pagan belief system. Who would worship a broken idol? At Uley in the Cotswolds the head of the cult image was hacked off and buried.( 6 ) In Bath the head of Minerva seems to have been given much the same treatment. Also her temple faï¿½ades were dismantled and parts turned face down as paving slabs, although the precise date of all this damage is unknown.( 7 ) The Cross Bath could also have been a target.

Two Roman carved stones were found tumbled into its spring. One was dedicated to Sulis Minerva, while the other bore scenes linked with ï¿½sculapius.( 8 ) Uley is one of two pagan temples within a twenty-mile radius of Bath which were replaced by Christian religious sites.( 9 ) So did a church spring up amid the ruins of the temple of Minerva? The medieval church of St Mary of Stalls was built on the site of the temple precinct and apparently on the same alignment, but the earliest burials in its cemetery are late Saxon.( 10 ) So was a companion temple taken over by Christians? A Roman circular temple probably stood on or near the site of the present Abbey Church.( 11 ) An early church beneath the present one is an attractive possibility. However there would be no compelling reason to convert a temple site if a more suitable building was available nearby. Unlike Roman temples, which were entered only by priests, churches needed to house a congregation. A basilica (assembly-hall) was ideal for the purpose. The name Aquï¿½ Sulis could have become an embarrassment in the Christian era.

A religiously neutral name would be Aquï¿½mann, simply adding the Old Welsh mann (place) to the familiar aquï¿½.( 12 ) There is no contemporary evidence of a name-change, but the name occurs centuries later in a suggestive context. Achamanni and Aquamania for Bath suddenly appear in charters of Edgar from 965 to 972,( 13 ) and are never used in later charters. Anglo-Saxon versions occur in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in one place only - the description of the coronation of Edgar in 973. He was crowned in the ancient borough of Acemannes ceastre - the men of this island call it by another name - Bathan . ï¿½thelweard, a kinsman and contemporary of Edgar, translated this as: in the city called Akimannis castrum by men of old, and by others Bathum for its boiling waters .( 14 ) So Aquï¿½mann appears to be an antiquarian rediscovery favoured by Edgar. Since this had not regained general currency, the chroniclers felt obliged to explain which town was meant.

Such a brief and literary revival is unlikely to explain the name Akeman Street for the road to Bath from St Albans.( 15 ) Presumably this road name was adopted in the early Saxon period, while lowland Britain was Anglo-Saxon, but Bath remained British. Christian ire was not directed against the baths themselves. After the destruction of the temple faï¿½ades, the inner temple precinct was repaved and its gateway replaced by a new building, presumably to permit access to the Sacred Spring. It continued in use well into the fifth century and perhaps beyond.( 16 ) The Sacred Spring fed a grand and sophisticated bathing complex. How much of this survived? In a Welsh compilation of the early ninth century, drawn from earlier British sources, 'The hot pool in the country of the Hwicce' was listed among the wonders of Britain: It is surrounded by a wall, made of brick and stone, and men may go there to bathe at any time, and every man may have the kind of bath he likes.

If he wants, it will be a cold bath; if he wants a hot bath, it will be hot.( 17 ) It sounds as though the Roman baths were still in use when this was first written. The Romans liked to finish bathing with a cold plunge, so there were both hot and cold pools in the complex. The main spring was indeed surrounded by a wall of brick and stone; the masonry wall had tile bonding courses, characteristic of Roman construction.( 18 ) But so grand a spa could only be sustained by a stream of paying visitors, the product of a wealthy society. The first decades of British independence seem to have brought an upturn in the economy. The imperial tax burden was a thing of the past.( 19 ) But in the decline that followed, Bath would have suffered. Eventually the great baths would have to give way to a more modest spa, operating amid the ruins of once-great buildings. The bustle of shops, workshops and entertainment would cease. Bath would be pared down to its primary function. Notes R.S.O.Tomlin, 'Voices from the Sacred Spring', Bath History Vol. 1, p.73 and fig.4.

F.Weaver ed., The Uley Shrines: excavation of a ritual complex on West Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire 1977-79 (1993), pp.70-1, 321. The Temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath Vol.1: The Site (Oxford, 1985), pp.68-75, 114. J.Manco, 'The Cross Bath', Bath History Vol. 2 (1988), pp.49-50. At that date the cross had not supplanted the chi-rho as the dominant symbol of Christianity, so the first cross from which the bath took its name must have been erected later. Woodward and Leach; R.Leech, 'The excavation on Lamyatt Beacon, Somerset', Britannia Cunliffe and Davenport, pp.100, 118, figs. 118, 121. Cunliffe and Davenport, p.179.

Two Chartularies of the Priory of St Peter at Bath , Somerset Record Society (SRS), Vol.7 (1893), chartulary.1, nos.23-24 catalogued by P.H.Sawyer, Anglo-Saxon Charters: an annotated list and bibliography (1968), nos.735, 785; W. de Gray Birch, Cartularium Saxonicum Vol.3 (1899), no.1185 (Sawyer no.808). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ed. A. Campbell (1962), p.55. A.Mawer and F.M.Stenton, The Place-names of Bedfordshire and Huntingdonshire , English Place- name Society Vol.3 (1926), pp.1-2. Cunliffe and Davenport, pp.68-75. J.Morris ed. and trans., Nennius (1980), pp.40, 81; present author's translation.

The fact that 'Nennius' places Bath in the country of the Hwicce may simply be his own clarification for a ninth-century audience and so cannot be taken as firmly dating the original after c.600. B.Cunliffe, 'The earth's grip holds them' in B.Hartley and J.Wacher (eds), Rome and her Northern Provinces (Gloucester, 1983), p.79; B.Cunliffe, Bath Bath The hot springs of the Roman temple of Aquae Sulis and the Abbey of Bath, England Archaeological excavations have revealed that the human use of the hot mineral springs at Bath began at least 10,000 years ago and have continued to the present times. First frequented by Neolithic hunter-gatherer tribes, the springs were later venerated as sacred by Celtic, Roman, and Christian peoples. The Celts, who arrived in England around 700 BC, erected what are believed to be the first shrine structures at the springs. Dedicated to Sulis, a goddess of water, the shrine was a religious center for much of southwestern England.

Soon after the arrival of the Romans in England in 43 AD, the Celtic shrine was taken over and the goddess Sulis was identified with the Roman goddess Minerva as a healing deity. Beginning sometime around 65 AD, and continuing for nearly four centuries, the Romans constructed increasingly elaborate bathing and temple complexes at the springs. The main spring, bubbling out of the ground at a rate of a quarter of a million gallons per day and maintaining a constant temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Centigrade) was however, far more than just a source of hot water to the Romans. It was a sacred place where mortals could communicate with deities of the underworld and seek the assistance of the goddess Sulis-Minerva, and also the god of healing, Asclepius. Archaeological excavations in the bottom of the spring have brought to light a remarkable collection of sacred votive offerings thrown by worshippers into the waters. Also from the spring's bottom, over 12,000 coins - spanning the entire Roman period - have revealed that the behavior of throwing coins into a spring to the accompaniment of a wish is a universal and ancient human behavior.

The numerous bathing pools were fed with a constant flow of water delivered by lead pipes which still function today, and the largest bath was lined with 42 great sheets of lead whose combined weight exceeded 8 and 1/2 tons. This great healing shrine of Aquae Sulis was not to last however. Following the departure of the Roman legions from Britain early in the fifth century AD, the city and its splendid temples and baths swiftly fell into decline. Over time the baths were covered by the relentless silting of the spring and only the fallen temple of Sulis-Minerva marked the ancient sacred site. Yet the town was not abandoned. Rather it continued to grow and by the seventh century the first Christian structure had been established upon the ruins of the Roman temple. For the next twelve hundred years a succession of churches rose and fell upon the hallowed ground with the currently standing abbey having been constructed between 1499 and the mid 17th century. The hot springs, while never again receiving architectural development equal to that of the Romans, were continuously used throughout the medieval period.

By the beginning of the 1600's the springs had begun to attract royal and aristocratic families intent on 'taking the cure', and by the 1720's Bath was on the way to becoming a highly fashionable spa. With this rise in popularity of the springs and a concurrent need for more bathing and housing facilities, construction excavations were begun which resulted in the discovery of the ancient Roman foundations. Archaeological excavations have continued to the present day and the city of Bath now boasts a Roman monument unparalleled in north-western Europe. Scientific study of the waters of Bath spring have revealed the presence of 43 different minerals including iron, magnesium, potassium, copper and radium. The prehistoric, Roman and early Christian people using the springs had no (known) way of determining the nature of these minerals yet none the less the springs have been venerated as a healing site since time immemorial. Astute readers will recognize in this matter another indication of the extraordinary (and little understood) energetic resonance between humans and the earth.

The Roman Baths in England and the History of Steambathing The Roman Baths in England and the History of Steambathing Wed, Jun 04, 2014 / Hello MrSteam Steam Bathing: A Journey through the Ages continues with part 6, an exploration of the Roman Baths in England. If you are new to this series, be sure to check out Steam Bathing: A Journey Through the Ages , which introduces the journey, Steam Bathing History With the Ancient Greeks and Romans , the Sweat Lodges and Temazcals of the Native Americans , Steam Bathing in the Onsen and Sento of Japan and The Turkish Hamam and the History of Steam Bathing . Welcome to the Roman Baths in Bath, England Jane Austen, sad to say, was not a fan of the city of Bath . Her heroines adopted her distaste, particularly in her last novel, Persuasion, where Anne Elliot dreads her stay in that Georgian resort. (Pictured above, Royal Crescent, Bath, England .) The rest of Georgian society disagreed with Austen, particularly George III, who, as Prince Regent, rediscovered Bath, inviting renowned architects to create a beautiful town complete with neoclassical Palladian buildings.

Following their prince, Bath became a fashionable haunt, frequented by high society. Celts Dedicated Bath Hot Springs to Goddess Sulis Long before 18th Century society claimed Bath as its own reinvention, the Britons or Celtic People had already dedicated the hot springs at Bath to the goddess Sul or Sulis . The legend of how Bath was founded begins with Bladud, the eldest son of King Lud, who contracted leprosy. He was exiled from court and became a pig farmer. One day, he noticed that his pigs, which had scurvy, were rolling in the hot mud created by a hot spring with abundant water. The pigs were cured, and Bladud became intrigued. He immersed himself in the hot mud, cured his leprosy and was able to return to court, in time becoming king. So he built a temple by the spring, founding the city of Bath. Roman Baths in Bath Spa, England - 2006 from Wikipedia The spring Bladud discovered is a remarkable phenomena – water at a temperature of 860 degrees Fahrenheit which has risen daily at the rate of 240,000 gallons for centuries.

It’s certainly understandable that the Celts attributed such a wonder to the gods. Their priests, or Dobunni, dedicated the site to the goddess Sulis, the keeper of the Underworld gateway, praying to her in a druid’s grove by the spring. The Celts believed that deities and ancestors could be approached through major gateways such as the Bath hot spring. The Celtic Dobunni guarded this most sacred site with five hillforts which dominated the hot spring from their surroundings. Most distinguished are the Celtic forts at Lansdown and Solsbury Hill. Romans Transform Aquae Sulis into Major Bathing Complex When the Romans conquered the Celts, they appropriated the sacred spring for their goddess, Minerva. But the name Sulis stuck, so the town became known as Aquae Sulis. With their predisposition towards massive baths, it was natural for the Romans to create a major bathing complex in the town. The mineral-rich hot waters became a major tourist attraction for their healing properties (yes, even in 75 AD!), and visitors came from all over the Empire. Today, visitors to the site come to see the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple and the Roman bath house.

The Sacred Spring, surrounded by an 18th Century building, now spills into the King’s Bath, a pool so named during the 12th Century. The Temple of Sulis Minerva is one of two classical temples that had survived from Roman times, the second being the temple of Claudius at Colchester. The temple was used for worship until late in the fourth century AD, when Christianity gained ground in pagan Britain. Emperor Theodosius ordered it closed in 391 AD, and it eventually collapsed. The ornamental pediment survived and was re-erected in the Roman Baths Museum . It includes the Gorgon’s head, probably sculpted by craftsmen from Gaul, in the first century AD. The pediment, supported originally by four fluted columns, featured marble allusions including Tritons, a dolphin’s head helmet, and a small owl. This collection of images have been discussed by scholars over the centuries, attributing them to the worship of deities such as Minerva or the British water god Oceanus. The Roman bath is a pool lined with 45 thick sheets of lead, 1.6 meters deep. Bathers would climb down four steep steps on all sides.

The Romans, whose engineering prowess was noted in the second blog post in this series , drove oak piles into the mud to create a stable foundation. At first, this was an open pool, but in the second century AD the pool was enclosed within a barrel-vaulted structure, including columns and statue bases in the pool itself. In the center of the pool was a fountain fed by spring water, as well as a large slab of stone, known as the diving stone. During the 18th Century, public buildings well known to Jane Austen such as the Assembly Rooms and the Pump Room were added. You can still drink the spring waters from the Pump Room, although all reports say that the hot mineral waters taste awful. Today coffee, lunch and tea are also offered there, often accompanied by music from the Pump Room Trio. Steambathing Today in Bath, England While you cannot bathe in the original waters, which have become contaminated by the lead pipes installed by the Romans, Bath offers the Thermae Bath Spa , where you can enjoy Britain's only natural thermal waters, just as the Celts and Romans did over 2,000 years ago.

With its outdoor rooftop and indoor pools, aroma steam rooms, spa treatments and packages, and dozens of amenities, it becomes a royal experience in this most regal of spa resorts. What's Next in the Steam Bathing Journey through the Ages? The next step in this series about the history of steam bathing takes us to Russia to explore the banya. Do skoroy vstrechi for now! Escape to the Cotswolds : The Romans Website: Cirencester Amphitheatre - The grass covered outline of a large amphitheatre built in the late 1st century AD on the edge of Roman Corinium can still be seen today. Website: Roman Cotswolds - Evidence of Roman settlements from the 1st to the 4th centuries can be found throughout the Cotswolds. Cirencester (Corinium) was the provincial capital and second largest city in Roman Britain; Bath (Aquae Sulis) grew up around the naturally hot Sacred Spring, which fed the great bathing complex; and Gloucester (Glevum) was a military base. To supply their army, the Romans constructed a network of remarkably straight roads, which later became busy commercial highways.

Many of our modern roads still follow the line taken by Roman engineers nearly 2,000 years ago. Cirencester was a major transport hub in Roman times, situated at the intersection of the Fosse Way from Bath to Lincoln (now the A433 and A429), the Ermin Way northwest to Gloucester (A417) and south towards Silchester and Winchester (A419), and Akerman Street east towards present day Oxfordshire (B4425). The Cotswold towns of Tetbury, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the Wold and Moreton in Marsh were all situated close to the Fosse Way. Archaeologists have unearthed a number of villas in the region, of which Chedworth is particularly outstanding. Corinium Museum - Leave the 21st century behind you and discover the treasures of the Cotswolds as you explore its history. This award winning museum is home to one of the largest collections of Romano-British antiquities extensively from Corinium, Roman Britain's second largest city. Be amazed be the work of Prehistoric metal smiths. Marvel at the Roman mosaics.

Peek through the window of a Roman Town House. Come face to face with the Anglo Saxons and their buried treasures. Admire Medieval sculpture, Civil War coin hoards and the elegance of Victorian Cirencester. An inspiring and interactive experience for everyone. Special events and exhibitions take place through out the year; check out the museum’s website for details. NEW FOR 2013: Download our Roman Cirencester App for an interactive guided tour of the town and an enhanced tour of the museum. Available from all app stores. Address: Corinium Museum, Park Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 2BX Website: . Great Witcombe Roman Villa - The remains of a large Roman villa lie in Witcombe Park, close to the Cotswold Way, 6 miles (10 km) southeast of Gloucester. Website: Roman Baths - Beneath the modern-day city of Bath are the well-preserved remains of the Roman spa town of Aquae Sulis. The Great Bath attracted visitors from across the Roman Empire and continues to this day to be fed by naturally hot, mineral rich water from the Sacred Spring.

Address: Roman Baths, Pump Room, Stall Street, Bath Telephone: 01225 477785 Website: Roman Pavement - A reconstruction of the Great Orpheus Roman Pavement is on display in the grounds of Prinknash Abbey. The original pavement, built around AD 325, is buried in a churchyard in Woodchester. Address: Prinknash Abbey, Cranham, Gloucestershire Telephone: 01452 812066 British Goddesses - The Goddess - The White Goddess Little is known of Coventina other than that she was a purely local British goddess of some importance. Arnemetia was a Romano-Celtic water goddess whose 'Sacred Grove' was at Buxton Springs in England. British Goddesses - The Goddess - The White Goddess Home ï¿½ The Goddess ï¿½ British Goddesses British Goddesses Coventina Little is known of Coventina other than that she was a purely local British goddess of some importance. She is best observed from the period of the Roman occupation, at which time she shows a classical influence but is clearly Celtic in origin.

On one bas relief found at Carrawburgh (near Hadrian's Wall) her name is associated with three nymphs holding vessels with issuing streams of water; on another she is pictured as a water nymph on a leaf, pouring water from a vessel. It is known that she was looked upon as the queen of river Goddesses, particularly of the watershed where the Celtic believe the power of the river deity could be seen and its energy most keenly felt. She was most closely associated with England's Caldew River. Like other river deities, she represented abundance, inspiration, and prophecy. The coins offered to her appear to be sacrifices made in the hopes of sympathetic magic in which like attracts like. In Scotland she was also the Goddess of featherless flying creatures which may have represented some type of blockage to passing into the Otherworld. There is also evidence of her having been worshipped in Celtic Gaul where reliefs have been found depicting her reclining on a floating leaf. She apparently had high status, and is referred to in inscriptions as "Augusta" and "Sancta." Coventina is usually portrayed as a water nymph, naked and reclining on lapping waves.

She holds a water lily, and in one depiction is shown in triplicate pouring water from a beaker. Arnemetia Arnemetia was a Romano-Celtic water goddess whose 'Sacred Grove' was at Buxton Springs in England. It is thought that the Corieltauvi worshipped Arnemetia 'she who dwells at the sacred grove' long before the Roman Period. Here on the valley floor where two springs close together, and those who drank of her waters were cured of wasting disease and sickness. St Anne's Well, Buxton For many centuries a healing spring was known at Buxton, attracting many people anxious to partake of its healing waters. Prior to the Reformation it had been a pilgrim shrine; however the healing spring was sacred long before the coming of Christianity. When the Romans arrived in Derbyshire, in search of silver and lead, they found a sacred spring that had probably been used by many generations of native Britons prior to the coming of Rome.

Aquae Arnemetiae - "The Spa-Town of the Sacred Groves" The earliest settlements in the Buxton area date to the Mesolithic Period around 5300BC, during the Neolithic Period (3500-1800 BC) numerous monuments were built such as the henges at Arbor Low and Bull Ring. Bronze age stone circles and burial cairns can be still seen on Stanton Moor, and Iron age settlements can be found at Castle Naze and Mam Tor. Around 70AD the Romans arrived founding 'Aquae Arnemetiae', the site was important enough for the Romans to use the name 'Aquae' on only two towns in Britain the other being Aquae Sulis (Bath). The Latin name for Buxton was 'Aquae Arnemetiae', literally meaning the 'Waters of Arnemetia', indicating that the site had long sacred to a local goddess Arnemetia. The prefix aquae means 'of the waters', and was used by the Romans to denote natural spa's or springs, perhaps the most famous being Aquae Sulis, now modern Bath.

The second part of the name is associated with the Celtic word 'Nemeton or 'Sacred Grove', which here is used in its plural form. Arnemetia was a local river goddess; her name consists of two parts ar(e), meaning, 'in front of', and nemeton, 'a grove'. Thus Aquae Arnemetiae can be said to mean 'the Water of She who dwelt against the Sacred Grove'. We can assume from the Celtic origins of the Roman name for Buxton that the natural springs here represented a religious centre of some considerable importance. The Nemeton Grove of Arnemetia The only evidence for a temple to this deity is a solidly-built Podium of well-dressed stone with a packed clay infill which was investigated in 1787. This platform measured 22½ ft. wide by 46 ft. in length, and stood about 4 ft. in height. Iron nails and roofing tiles suggest that the superstructure was of timber. The suspected temple was oriented north-south and faced the Roman baths at St Anne's Well about 80 ft. away. Magical Times Magazine

Question: What English spa town was known to the Romans as Aquae Sulis?
Answer: Bath