Aquae Sulis | Sue Vincent's Daily Echo Sue Vincent's Daily Echo Posted on February 17, 2016 by Sue Vincent Aquae Sulis… the waters of the Sulis… that was the Roman name for the city of Bath. It is easy to understand why when, since time immemorial, a hot and mineral-rich spring has welled from the ground; the only hot spring in Britain. We didn’t visit properly this time, though I have in the past, but we did see the King’s Pool with its statue of Bladud and the strange stone chair that juts out from the wall over the steaming pool, that was the designated seat of the Master of the Baths. You can no longer bathe in the waters here as was once the custom, largely because the water is still chanelled through the old Roman pipework made of lead. That is something of a marvel in itself, as the Romans first stared building the temple here, with the sacrd spring at its heart, around 60AD and added to the complex over the nest 300 years. Even so, what remains is over seventeen hundred years old and a fine indication of the glories of a Roman bath house.

Close by, however, there are facilities to both drink and bathe in the waters, long considered therapeutic, with the water now flowing through modern plumbing. The spring and baths are hidden behind and below the elegant facade of a later era. Bath rose to popularity many times over the centuries, becoming a fashionable watering place or spa town and each era has left its mark. Yet the spring is older by far than those whose stones and mortar now enclose it. There was already a shrine to the Celtic goddess Sulis at the spring, long before the Romans came. From the many offerings and inscribed tablets found here, it would seem that she was seen as a healing and nurturing mother-goddess, while her name suggests some connection with the eye or the sun. Perhaps there was something of both… the two go together, and perhaps too we can imagine that there might have been seers at the Sacred Spring… those who see by a different light than that of the physical sun. Sulis-Minerva.

Image: Rodw Instead of ousting Sulis when they came and replacing her with a Roman deity, the Romans saw her as Sulis-Minerva and added wisdom to her gifts… or recognised, perhaps, that her nature was similar to that of their own goddess. A beautiful gilded bronze bust was found in 1727 depicting the the Romano-British deity. On the front of the Roman temple was the huge plaque now described as a Gorgon because of the entwined snakes of his hair and beard. I am no scholar, but all the Gorgons I know about were female… and they didn’t look quite so solar…or have wings in their hair…He looks solar to me, or perhaps combines all the elements of earth, air, fire and water in the symbol. In fact, if I wasn’t going to opt for a solar deity, then rather than a Gorgon, I’d say he looks more like our Green Man. The dubious Gorgon. Image: Rodw Or maybe he is at least partly responsible for the legends surrounding Bladud, the legendary King of the Britons.

Bladud, whose name may come from the Welsh for ‘wolf-lord’, has left no trace in history and may never have existed before Geoffrey of Monmouth’s truly fabulous Historia Regum Britanniae, where he is named as the father of King Lear. Amongst other feats, he is said to have been the founder of Bath and, by magical arts, raised the temple, dedicating the healing waters of the spring to Minerva and supplying it with an ever-burning flame because of his pigs. The legend tells that Bladud had contracted leprosy whilst studying in Athens and was exiled from the court on his return home. He took up a position as a swineherd and noticed that the pigs who rolled in the warm, black mud suffered no skin diseases. Doing likewise, he was cured of the leprosy and restored to his position as future king. He died when the wings he had made for himself with his arcane arts failed… Earth, air fire and water…and wings… Sounds awfully like the Gorgon. While Bladud may be no more than a myth, there is plenty of real and tangible history here, from the Roman structure itself, to the statuary, the mosaic floors and the finds.

Over 130 curse tablets have been found, largely invoking the wrath of the goddess against thieves operating in the bath-house. Sherds of fine Samian ware, an expensive commodity, small metal ladles used for the sacred water, gemstones with fine intaglio carvings and what is described as ‘a strange tin mask’ found in the Roma drain. Perhaps the biggest find of all, though…apart from an incredible hoard of coins… is something intangible. One of the curse tablets is written in a language found nowhere else…and may be the only surviving example of the Brythonic tongue. For all the answers the archaeologists and historians have been able to find through studying the changing yet changeless history of the sacred spring, increasing our understanding of times and cultures long gone, we are still no closer to knowing the mind of the first men to see the spring as a gift from the Mother and we will never know what made them build the first shrine. It is easy to say that a hot spring is unusual and would be seen as sacred anyway… but that does not answer the question… who was that man..or woman… what happened to make them feel they had been touched by the goddess… and what was their story?

Aquae Sulis: The Epitome of Roman Syncretization with the Celts | Ancient Origins 12 January, 2015 - 11:06 Ryan Stone Aquae Sulis: The Epitome of Roman Syncretization with the Celts (Read the article on one page) The Roman bath system was one of the most intricate and complex of the ancient world. Composed of various rooms for mental and physical cleansing, the Roman baths were more than a source of hygiene; they were an important source of culture as well. The Aquae Sulis became one of the largest and most renowned Roman baths in Britain, and is considered today the highlight of the Roman syncretization of the Celtic tribes as well as the highlight of the Roman bath system outside the city of Rome. Located in the modern town of Bath in Somerset, England, the Aquae Sulis rose as one of the largest and most sought out Roman baths outside the Italian peninsula. Dedicated to the goddess Sul or Sulis, the Aquae Sulis represents the blending of both the Roman religion and culture with the religion and culture of the Celts.

At this site Sulis, a goddess of water, healing, and fertility, was fused with Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, battle strategy, and in some accounts health as well. Prior to Minerva's arrival however, Sulis was revered by the Celts at the site of Aquae Sulis because its hot springs provided natural rejuvenating properties that convinced many Celts that this was a place of directly linked to the goddess. Statue of the goddess Minerva in Old Town, Heidelberg, Germany. Source: BigStockPhoto Use of the hot spring appears to have begun about 10,000 years ago according to what few archaeological records have survived following the Romanization of the region. It seemed the Celts arrived around 700 BCE and believed that the spring was one of the many pathways to the Otherworld—assumed because there was no perceptible source for its heat. They began erecting shrines to their deity Sulis soon after, viewing this as a place where they could speak and communicate directly with the goddess herself.

It is unknown exactly how this area was used by the Celts, as their lack of written records prevents a full understanding of the specifics of their healing practices, but there is archaeological evidence that it was not uncommon to present curse requests to the goddess here as well. However, by 43 CE the Celtic purpose of the spring became obsolete as the Romans took an interest in the area and began preparations to take possession of it for the syncretization process. A Roman curse tablet found in Bath, England. Credit: Roman Baths When the Romans came to modern day Bath, they saw the hot spring as a way to appropriate the Celtic people into the culture of the Empire. As it was already a popular place that was religiously beloved by the Celts, there was ample opportunity to transform it into a place that suited Roman culture. Adapting such native traditions for the advancement of the Empire was a clever tactic the Romans employed everywhere they attempted to conquer. Transforming the hot spring into a proper Roman bath complex provided the Romans with a way to take over an extremely important Celtic location without completely destroying it and causing an uprising from the locals. The most important aspect that first had to be rectified, however, was the site's dedication to the Celtic Sulis.

Their method of getting around this, which would also serve to introduce the Celts to their own religious pantheon, the Romans chose one of their goddesses to merge with Sulis. And so, the goddess Sulis Minerva was born. What is interesting is that Sulis is one of the few Celtic female goddesses to have been fully syncretized with a Roman goddess. Generally the syncretization process happens with Celtic male gods, as was the case of Lenus Mars, with the females crossing over most often as merely the wife of a Roman god. Lenus was a god of healing in the Celtic pantheon. He was merged with Mars despite the fact that the Roman god was considered a war god. In the Gallo-Roman faith, Lenus Mars became a healer of infected wounds, fighting the disease rather than a war. Sulis is the exception to this rule, most clearly evidenced by the solid bronze head of a statue of Sulis Minerva remaining from a temple erected to her at the bathing complex. As the Celts did not depict their gods or goddesses in human form, the Romans gave Sulis the same face as Minerva, blending their attributes so one became identified with the other at Aquae Sulis.

Sulis also became a goddess of wisdom for the Celts, adopting one of Minerva's primary affiliations, just as the spring itself came to adopt Roman ideals by its expansive healing nature. Beyond the Baths: Aquae Sulis Beyond the Baths Welcome to the Roman Baths Blog! This blog is a behind the scenes look at the Roman Baths in Bath. We hope you enjoy reading our stories about life surrounding the Roman Baths. Tuesday, 2 November 2010 Aquae Sulis Aquae Sulis is the Roman name for Bath. Many people mistakenly think that it is the name for the baths themselves, but it is actually the name of the Roman settlement which became Bath. The name ‘Bath’ dates to the 6th century. The city of Bath has been continuously occupied since Roman times, although the area had been lived in long before that. In the Saxon period the place name was first Aquaemann, which was a name designed to not be associated with a religion (as Aquae Sulis was associated with the Celtic and Roman religions as Sulis was a Celtic goddess and Minerva a Roman goddess). Mann was an Old Welsh word meaning place, so the new name meant 'place of the waters'.

However, Bath was also known by the Saxons as Akemannceaster, which references the healing powers of the waters, and 'Hat Bathu'. The modern version of the Saxon name, Bath, evolved from the latter. As you can see, Bath has had many names throughout the ages, but it has been a constant presence, mostly due to its natural hot springs, which throughout history have been said to have healing powers. However, the city itself began as Aquae Sulis. The Sacred Waters and Baths in Aquae Sulis Much of Aquae Sulis, or Roman Bath, was destroyed (while in ruins) by King Alfred the Great and his son who reorganised Bath and provided it with a new street layout. The Baths and Temples of Aquae Sulis Aquae Sulis translates as ‘the waters of Sulis,’ so you can see why many people make the mistake of thinking it refers to the baths.

Katrina Elizabeth Aquae Sulis Hotel, Bath, UK - Booking.com Aquae Sulis Hotel Aquae Sulis Hotel 174 - 176 Newbridge Road, Bath, BA1 3LE, United Kingdom – Great location - show map After booking, all of the property’s details, including telephone and address, are provided in your booking confirmation and your account. Lock in a great price for Aquae Sulis Hotel – rated 8.8 by recent guests! Enter dates Excellent 8.8 /10 Score from 711 reviews Cleanliness Free WiFi 9 Jane And David were excellent and couldn't do more of me and my staff, we will stay again well done Damon, United Kingdom Warm and comfortable beds comfortable ..perfect stay for a night in Bath Joyce, United Kingdom The staff and management treated us like a family. We even had warm milk for our 3yr old laid on at night. Just the best. Thomas, United Kingdom Location. Friendly helpful staff. Accommodation comfy and adequate for our visit. Robert, United Kingdom Bed was very comfy staff were first class very helfull Evelyn, United Kingdom Room was lovely, close to town centre (short ride with Cab).

Rimante, United Kingdom The Aquae Sulis is an excellent place to stay, it is very close to the park & ride into Bath (10 minute walk) and cheaper than the Service Bus. There is also a Service Bus stop right outside the door. What we did find very useful was the Business Card that was given to us on arrival which had the name and address of the hotel, but also on the back was information with regards to the Buses and what number buses you could catch along with where to alight o when you get in to Bath and more importantly on you way back to the Guest House. It also provided telephone numbers of 2 taxi companies for your use. All staff were very friendly and helpful, It was very clean and comfortable. Would definitely stay there again. Julie, United Kingdom Gorgeous hotel, comfy bed. Breakfast delivered to room, very spoilt.! Sandyandterry, Australia Excellent customer service. Real linen tablecloths and napkins,table set for hot breakfast. A true b &b,don't miss experiencing this. Elizabeth, Australia Good location, excellent service. The hotel is comfortable and clean. Very good breakfast. We loved our stay and definitely will back.

Oksana, United Kingdom 9.5 Built in the early 1900s, this Victorian guest house combines old-world charm with modern conveniences such as free WiFi and a bar. The centre of Bath is a 5-minute car ride or half an hour stroll along the River Avon. Aquae Sulis Guest House offers 4-star accommodation with en suite facilities and a flat-screen TV in every room. Guests can also benefit from an iPod docking station and a refreshments tray. The guest house has a free private car park as well as unrestricted on-road parking. The beautiful Roman city of Bath offers you the opportunity to explore the Roman Baths, the new Bath Thermae Spa, an excellent shopping centre and much more all amidst Bath's stunning Roman and Georgian architecture. This property is also rated for the best value in Bath! Guests are getting more for their money when compared to other properties in this city. We speak your language!

Aquae Sulis Hotel has been welcoming Booking.com guests since Oct 4, 2006 Bed and breakfast: 4 rooms Most Popular Facilities 녡 “excellent quality of food” 140 related reviews 낍 Top Location: Highly rated by recent guests (8.1) 뀄 Free WiFi Guests consistently rate the WiFi as excellent 끸 Free Parking Available On Site Reserve Lock in a great price for your upcoming stay Get instant confirmation with FREE cancellation on most rooms! Check-in Date We Price Match When would you like to stay at Aquae Sulis Hotel? Sorry, we can only search for stays of up to 30 days. You can always contact Customer Service to request a longer stay once you’ve chosen your hotel. Your check-in date is invalid. Your departure date is invalid. Check-in Date Adults Children The most recent booking for this property was made on Jan 18 at 12:19 PM from the United Kingdom.

Max Single Room with Private External Bathroom Show prices Max children: 1 (up to 0 years of age) Executive Room - Triple Max children: 2 (up to 0 years of age) Family Room Show prices Just booked in Bath: 11 properties like Aquae Sulis Hotel were just booked on our site An Inside Look at Aquae Sulis Hotel Located in a quieter location in the beautiful Roman Spa city of Bath, away from the noise and congestion yet just minutes from the Roman Baths and city centre attractions, our lovely Victorian guest house maintains many of its original features whilst being thoughtfully restored to offer the high standards of comfort and convenience expected by today's traveller. All fourteen rooms have their own unique characteristics, designed with comfort and relaxation in mind. Rooms are ensuite with accessories such as flat screen TV with Freeview and Sky Sports, free WiFi access, Ipod docking station and refreshment tray. In a city renowned for its expensive and restricted parking, we offer a free private car park as well as unrestricted on-road parking. Aquae Sulis Hotel takes special requests – add in the next step! 5 Reasons to Choose Aquae Sulis Hotel Low rates Free! WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge. Parking Free!

Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed). Services All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private) Heating What would you like to know? I already have a booking with this property Thank you for your time Your feedback will help us improve this feature for all of our customers Missing some facilities information? Yes / No Brilliant! Royal United Hospital 0.5 miles Bath Maze 0.7 miles Oldfield Park Train Station 1 miles Royal Victoria Park 1.1 miles Most Popular Landmarks The Circus Bath 1.5 miles The Roman Baths 1.7 miles Bath Abbey 1.8 miles The Boathouse Restaurant 0.5 miles Spar Supermarket 0.6 miles The Chelsea Cafe Cafe/bar 0.6 miles The Hop Pole Restaurant 1.1 miles Natural Beauty Cancellation/ prepayment Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to room type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room. Children and Extra Beds All children under 2 years are charged GBP 10 per night in a crib. All children under 16 years are charged GBP 20 per night for extra beds.

Any additional older children or adults are charged GBP 20 per night for extra beds. The maximum number of extra beds in a room is 1. Any type of extra bed or crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management. Additional fees are not calculated automatically in the total cost and will have to be paid for separately during your stay. Pets Cards accepted at this property Hover over the cards for more info. Or, take a look at these appealing alternatives: Brocks Guest House has a location score of 9.5 Henrietta House has a review score of 9.3 Looking for something else? See the 30 best B&Bs and inns in Bath , based on 26,038 verified B&B and inn reviews on Booking.com. The Fine Print Please note that the reception closes at 19:00. If you expect to arrive after this time, please contact the property to arrange self check-in. Please note that extra beds can only be accommodated in the Family room. Please inform Aquae Sulis Hotel of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details provided in your confirmation.

눱 Read more Booking.com Guest Review Guidelines To keep the rating score and review content relevant for your upcoming trip, we archive reviews older than 24 months. Only a customer who has booked through Booking.com and stayed at the property in question can write a review. This allows us to verify that our reviews come from real guests like you. Who better to tell others about the free breakfast, friendly staff, or their comfortable room than someone who’s stayed at the property? We want you to share your story, with both the good and the not-so-good. All we ask is that you follow a few simple guidelines. Reviews Vision We believe review contributions and property responses will highlight a wide range of opinions and experiences, which is critical in helping guests make informed decisions about where to stay. Reviews Principles Contributions to Booking.com are a reflection of the dedication of our guests and properties, so we treat them with the utmost respect. Whether negative or positive, we'll post every comment in full and as quickly as possible, provided the guidelines are met. We'll also provide transparency over the status of submitted content. We'll use the same guidelines and standards for all user-generated content, and for the property responses to that content.

We'll allow the contributions to speak for themselves, and we won’t be the judge of reality. Booking.com’s role is to be a feedback distributor for both guests and properties. Guidelines and Standards for Reviews These guidelines and standards aim to keep the content on Booking.com relevant and family-friendly, without limiting expression or strong opinions. They're also applicable regardless of the comment's tone. Contributions should be travel related. The most helpful contributions are detailed and help others make better decisions. Please don’t include personal, political, ethical, or religious commentary. Promotional content will be removed and issues concerning Booking.com’s services should be routed to our Customer Service or Accommodation Service teams. Contributions should be appropriate for a global audience. Please avoid using profanity or attempts to approximate profanity with creative spelling, in any language. Comments and media that include hate speech, discriminatory remarks, threats, sexually explicit remarks, violence, or the promotion of illegal activity are not permitted. All content should be genuine and unique to the guest. Reviews are most valuable when they are original and unbiased. Your contribution should be yours. Booking.com property partners should not post on behalf of guests or offer incentives in exchange for reviews.

Attempts to bring down the rating of a competitor by submitting a negative review will not be tolerated. Respect the privacy of others. Booking.com will make an effort to obscure email addresses, telephone numbers, website addresses, social media accounts, and other similar details. The opinions expressed in contributions are those of Booking.com customers and properties, and not of Booking.com. Booking.com does not accept responsibility or liability for any reviews or responses. Booking.com is a distributor (without any obligation to verify) and not a publisher of these comments and responses. Review Score 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, Britain’s romance with the ancient Romans | Natalie Haynes | Opinion | The Guardian Britain’s romance with the ancient Romans Natalie Haynes Archaeologists hope that the public will be able to help with the reconstruction of a temple to Mithras in the City of London, adding another chapter to an enduring affair 'The Roman baths in Aquae Sulis (or Bath, to use its modern name) have recently been named the third-best museum in the country by TripAdvisor.' Photograph: Liquid Light /Alamy Wednesday 24 September 2014 02.00 EDT Share on Messenger Close Even by the standards of ancient Rome, Mithras was a peculiar god. He was a Persian deity worshipped only by men in underground temples, called Mithraea. He was born from a rock, which adds to his super-macho appeal (he was especially popular with soldiers).

Ritual killing formed a key theme of the cult: every temple of Mithras included a scene of the god killing a bull, known as the tauroctony. Worshippers had to undergo various initiation rituals, and they perhaps used a secret handshake. If Dan Brown had invented the Freemasons, they would look a lot like first-century Mithraists. We know very little about their secret rituals, but the subterranean sanctuaries have survived across what was the Roman empire, because soldiers worshipped there. You can still see a Mithraeum on Hadrian’s Wall, and archeologists from the Museum of London have this week appealed for the public’s help in reconstructing one that was unearthed in London 60 years ago. Britain doesn’t boast the greatest Roman remains: (apart from Bath, Cirencester and Vindolanda , just south of Hadrian’s Wall), but we tend to be hugely attached to those we do have. And so it proved to be when the Mithraeum was first excavated, during rebuilding work in 1954. A few hundred visitors were expected to turn up to see the temple’s foundations when it was opened for public viewing.

Yet 35,000 turned up on the first day and the police were called in to control the crowds. Perhaps after living through the blitz, and clearing rubble from their streets for years, people were just excited to find ruins that contained something thrilling rather than something awful. They came in their droves to have a look and to help out with a bit of digging: one letter from a visitor boasts about finding bones on the site. Archeologists were more casual about souvenir-hunters than their modern equivalents would be. Some elements, including pink mortar that held stones together, disappeared. The only hope is that visitors kept the samples they pilfered, which they or their families might now return (no questions asked). It’s hard not to think that this find marked the beginning of Britain’s love of blockbuster exhibitions of artefacts from the ancient world. Tutankhamun, Pompeii and Herculaneum and the terracotta warriors have all drawn huge crowds. But it’s easy to see why: Pompeii has its own disaster-movie narrative; Tutankhamun has its curse.

The terracotta army, depicting the soldiers of the first emperor of China, has barely been seen outside the country, so rarity of opportunity contributed to their popularity. But why were so many people so excited about a temple of a god most of them had never heard of? Had years of rationing left people starved of entertainment? I prefer to believe that there is something uniquely appealing about the presence of the Romans in Britain. Our Mithraeum may not be as imposing as the Colosseum, but that’s not the point. Roman soldiers travelled so far, often on foot, to be here. And when they did arrive, Britons turned out to be rebellious pagans who might rise up against them at any moment. And still they stayed – for hundreds of years – and built a few places that survive for us to see today. And the best thing about the Roman remains we have is that they aren’t like museum exhibits. You can wander around the amphitheatre at Caerleon in south Wales and never see a soul. Yes, the Colosseum is more spectacular, but if you want to imagine yourself a Roman, there’s a lot to be said for being alone in a quieter site.

And being outdoors is a crucial part of that. The Roman baths in Aquae Sulis (or Bath, to use its modern name) have recently been named the third-best museum in the country. That may be because of the many excellent exhibits that are on show there. But I think it’s because we can walk on Roman stones and among their statues, and imagine what it would be like to live as the Romans lived. However excited 1950s Britain was about the London Mithraeum, it didn’t become a tourist attraction. It was moved and has been visible only amid concrete and office blocks for decades. We’ve hardly seen it at its best. Though people complain that building projects in the UK are derailed by the presence of anything from a Roman pavement to a colony of bats, there’s surely something to be said for the fact that the next redevelopment (an office building for Bloomberg) will return the Mithraeum to its original site in the City for public view by 2017.

And though I doubt we’ll be entering ticket lotteries for the chance to visit this time around, it will still be a treat to see what survived the bulldozers, the light-fingered visitors and the archeologists the last time it was there. Aquae Sulis | Chicago Kitchen & Bath | Kohler, Moen, Grohe, & Delta Visit one of our five star showrooms today to get started on building the kitchen or bath of your dreams! Our name, Aquae Sulis comes to us from the city founded by the Romans where the first natural hot springs originated. These Springs became the first public outdoor baths in what is now known as Bath, England. Book Aquae Sulis Guest House | Bath Hotel Deals Check-in time starts at 2 PM Minimum check-in age is 18 Check-in time ends at 7 PM Special check-in instructions: The front desk is open daily from 9 AM - 7 PM If you are planning to arrive after 7 PM please contact the property at least 24 hours in advance using the information on the booking confirmation. Check-out Check-out time is 10:30 AM Payment types Children and extra beds Children are welcome. Kids stay free!

Up to 2 children 5 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding. Rollaway/extra beds are available for GBP 20.00 per night. Cribs (infant beds) are available for GBP 10.0 per night. Pets You need to know Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy. Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges. Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed. No elevators This property does not collect payment prior to arrival, except in the case of late arrivals after 8 PM without prior notice or no-shows. For more details, please contact the office using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking. Fees Optional extras The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out. Crib (infant bed) fee: GBP 10.0 per night Rollaway bed fee: GBP 20.00 per night The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

Bed & Breakfast Name Aquae Sulis Guest House Bath Aquae Sulis Guest House Hotel Bath Aquae Sulis Guest House B&B Bath Aquae Sulis Guest House B&B

Question: Aquae Sulis is the Roman name for which modern city?
Answer: Bath