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Roman Bath's Celtic acquisition |
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Roman colonisation
When Claudius I's Roman army successfully invaded Britain in 43AD, they faced a mammoth task. If Britain was to become the furthest flung outpost of the Roman Empire, they needed to Romanise the country, civilise it (in the original meaning of create cities) and convince the native Britons to identify with the Roman Empire. The Boudiccan rebellion of 60AD is evidence that the subjugation of Britain's native tribes was not without its problems. However, the Roman's proved to be successful colonialists and by the year 410AD, Britain identified so strongly with Rome, she sent appeals for help to Emperor Honorius against attacks from the Angles, Saxons and Jutes.
View showing the outline of the Roman baths
© Courtesy of Bath and North East Somerset Council |
One technique employed by the Romans, which was to prove extremely successful, was the adaptation of native Celtic traditions. By appropriating pre-existing gods and their associated locations, the conquerors were able to Romanise them and encourage native Britons to accept the Roman way of doing things.
The Roman's polytheistic faith was not averse to merging Celtic gods with their own Roman deities. On discovering the sacred spring at Bath, they renamed it Aquae Sulis - the waters of Sulis - and amalgamated the Celtic goddess Sul with one of their own gods, Minerva. The cross-bred deity Sulis Minerva was born! The sacred quality of Aquae Sulis's waters set it apart from other Roman baths, such as and Beau Nash. Whilst bathing at Aquae Sulis, Romans could not only indulge in the usual activities of gossip, grooming and socialising, they could also worship Sulis Minerva in the adjoining temple. The famed healing qualities of the mineral rich waters further enhanced the sacred qualities of the site.
Your comments
1 khurram from Pakistan - 23 December 2003
"i want to come england "
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