大象传媒

Nuair a bha mi aig a鈥� Mh貌d N脿iseanta anns an Eaglais Bhric an-uiridh, ghabh mi an cothrom s霉il a thoirt air Balla Antonine, an rud as motha a thog na R貌manaich ann an Alba. Chan eil m貌ran dheth air fh脿gail an sin 鈥� d矛reach d矛g a tha a鈥� ruith tro ph脿irc aig oir a鈥� bhaile. Ach tha sin fh猫in inntinneach.

Tha Balla Antonine a-nise cl脿raichte air Cl脿r Dualchas na Cruinne aig UNESCO. Tha e am measg 脿iteachan a chaidh a chl脿radh leis gu bheil iad a鈥� riochdachadh cr矛ochan an fhearainn a bha fo smachd 脤ompaireachd na R貌imhe. Agus, a鈥� dol eadar taobh an iar agus taobh an ear na h-Alba, tha am balla gu math fada. Gu dearbh, tha e seasgad cilemeatair a dh鈥檉haid.

Anns a鈥� bhliadhna ceud, trithead 鈥檚 a h-ochd (138 AD), chaochail an t-脤ompaire Hadrian. Cha leig mi leas innse dhuibh gur e Hadrian a thog am balla m貌r a tha fhathast ri fhaicinn ann an ceann a tuath Shasainn. B鈥� e Balla Hadrian ceann a tuath na h-脤ompaireachd.

Bha Hadrian ag iarraidh gum biodh Marcus Aurelius a鈥� leantainn air mar 脤ompaire. Ach bha Marcus ro 貌g. Fhuair Antoninus Pius an dreuchd 鈥� anns an eadar-ama, mar a bha Hadrian ga fhaicinn.

Bha Antoninus leth-cheud 鈥檚 a h-aon bliadhna a dh鈥檃ois nuair a chaochail Hadrian. Bha sin rudeigin sean aig an 脿m ud. Bha Hadrian dhen bheachd nach biodh Antoninus be貌 ro fhada. Agus fhad 鈥檚 a bha e be貌, nach rachadh e an aghaidh nan co-dh霉naidhean m貌ra a rinn Hadrian fh猫in. Cha robh Antoninus air a bhith na shaighdear. Bha Hadrian dhen bheachd gun robh am balla a thog e s脿bhailte mar chr矛och a-tuath na h-脤ompaireachd ann am Breatainn.

Uill, bha e fada ce脿rr! Chan e a-mh脿in gun do thog Antoninus balla 霉r gu tuath air balla Hadrian, ach bha e air cathair an 脤ompaire fad tr矛 bliadhna fichead 鈥� na b鈥� fhaide na gach 脤ompaire roimhe, ach a鈥� chiad fhear, Augustus. Cha robh Balla Antonine air a chleachdadh ach airson mu fhichead bliadhna, ach dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab luachmhor.

Cha robh e buileach mar a bha Balla Hadrian. Anns a鈥� chuid mh貌ir, bha e air a thogail de sgrathan, seach clachan. Bha d矛g mh貌r air an taobh a tuath dheth, agus rathad m貌r air an taobh a deas dheth. Ach, mar a bha le Balla Hadrian, bha daingnich co-cheangailte ris. Bha mi a鈥� smaoineachadh gum biodh e inntinneach sgr矛ob bheag a ghabhail bho cheann gu ceann a鈥� bhalla, a鈥� toirt s霉il air na daingnich.

T貌isicheamaid aig a鈥� cheann an iar, ma-th脿 鈥� aig D霉n Chill Ph脿draig no Old Kilpatrick Fort. Tha sin faisg air ceann a tuath Drochaid Arasgain thar Abhainn

Chluaidh. Tha l脿rach an d霉in a鈥� c貌mhdachadh c貌rr is ceithir acaire. Tha e coltach gun robh d霉n air choreigin aig na R貌manaich an sin fada mus robh am balla air a thogail. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun do chleachd na R貌manaich an daingneach sin mar 脿ite 脿s an cuireadh iad cabhlach gu ruige taobh siar na h-Alba.

Gu sear air Cill Ph脿draig tha D霉n T貌chair. Tha D霉n T貌chair, a r猫ir choltais, a鈥� riochdachadh ainm nas sine 鈥� Druim T貌chair 鈥� the ridge of the causeway. Chan eil m貌ran air fh脿gail dhen daingneach R貌manach sin.

An do mhothaich sibh rudeigin? Tha ainmean Beurla nan d霉n thuige seo air a thighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig. Saoil an lean sin? 鈥橲 e an t-ath 脿ite air a鈥� bhalla d霉n beag air a bheil Cleddans 鈥� Cleddans Fortlet. Chan eil sin a鈥� coimhead G脿idhlig, a bheil? Uill, ch矛 sinn 鈥� an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Balla Antonine: Antonine Wall; R貌manaich: Romans; d矛g: ditch; daingneach: fort, stronghold.

Abairtean na Litreach: chan eil m貌ran dheth air fh脿gail: not much of it is left; cl脿raichte air Cl脿r Dualchas na Cruinne: listed on the World Heritage List; leis gu bheil iad a鈥� riochdachadh cr矛ochan an fhearainn a bha fo smachd 脤ompaireachd na R貌imhe: because they represent the boundaries of the land that was controlled by the Roman Empire; seasgad cilemeatair: sixty kilometres; anns an eadar-ama: in the interim; rudeigin sean aig an 脿m ud: somewhat old at that time; nach rachadh e an aghaidh nan co-dh霉naidhean m貌ra: that he wouldn鈥檛 reverse [go against] the big decisions; cha robh Antoninus air a bhith na shaighdear: Antoninus had not been a soldier; bha e fada ce脿rr: he was very much mistaken; chan e a-mh脿in gun do thog X balla 霉r: not only did X build a new wall; cathair an 脤ompaire: the Emperor鈥檚 throne; dh鈥檉h脿g e d矛leab luachmhor: he left a valuable legacy; bha e air a thogail de sgrathan, seach clachan: it was made of turf, rather than stone; air an taobh a tuath dheth: on the north side of it; sgr矛ob bheag a ghabhail: to take a wee excursion; t貌isicheamaid aig a鈥� cheann an iar: let鈥檚 start at the west end; Drochaid Arasgain thar Abhainn Chluaidh: Erskine Bridge over the Clyde; tha l脿rach an d霉in a鈥� c貌mhdachadh c貌rr is ceithir acaire: the site of the fort covers more than four acres; 脿s an cuireadh iad cabhlach: from where they would send a fleet; gu ruige taobh siar na h-Alba: to the west[ern coast] of Scotland; saoil an lean sin?: do you reckon that might continue?

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: anns an Eaglais Bhric: in Falkirk. All the names for Falkirk 鈥� in Gaelic, British and Scots (Faw Kirk) 鈥� mean the same 鈥� 鈥渟peckled church鈥�. The Gaelic name An Eaglais Bhreac has been established for centuries. Because eaglais is a feminine word, any adjective qualifying it in the dative singular case is traditionally slenderized (cf air an l脿imh dheis, not air an l脿mh dheas). Thus, traditionally, the Gaels would say 鈥渁nns an Eaglais Bhric鈥�. I have retained this traditional usage in the Litir but note that many people today would naturally say anns an Eaglais Bhreac, retaining traditional lenition of the adjective but not slenderization.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: Cha leig mi leas innse dhuibh: I don鈥檛 need to tell you.