Aquae Sulis Flashcards
What is Aquae Sulis?
A Roman town
What makes Aquae Sulis special?
The mineral hot springs that emerge there from underground.
What rate and temperature does water rise?
Over 1,000,000 litres a day
46 - 49 *C
When did the rainwater that rises at AS fall and what happened to it?
10,000 years ago, it percolated 2 miles down and now rises.
What is the water at AS like?
Low mineral content
Mainly: Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium
What was at AS before the Romans came?
The Celts living nearby regarded it as a sacred place and worship their goddess Sulis there. They believed she could cure illness through immersion in hot spring water.
When the Romans came to AS, what did they do?
- Recognised the importance of the springs as a pilgrimage destination
- Built a set of huge baths for visitors to use AS in comfort
What did the Romans do with the spring?
- Enclosed it in a reservoir: lead lining and stone balustrade
- People could see the spring with its clouds of steam and feel awe and mystery
What was the main building like?
- Long, rectangular
- 3 pleasant PLUNGE BATHS constant water supply
- Pool closest to spring had the warmest water
- Water brought up through LEAD PIPES
- Also warm and hot baths heated by HYPOCAUST
Why did people travel to AS?
They were attracted by the fame of its healing powers. Although it helped certain minor illnesses like arthritis, it did not help the deadly ones.
Why was a temple built nearby?
People believed that apart from the waters of AS, their healing also depended on the will of the gods and their favour.
What was in the temple?
The sacred area of the temple included the spring within its boundaries. A magnificent altar stood in front of the temple and a life-size bronze statue of the goddess Sulis Minerva, lit up by an eternal flame.
Why did the Romans call the goddess Sulis Minerva?
They linked the British goddess Sulis with the Roman equivalent of Minerva to encourage the Britons to feel closer to the Romans and be more like them.
What was on the base of the Sulis Minerva statue?
The stone base said that the statue had been dedicated to the goddess Sulis by a Roman official, Lucius Marcius Memor. His presence may have been a Roman way of trying to romanise Britain.
At AD 83, what else would have been at AS?
It was still a small but growing community. The baths would’ve been the biggest thing there but there could’ve also been:
- A basilica for law
- Theatre
- Houses and Inns
