Welcome to the latest edition of 'Flash Facts', this time looking at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage listed City of Bath: the Roman Baths. At the peak of the Roman Empire, its boundaries stretched into North Africa, the Middle East, and to the north of Britain - and in England today - the Roman Baths here in the 'West Country' are one of the finest examples of Roman presence. Adjacent to the Bath Abbey and nearby to the famous Pulteney Bridge over the Avon River, the Roman Baths are central to the tourism trail in Bath today. In this article, we'll delve into the story of the Roman Baths' history, and portray its story with 10 fascinating 'Flash Facts'...
The name of the City of Bath is derived from the Roman Baths; it was known as 'Aquae Sulis' by the Romans - which translates to 'the waters of Sulis'. The Celtic goddess of hot springs was called Sulis, and the Romans saw parallels with their own goddess, Minerva. Thus, in order to honour both, 'Aquae Sulis Minerva' was a term for Bath used to pay their respects to both deities. It was in the 1st century AD when the Roman Baths were built - therefore 2,000 years on - the name 'Bath' is a legacy of this ancient Roman landmark.
One of the finest historic treasures that you can see today at the Roman Baths is the Beau Street Hoard. This is an expansive collection of Roman coins - approximately 17,660 of them! An example of the wealth of the Romans during times of expansion into Britain, this is one of the largest collections of coins found in Britain. They date from between 32 AD and 274 AD, and nowadays are a prized piece at the Roman Baths to see today! These were discovered as recently as the year 2008 by the Cotswold Archaeology team.
As alluded to above, 'Sulis Minerva' is key to the story of the Roman Baths. On a visit to this historic site, you can see the remains of the temple dedicated to her. Minerva is the Roman version of the Greek goddess Athena: the goddess of wisdom and war. She's also the sacred deity of the Greek capital city, Athens. The Romans advanced and utilised so much of Greek culture and made it their own - in areas such as the belief system regarding the myths and legends - right through to the way their built with their architectural styles.
4. Arguably the most prized historic artefact on display at the Roman Baths is the gilt bronze head of Sulis Minerva. This is one of the finest pieces from Roman Britain that's been discovered and displayed for the public. It's an incredibly rare find (gilt bronze) - especially in such fine condition. The head is believed to be from a whole body statue, and with the head being slightly larger than life size - there's no question that this would have been a special statue in Aquae Sulis. It has six layers of gilding, and it was discovered in 1727.
5. the heart of this historic place is the 'Sacred Spring'. This rises within the courtyard of the Temple of Sulis Minerva, whereby the water from it feeds into the Roman Baths itself. At first it was an open pool, but it was enclosed in a dimly lit building, surrounded by statues and columns with barrel vaulting, towards the end of the 2nd century AD. This was a focal point of worship at this sacred space whereby offerings would have been thrown into by thousands of people.
6. Interestingly, the Roman Baths themselves are situated twenty feet below the modern-day street level surrounding it. Today, the visitor route consists of four main areas to experience: the Roman Bath House, the Roman Temple, the Sacred Spring, and the Visitor Centre and Museum (home to finds from the Roman Baths - an extensive historic collection to explore!).
7. Whilst flourishing between the 1st and 4th centuries AD, the Roman Baths were actually lost beneath the city for many centuries before being re-discovered in 1879. The Roman Baths experienced somewhat of a Renaissance in the late Victorian era of the 19th century/ early 20th century, with people once again flocking to experience the springs like their ancient ancestors. The current building we see today was built in 1973, very much replacing the private bath construction work of Major Charles Davis in the 1880's, who excavated the Roman Baths. It's incredible to think: what a return to glory this site has had!
8. In order to give offerings to the goddess Sulis Minerva, many different objects would have been thrown into the 'Sacred Spring'. Examples of this include jewellery and coins; whereby there's an impressive collection on display at the Roman Baths' Museum today. The coins from the spring span centuries, and thanks to the faces and decor of their facades be traced to the respective time periods. Well over 1,000 coins have been found from the era of Antonius Pius (138-161 AD), whilst the next most of coins found in terms of an Emperors era, come from predecessors Trajan and Hadrian, and successor Marcus Aurelius. It's an incredible array of coins to witness and see the incredible detail.
9. Whilst you'd be forgiven for thinking that the grand rectangular terrace overlooking the Roman Baths today could well be Roman construction, as alluded to above in terms of the Victorian era, this was not the case. There's a striking line of sculptures depicting Roman emperors and governors of Britain overlooking the Baths from the terrace - all of which are Victorian creations. They date to 1894 as preparations were made for the 'grand opening' of the Roman Baths in 1897, and feature the likes of Claudius and Constantine the Great.
10. The water of the 'Sacred Spring' has been rising here naturally for thousands of years, even before it was harnessed by the Romans to create these baths. It's an incredible natural phenomenon whereby hot water rises to the surface, at a temperature of 46°C and volume of 1,170,000 litres per day. This geological occurrence was attributed to the gods at this time, and this was something common across the ancient world... for example: in Hierapolis in Western Türkiye, a natural enigma as a result of being on the earth's tectonic fault line, meant that a large quantity of CO₂ was harnessed to form the 'Gates of Hell', whereby animal sacrifices took place. Both Ancient Bath and Hierapolis share a prominence in this era as key Roman places of cult worship - epitomising how across the 'Roman world', natural phenomenon's were places of much intrigue and devotion.
I hope you've enjoyed this delve into the fascinating story behind the historic Roman Baths, here in the 'West Country'. They are one of England's most treasured ancient sites, and one that also includes Victorian influence, in terms of the site we see before us today. The many artefacts found at the museum are intriguing to see, whilst delving deeper into this Roman place of cult worship, can be such a springboard for those wanting to further explore the expansive history of the Romans. 'Britannia', as it was known here, was a key outpost of the Roman Empire, so for me personally - it's a privilege to live near such a special ancient site. Bath is home to so many interesting sites, but the most-famous of all is the Roman Baths - whereby the 'Sacred Spring' is still attracting thousands of people daily, 2,000 years on.
By Aaron Woodruff
Lessons & Joys of Travel
12/09/2024