Sunday, September 28, 2008

Visiting Roman Baths or Aquae Sulis - the Roman name for Bath

Salve! ( That's Hello in Latin)
Inside the Roman Baths
The Roman Temple of Bath
The temple is the one of the 2 classical temples known from Roman Britain. The temple was built to house the cult statue of the goddess Sulis Minerva, the gilt-bronze head of this statue is on display in the museum.
The great ornamental pediment from the temple has been re-erected in the museum and carries an image of a bearded face carved in local Bath stone. It is the Gorgon’s head, a symbol of Minerva that also resembles other water gods like Oceanus and Neptune. Its sun-like appearance may represent the heat of the sacred spring.The Gorgon is encircled by surrounded by wreaths of leaves and surrounded by winged victories. The owl and the helmet at the bottom of the pediment symbolize Minerva's responsibility for wisdom and war.
The museum at the Roman Bath has an outstanding collection of international significance.



This stone head of a lady dates back to the the 1st Century AD and was recovered from a tomb. Note the hairstyle that was very popular during that time.

3 comments:

  1. very interesting pictures

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  2. These pics renewed our nostalgia
    of the Bath visit some 20 years back - a place of great historic value.

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  3. Thanks. We were delighted to view the pics. Some places were familiar. UK country side is really v, beautiful

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