DOCSLIB.ORG

Sample File Table of Contents Chapter 1: Overview of Extrico Tabula

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sample File Table of Contents Chapter 1: Overview of Extrico Tabula Sample file Table of Contents Chapter 1: Overview of Extrico Tabula..................................5 Celtic Culture............................................................. 49 Professions ........................................................................6 Celtic Women............................................................ 49 New Professions...........................................................6 Celtic Language......................................................... 49 Profession Summary for Cthulhu Invictus ...................6 Britannia Names ........................................................ 50 The Random Roman Name Generator...............................8 The Boudican Uprising.............................................. 51 Chapter 2: A Brief Guide To The Province Of Germania.....17 Religion, Druids, Bards................................................... 53 Germania Timeline.....................................................18 Druids ........................................................................ 53 Military Forces...........................................................18 Bards.......................................................................... 53 Economy ....................................................................19 Druidic and Bardic Magic in Cthulhu Invictus.......... 53 Native Peoples............................................................19 Celtic Religion........................................................... 53 Germanic Names........................................................20 The Otherworld.......................................................... 53 Personalities of Germania ..........................................21 The Sidhe................................................................... 54 Important Locations In Germania ..............................22 Morrigan, Mistress of Nightmares, One of the Million Sinister Seeds .............................................................24 Favored Ones............................................................. 55 Chapter 3: Silva Nigra ..........................................................27 Personalities of Britannia................................................ 55 Keeper’s Information.......................................................27 Important Locations in Britannia............................... 57 Part One: The Black Forest .............................................29 Mythos Location in Britannia: The Severn Valley .... 57 Initial Briefing............................................................29 Sinister Seeds............................................................. 58 Hademar.....................................................................29 Chapter 5: Letalis Messor .................................................... 61 The Black Forest ........................................................30 Keeper’s Information...................................................... 61 Part Two: The Legionaries Camp....................................31 Part One – The Refugees ................................................ 62 The Women’s Story ...................................................31 The Cornovvi............................................................. 62 Part Three: The Last Caravan..........................................32 The Cornovii Solution ............................................... 63 Part Four: The Bandit’s Lair ......................................33 Battle Lines................................................................ 64 The Zombie Attack.....................................................33 Part Two – The Dark Bard.............................................. 67 The Battle at the Outpost............................................34 The Dark Bard ........................................................... 67 Part Five: The Whores of the Black Forest ................35 Closing of Part Two................................................... 69 The Shrine of Shub-Niggurath ...................................35 Part Three – Plans and Options....................................... 69 In Conclusion .............................................................37 Carden’s Plans........................................................... 69 Pre-generated Investigators ........................................37 Other Likely Plans..................................................... 70 Chapter 4: A Brief Guide To The Province Of Britannia .....45 The Otherworld.......................................................... 71 Britannia Timeline .....................................................46 Part Four – The Harvest Begins...................................... 73 Military Forces...........................................................48 The Servants of Glaaki .............................................. 73 Britannia Stands Alone...............................................48 Lair of the Walking Dead .......................................... 74 Us, Them, and the Others: Three Roads to War in Cythraul Lynn............................................................ 75 Britannia.....................................................................48 In Closing........................................................................ 76 Economy ....................................................................48Sample fileMagical Items ............................................................ 77 Native Peoples.................................................................49 Table of Maps Province of Germania ...........................................................23 Area Map for Silva Nigra .....................................................28 Map of Britannia...................................................................59 Area Map for Letalis Messor ................................................66 Map of Lair of the Walking Dead.........................................75 Photos: Open content photos and Joel Jackel (www.milestoneimages.us) Maps: Oscar Rios Playtesters: Mitzi Rios, Joel Jackel, Walter Attridge, Gibel Attridge, Ryan Roth, Jennifer Hammond, Terry Hope Romano, John Stavropoulos, James Caprio, Sarah Ninesling, and Nancy Wolfberg. Other assistance: Andy Dawson Cover: Charlie Krank Special thanks: Once again to Chad Bowser, creator of Cthulhu Invictus. Dedication: To the person who most shaped my mind, watching countless hours of PBS programs followed by the classic Universal black in white horror movies. We’d watch Nova or Nature and then stay up for The Invisible Man or The Bride of Frankenstein. Who knew then how much the mixing of history, science and horror could shape my personality. So, to my beloved mother, this one is for you. Quare abyssus non? 3 Sample file Chapter 1: Overview of Extrico Tabula As a rule, men worry more about what they can't see than about what they can. Julius Caesar Fear of the unknown is mankind’s earliest fear, his The contents of Extrico Tabula are as follows: most basic. What is out there in the dark? What hidden 1. Overview of Extrico Tabula: Introduction, the dangers lie within the forest, over those mountains, random Roman name generator, professions across that ocean? As the empire expanded, it (including two new professions). encountered and absorbed new lands. These areas were filled with new people, speaking their own languages, 2. A guide to Germania: a brief look at the province, with their own customs, gods, and mysteries. Just its history, and its people. beyond the borders lurked evil entities. 3. Silva Nigre (The Dark Forest): An original Forces older than our world had dwelled in these places adventure in which a military reconnaissance millennia before the arrival of mankind. For their own patrol enters the dark forests of Germania on the safety, the local peoples eventually formed legends, hunt for a new rebel warlord. What they find is myths, and taboos around them. These whispered tales much more sinister. of dread and horror kept people from stumbling into the lairs or paths of these dark and ancient forces. 4. A guide to Britannia: A brief look at the province, Unfortunately these safeguards were seen as ignorant its history, and its people. barbaric superstitions by the new Roman settlers and 5. Letalis Messor (A Mortal Harvest): An original masters. As the native people slowly became more and adventure in which over a thousand Celts suddenly more like their Roman conquerors, the old ways were flee their lands just before harvest, driven by the slowly forgotten … but that didn’t make the danger go warnings of a mysterious cloaked figure in the away. night. Unless they return to their homes soon, their Occasionally these loathsome, powerful, and malignant actions could lead to war and starvation. beings would be disturbed by the unwitting, Investigators must get to the bottom of this before unknowing, or unbelieving. When this happened, the it’s too late. normal, predictable world would be turned upsideSample file down as horrors beyond mankind’s worst nightmare suddenly became real. Minds shattered, bodies withered, and souls were torn from their mortal frames to feed an insatiable hunger. Reality came undone, like a tapestry disintegrating beyond which is only darkness. Welcome to Extrico Tabula, Unraveling Borders, the Second Cthulhu Invictus Companion. Like the first Cthulhu Invictus companion, Extrico Tabula contains guide chapters and new scenarios for two new regions. This companion focuses on the provinces of Germania and Britannia, both
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wars and Battles of Ancient Rome
    Wars and Battles of Ancient Rome Battle summaries are from Harbottle's Dictionary of Battles, published by Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1904. Rise of Rome—753 to 3911 B.C. The rise of Rome from a small Latin city to the dominant power in Italy Battle of Description Sabines According to legend, a year after the Romans kidnapped their wives from the neighboring Sabines, the (Kingdom) tribes returned to take vengeance. The fighting however, was stopped by the young wives who ran in B.C. 750 between the warring parties and begged that their fathers, brothers and husbands cease making war upon each other. The Sabine and Roman tribes were henceforth united. Alba Longa After a long siege, Alba was finally taken by strategm. With the fall of Alba, its father-city, Rome was (Kingdom) the undisputed leading city of the Latins. The inhabitants of Alba were resettled in Rome on the caelian B.C. 650 Hill. Sublican Lars Porsenna, king of Clusium was marching toward Rome, planning to restore the exiled Tarquins to Bridge the Roman throne. As his army descended on Rome from the opposite side of the Tiber, roman soldiers (Tarquinii) worked furiously to destroy the wooden bridge. Horatius and two other soldiers single-handedly fended B.C. 509 off Porsenna's army until the bridge could be destroyed. Lake Regillus Fought B.C. 497, the first authentic date in the history of Rome. The details handed down, however, (Tarquinii) belong to the domain of legend rather than to that of history. According to the chroniclers, this was the B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Two Studies on Roman London. Part B: Population Decline and Ritual Landscapes in Antonine London
    Two Studies on Roman London. Part B: population decline and ritual landscapes in Antonine London In this paper I turn my attention to the changes that took place in London in the mid to late second century. Until recently the prevailing orthodoxy amongst students of Roman London was that the settlement suffered a major population decline in this period. Recent excavations have shown that not all properties were blighted by abandonment or neglect, and this has encouraged some to suggest that the evidence for decline may have been exaggerated.1 Here I wish to restate the case for a significant decline in housing density in the period circa AD 160, but also draw attention to evidence for this being a period of increased investment in the architecture of religion and ceremony. New discoveries of temple complexes have considerably improved our ability to describe London’s evolving ritual landscape. This evidence allows for the speculative reconstruction of the main processional routes through the city. It also shows that the main investment in ceremonial architecture took place at the very time that London’s population was entering a period of rapid decline. We are therefore faced with two puzzling developments: why were parts of London emptied of houses in the middle second century, and why was this contraction accompanied by increased spending on religious architecture? This apparent contradiction merits detailed consideration. The causes of the changes of this period have been much debated, with most emphasis given to the economic and political factors that reduced London’s importance in late antiquity. These arguments remain valid, but here I wish to return to the suggestion that the Antonine plague, also known as the plague of Galen, may have been instrumental in setting London on its new trajectory.2 The possible demographic and economic consequences of this plague have been much debated in the pages of this journal, with a conservative view of its impact generally prevailing.
    [Show full text]
  • Lyle Tompsen, Student Number 28001102, Masters Dissertation
    Lyle Tompsen, Student Number 28001102, Masters Dissertation The Mari Lwyd and the Horse Queen: Palimpsests of Ancient ideas A dissertation submitted to the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Celtic Studies 2012 Lyle Tompsen 1 Lyle Tompsen, Student Number 28001102, Masters Dissertation Abstract The idea of a horse as a deity of the land, sovereignty and fertility can be seen in many cultures with Indo-European roots. The earliest and most complete reference to this deity can be seen in Vedic texts from 1500 BCE. Documentary evidence in rock art, and sixth century BCE Tartessian inscriptions demonstrate that the ancient Celtic world saw this deity of the land as a Horse Queen that ruled the land and granted fertility. Evidence suggests that she could grant sovereignty rights to humans by uniting with them (literally or symbolically), through ingestion, or intercourse. The Horse Queen is represented, or alluded to in such divergent areas as Bronze Age English hill figures, Celtic coinage, Roman horse deities, mediaeval and modern Celtic masked traditions. Even modern Welsh traditions, such as the Mari Lwyd, infer her existence and confirm the value of her symbolism in the modern world. 2 Lyle Tompsen, Student Number 28001102, Masters Dissertation Table of Contents List of definitions: ............................................................................................................ 8 Introduction ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Druidic Syncretism and the Four Branches
    Appendix Druidic Syncretism and the Four Branches Archaeologists have sometimes described the black waters of the lower Thames as the ‘British Ganges’, alluding to the ritual depositions lavished upon it by its Iron Age and Late Bronze Age devotees. This is by no means the only comparison that might be made with the religious landscape of Hindu India. With its ‘ten thousand gods’; its elaborate calendrical systems; its sacred animals and food taboos and its adherence to the doctrine of reincarnation, the Brahmanic system offers a number of parallels with what we can ascertain about native British religious traditions from the combined testimony of the archaeological and literary evidence. Had the religious life of Iron Age Britain continued to develop in comparable isolation, we might expect something analogous to modern Hinduism to have evolved as the centuries progressed – a possibility that is enhanced by the shared Indo-European background (although the influence of local pre-Indo-European substrates in both cases should not be underestimated). One feature of the Hindu system that we can see beginning to emerge in the Gallo-Brittonic world was a marked tendency towards syncretism and public ritual, offsetting the tendency towards localism and diversity that otherwise characterised this essentially parochial religious culture. It was evidently under the auspices of an increasingly centralised druidic priesthood that certain pan-tribal cults were spread throughout the Celtic-speaking world in the Late Iron Age: notably those of Lugus (c.f. p. 498), Belenus (c.f. p. 273), Cernunnos (c.f. p. 36 n. 63), Epona (c.f. p.
    [Show full text]
  • Of the Roman Empire
    EDITIONLAUSANNE Limited to one tbousand registered sets N0.4'7 THE DECLINEAND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE VOL. I1 THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE BY EDWARD GIBBON EDITED BY J. B. BURY, M.A. WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THE RT. HON. W. E. H. LECKY VOL. I1 NEW YORK FRED DE FAU & COMPANY PUBLISHERS COPYRIGHT,I+, FRED DE FAU & COMPANY. CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME PACE... LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......... xu1 CHAPTER X The Emperors Decks. Gallus. Amilianus. Valerian. and Galliersur - The General Irruption of the Barbarians - The Thirty Tyrads A.D. 248-268 The Nature of the Subject .......i The Emperor Philip .........a 249 Services.Revolt. Victory. and Reign of the Emperor Decius . a 250 He marchesagainst the Goths ......3 Origin of the Goths from Scandinavia .....4 Religion of the Goths ........5 Institutions and Death of Odin .......6 Agreeable. but uncertainHypothesis concerning Odin . 6 Emigration of the Goths fromScandinavia into Prussia . 7 -from Prussia to theUkraine ...... 8 The Gothic Nation increases in its March .... 9 Distinction of the Germans and Sarmatians ....10 Description ofUkraine the ......10 The Goths invade the Roman Provinces .....11 250 Various Events of the Gothic War ... ..12 251 Decius revives the ofice of Censor in the Person of Valerian . 14 The Design Impracticable. and without Effect ....15 Defeat and Death of Decius and his Son .....16 251 Election of Gallus .........IS 252 Retreat of the Goths ....... 18 gallus purchases Peace by the Payment of an annual Tnbut; 18 Popular Discontent .........19 253 Victory and Revolt of Ahilianus ......20 Gallus abandoned and slain .......20 Valerian revenges the Death of Gallus .....21 Is acknowledged Emperor ........21 'i Character of Valerian ....
    [Show full text]
  • A Tale of Two Periods
    A tale of two periods Change and continuity in the Roman Empire between 249 and 324 Pictured left: a section of the Naqš-i Rustam, the victory monument of Shapur I of Persia, showing the captured Roman emperor Valerian kneeling before the victorious Sassanid monarch (source: www.bbc.co.uk). Pictured right: a group of statues found on St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, depicting the members of the first tetrarchy – Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius and Galerius – holding each other and with their hands on their swords, ready to act if necessary (source: www.wikipedia.org). The former image depicts the biggest shame suffered by the empire during the third-century ‘crisis’, while the latter is the most prominent surviving symbol of tetrar- chic ideology. S. L. Vennik Kluut 14 1991 VB Velserbroek S0930156 RMA-thesis Ancient History Supervisor: Dr. F. G. Naerebout Faculty of Humanities University of Leiden Date: 30-05-2014 2 Table of contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Sources ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Historiography ............................................................................................................................... 10 1. Narrative ............................................................................................................................................ 14 From
    [Show full text]
  • Calendar of Roman Events
    Introduction Steve Worboys and I began this calendar in 1980 or 1981 when we discovered that the exact dates of many events survive from Roman antiquity, the most famous being the ides of March murder of Caesar. Flipping through a few books on Roman history revealed a handful of dates, and we believed that to fill every day of the year would certainly be impossible. From 1981 until 1989 I kept the calendar, adding dates as I ran across them. In 1989 I typed the list into the computer and we began again to plunder books and journals for dates, this time recording sources. Since then I have worked and reworked the Calendar, revising old entries and adding many, many more. The Roman Calendar The calendar was reformed twice, once by Caesar in 46 BC and later by Augustus in 8 BC. Each of these reforms is described in A. K. Michels’ book The Calendar of the Roman Republic. In an ordinary pre-Julian year, the number of days in each month was as follows: 29 January 31 May 29 September 28 February 29 June 31 October 31 March 31 Quintilis (July) 29 November 29 April 29 Sextilis (August) 29 December. The Romans did not number the days of the months consecutively. They reckoned backwards from three fixed points: The kalends, the nones, and the ides. The kalends is the first day of the month. For months with 31 days the nones fall on the 7th and the ides the 15th. For other months the nones fall on the 5th and the ides on the 13th.
    [Show full text]
  • CELTIC MYTHOLOGY Ii
    i CELTIC MYTHOLOGY ii OTHER TITLES BY PHILIP FREEMAN The World of Saint Patrick iii ✦ CELTIC MYTHOLOGY Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes PHILIP FREEMAN 1 iv 1 Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. © Philip Freeman 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress ISBN 978–0–19–046047–1 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America v CONTENTS Introduction: Who Were the Celts? ix Pronunciation Guide xvii 1. The Earliest Celtic Gods 1 2. The Book of Invasions 14 3. The Wooing of Étaín 29 4. Cú Chulainn and the Táin Bó Cuailnge 46 The Discovery of the Táin 47 The Conception of Conchobar 48 The Curse of Macha 50 The Exile of the Sons of Uisliu 52 The Birth of Cú Chulainn 57 The Boyhood Deeds of Cú Chulainn 61 The Wooing of Emer 71 The Death of Aife’s Only Son 75 The Táin Begins 77 Single Combat 82 Cú Chulainn and Ferdia 86 The Final Battle 89 vi vi | Contents 5.
    [Show full text]
  • Medievaia Coinage
    ~) June 11, 1993 Classical Numismatic Group, Inc will sell at public and mail bid auction the exceptional collection of Greek Gold & Electrum assembled by George & Robert Stevenson This collection features ovel" 150 pieces. Pedigrees of the Ste\'enson coins r('ad like a "who's who" or great collectors durin!,: the past century, with coins from the collections of Pozzi, Virzi, Hrand, Garrell, Weber, Ryan, llaron Pennisi di'Floristella, Hauer, Bement, Castro Maya, Warren, Greenwell, N.wille, several museum collections and others In addition to the Stevenson Collection, this SOlie includes a sup erb ofrering of Greek silver and bronze, Roman including a collection of SeslerW, Byzantine. Medieval and Uritish coins. Classical Numismatic Group Auction XXVI In Conjunction with the 2nd Annual Spring New York International Friday June II, 1993 at 6PM Sheraton New York Hotcl & Towers Catalogues are available for $151£10 CLASSICAL NUMISMATIC GROUP, INC ~ Post Office Box 245 ~Quarryville, Pennsylvania 17566-0245 " • (717) 786-4013, FAX (717) 786-7954 • SEABY COINS ~ 7 Davies Street ~London, WIY ILL United Kingdom (071) 495-1888, FAX (071) 499-5916 INSIDE THE CELATOR ... Vol. 7, NO.5 FEATURES May 1993 6 A new distater of Alexander 'lJieCefatoT by Harlan J. Berk Publisher/Senior Editor 10 Slavery and coins Wayne G. Sayles in the Roman world Office Manager Janet Sayles by Marvin Tameanko Editor Page 6 18 The Scipio legend: Steven A. Sayles A new distater of Alexander A question of portraiture Marketi ng Director by Harlan J. Berk Stephanie Sayles by Todd Kirkby RCCLiaison J ames L. Meyer 32 The arms of Godfrey of Boullion and the Production Asst.
    [Show full text]
  • Jegens Dè Godin Nehalennia Heeft Placidus
    PDF hosted at the Radboud Repository of the Radboud University Nijmegen The following full text is a publisher's version. For additional information about this publication click this link. http://hdl.handle.net/2066/26513 Please be advised that this information was generated on 2021-10-01 and may be subject to change. I BERICHT UIT BRITANNIA In 1976 is in Engeland te York(-Clementhorpe), het Romeinse Eboracum, een stuk gevonden van een plaat van grove zandsteen (“gritstone”), dat secundair gebruikt is in een na-middeleeuwse kalkoven. Van de plaat ís het rechter bovengedeelte bewaard gebleven; dit is 63 x 49 x 14 cm groot. Op de voorzijde zijn nog sporen te zien van een tabula ansata, alsmede een gedeelte van een bijzonder interessante Latijnse inscriptie (pl. 25 A). De vondst is onlangs door dr. R. S.O. Tomlin bekendgemaakt in het aan Romeins Engeland gewijde tijdschrift Britannia, jg. 8, 1977, 430 v., nr. 18. De nieuwste epigrafische aanwinst uit York bevat het eerste gegeven uit Britannia dat rechtstreeks in verband kan worden gebracht met de cultus van Nehalennia in het mondingsgebied van de Schelde. Het belang daarvan is zodanig dat het gerechtvaardigd lijkt er ook in een Nederlands archeologisch tijdschrift de aandacht op te vestigen. Het opschrift luidt: [------]* etg eRio 'LOci / [------Jg g -l -vFdvcivs / [------ ]cidvs-dom o / [--------] VEL10CAS[S] IVM 5/ [--------]eG0TIAT0R / [--------]RCVM ET FANVM / [--------] D'[.] GRATO ET / [--------. Voor de aanvulling van deze tekst kan allereerst gebruik worden gemaakt van het onderste gedeelte van een kalkstenen altaar dat op donderdag 3 september 1970 uit de Oosterschelde is opgevist in het gebied van de gemeente Zierikzee, dicht bij Colijnsplaat (pl.
    [Show full text]
  • Suburani Book 1 Overview
    Suburani Book 1 Overview Chapter Language Culture History/Mythology Roma – life in the city • 1st, 2nd and 3rd pers. sg., present tense Life in the city History: Rome in AD 64 1: Subūrai • Reading Latin Subura; Population of city of Rome; Women at work; Living in an insula • Nominative and accusative sg. Building Rome Mythology: Romulus and Remus • Declensions Geography and growth of Rome; Public 2: Rōma • Gender buildings and spaces of Rome; Forum Romanum • Nominative and accusative pl. Entertainment History: Three phases of ruling 3: lūdī • 3rd pers. pl., present tense Public festivals; Chariot-racing; Charioteers • Neuter nouns Religion Mythology: Deucalion and Pyrrha 4: deī • 1st and 2nd pers. pl., present tense Christianity; State religion; Homes of the gods; Sacrifice; Private worship • Present infinitive Public health History: Rome under attack! 5: aqua • possum, volō and nōlō Baths; Public toilets; Water supply; Sanitation • Ablative case Slavery Mythology: Theseus and the Minotaur 6: servitium • Prepositions + acc./+ abl. How were people enslaved? Life of a • Time slave; Seeking freedom; Manumission Britannia – establishing a province • Imperfect tense London History: Romans invading 7: Londīnium • Perfect tense (-v- stems) Londinium; Made in Londinium; Food • Perfect tense (all stems) Britain Mythology: The Amazons 8: Britannia • Superlative adjectives Britannia; Camulodunum; Resist or accept? The Druids • Dative case Rebellion – hard power History: Resistance 9: rebelliō • Verbs with dative Chain of command; Competing forces; Women and war; Why join the army? • 1st and 2nd decl. adjectives Aquae Sulis – soft power Mythology: The Gorgons 10: Aquae • 3rd decl. adjectives Aquae Sulis; Different gods; Curses; Sūlis Military life; People of Roman Britain Gaul and Lusitania – life in a province • Genitive case The sea History: Pirates in the Mediterranean Sea • -ne and -que Romans and the sea; Underwater 11: mare archaeology; Navigation and maps; Dangers at sea • Imperatives (inc.
    [Show full text]
  • Aquae Sulis. the Origins and Development of a Roman Town
    7 AQUAE SULIS. THE ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A ROMAN TOWN Peter Davenport Ideas about Roman Bath - Aquae Sulis - based on excavation work in the town in the early 1990s were briefly summarised in part of the article I wrote in Bath History Vol.V, in 1994: 'Roman Bath and its Hinterland'. Further studies and excavations in Walcot and the centre of town have since largely confirmed what was said then, but have also added details and raised some interesting new questions. Recent discoveries in other parts of the town have also contributed their portion. In what follows I want to expand my study of the evidence from recent excavations and the implications arising from them. The basic theme of this paper is the site and character of the settlement at Aquae Sulis and its origins. It has always been assumed that the hot springs have been the main and constant factor in the origins of Bath and the development of the town around them. While it would be foolish to deny this completely, the creation of the town seems to be a more complex process and to owe much to other factors. Before considering this we ought to ask, in more general terms, how might a town begin? With certain exceptions, there was nothing in Britain before the Roman conquest of AD43 that we, or perhaps the Romans, would recognise as a town. Celtic Britain was a deeply rural society. The status of hill forts, considered as towns or not as academic fashion changes, is highly debatable, but they probably acted as central places, where trade and social relationships were articulated or carried on in an organized way.
    [Show full text]