Embedded Files
Religious Mask
Religious Mask
This tin mask has sockets for glass eyes and rivet holes where it was fixed to a wooden backing. It may have been carried in procession by a priest.
Found in the Roman drain from the Sacred Spring.
Tombstones
Tombstones
Receptus was the priest in charge of the Temple of Sulis Minerva. He led religious ceremonies in the temple and its courtyard. He may also have been the leading official in the walled area of Aquae Sulis.
His gravestones is in the shape of an altar. It is the only memorial from Roman Britain in which the occupation of the deceased is reflected in the shape of a funerary monument. It shows his widows pride in the job he did and his role in life.
His stone translates as:
"To the spirits of the departed; Gaius Calpurnius Receptus, priest of the goddess Sulis, lived 75 years; Calpurnia Trifosa, his freedwoman (and) wife, had this set up."
Luna and Sol
Luna and Sol
This carving is from pediments displaying the moon goddess Luna and the Sun god Sol. They faced each other across the great altar from buildings in the Temple Courtyard.
The Luna pediment rose above the reconstructed building to the left which may have served as a special space for the sick to seek a cure with divine help.
Aesculapius
Aesculapius
Those seeking divine help for illness or affliction might rest overnight in special temple buildings. On waking, priests of the Roman god of healing, Aesculapius, helped them interpret their dreams or visions.
Peregrinus
Peregrinus
Peregrinus came from Trier in Germany. Before he left, he prayed to his own local gods, possibly to protect him on his journey. When he arrived in Aquae Sulis, he set up this altar to them in the Temple Courtyard. He would have made a sacrifice, perhaps of wine or a small animal.
Several people erected altars in the Temple Courtyard. Some dedicated them to Sulis Minerva but others like Peregrinus erected them to different Gods.
Monumental Buildings
Monumental Buildings
In Aquae Sulis, there is a decorated cornice from a large public building north of the Temple of Sulis Minerva, probably a theatre. Large buildings in Aquae Sulis include other bath-houses but the special character in the town means that some buildings in other settlements such as a basilica or a forum were never built here.
Curses
Curses
Curses contain messages to the goddess. They are written on lead or pewter because these metal are softer and easier to scratch into than other metals such as iron. They are then thrown into the spring. There are some examples of curse tablets below:
Complaint about theft of a woman's cape.
Lovemisca complains to the Goddess that her cape has been stolen.
Complaint about theft of Vilbia - probably a woman.
This curse includes a list of names of possible culprits. Perhaps Vilbia was a slave.
Complaint about theft of a cloak and bathing tunic.
There was always a risk in the public baths if you could not afford a slave to watch over your clothes.
A list of names.
When a culprit was unknown, a lot of suspects were sometimes submitted to the Goddess, to help her identify the wrongdoer.
A text in British Celtic.
These are the only words in British Celtic known to survive anywhere. The letters are from the Latin alphabet but cannot be translated.
Folded curse.
Before they were thrown into the Sacred Spring, curses were rolled or folded.
The Altar
The Altar
The sacrificial altar is the focus for public worship where priests conducted ceremonies and animal sacrifices.
Two cornerstones are in their original positions and a third lies close to the altar, where it is predicted to be found in 1965. It is likely that the altar is pained.
The Haruspex Stone
The Haruspex Stone
Deae Suli | L(ucius) Marcaius Memor harusp(ex) |donum dedit
"For the Goddess Sulis, Lucius Marcius Memor, Haruspex gave this gift."
After a sacrifice, the Temple haruspex removes organs from the animal's body. He studied these to predict the future.
The small rivets in the hairline of this head of Minerva suggest that it was part of a larger statue
Offerings to the Goddess
Offerings to the Goddess
A diverse range of objects are thrown into the Spring as offerings for the goddess Sulis Minerva. These include temple plate, personal belongings, and jewellery.
On the left are plates, jugs and candlesticks which are used in religious rites at the temple.
The Temple of Sulis Minerva
The Temple of Sulis Minerva
The Temple stood here with its magnificent pediment looking down on the open courtyard and great altar. Three steps that led up to the Temple can be seen.
The Pagan Temple may have been destroyed by Christians sometime during the 5th century or later.
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