Aquae Sulis

Attested:  Aquis Sulis on iter 14 of the Antonine Itinerary;    Ptolemy 2,3,28 Υδατα Θερμα, a πολις of the Βελγαι tribe.

Where:  The hot springs at Bath, Somerset, ST750648, where there is ample evidence from curse tablets and inscriptions of the presiding goddess Minerva Sulis.

Name origin:  Aquae (nominative of Aquis) = ‘waters’.  The Greek means ‘hot waters’.

Notes:  There was another Υδατα Θερμα in north-east Spain (Ptolemy 2,6,70), which Pliny (3,23) called Aquae calidae, probably at Caldes de Montbui.  An article available on request discusses possible meanings of Sulis.

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Last edited 21 April 2021     To main Menu