Everything about Ratae Corieltauvorum totally explained
Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the
Roman province of
Britannia. Today it's known as
Leicester, located in the
English county of
Leicestershire.
Name
Ratae is the
Brythonic word for 'ramparts', suggesting the site was a defended
Iron Age oppidum.
Round houses from this era have been excavated in the city. The suffix,
Corieltauvorum, refers to the
Corieltauvi, the
Celtic tribe who had their
civitas capital there. Until
1983, the name of the town was thought to have been
Ratae Coritanorum. However, newly discovered inscription evidence shows the recorded forms as corrupt and the name of the tribe has since been revised.
Iron Age Settlement
The origins of the Roman city lay in a settlement that developed on the east bank of the River Soar, a tributary of the River Trent, in the late Iron Age (for example 2nd or 1st centuries BC). Little is known about either this settlement or the character of the Soar at this time. What evidence there's indicates the Soar in this vicinity split into two channels: a the main stream running to the east and a narrower channel to the west. Between the two channels there was probably a marshy island. It seems that both the streams could be forded. The settlement appears to have consisted of cluster of native round houses located close to the ford across the main channel, and probably extended over roughly 8ha. on the bank of the main stream.
The Fosse Way
After the Romans invaded Great Britain in the 1st century AD they quickly established control over the southeast corner of the island, but for at least a couple of decades they didn't advance north and west in an attempt to subdue the rest of the island. Two legionary fortresses were established; one in Exeter in the southwest corner of the territory, one at Lincoln in the norteast, and a road, now known as the Fosse Way, established between the two to help control the border. The Fosse Way crossed the Soar close to the site of the Iron Age settlement.
A Possible Roman Fort
One of the enigmas of the Ratae's early development was whether or not there was ever a garrison stationed in the vicinity of the river. The location on a river crossing on a strategic road and near a settlement, would have been an ideal place for a fort. As yet, however, the evidence for the presence of a fort is unclear. The only evidence we've is based on the discovery of a single 'V-shaped' ditch which was found on the island between the two river channels. This ditch is similar in form to a type of military ditch known as a punic ditch, with one side steeper than the other and a drainage slot at the bottom, but to date there's no evence that this supposed 'fort' ever had an interior.
A
Roman fort was established on the site of the Iron Age settlement around AD
50, with the native houses forming the surrounding
vicus. Parts of the military ditch have been found and associated timber buildings. The army moved on about thirty years later and a street grid was laid out as the place became civilian in nature.
Town development
Ratae seems to have remained a rather poor settlement at first. Although there was a rapid rebuilding programme to develop larger shops and houses. There were few amenities and none of the usual public buildings. Instead of a
forum, there was a simple open market place at the centre. However, in the early
2nd century better quality spacious stone houses were erected with central courtyards. A particularly fine excavated example had tesselated and
mosaic floors, decorative plaster walls and, around its courtyard, an elaborate frieze of architectural features, theatrical masks, doves, pheasants, cupids and flowers. It wasn't occupied for long, however, and part of it became a factory for the manufacture of horn objects. Other industires in the town included pottery production and metal and glass working.
Eventually, the forum and
basilica was built, though it didn't fill the previous market place. The
public baths soon followed, just to the west, around AD
145. Fed by an
aqueduct, they're of an unusual plan and had a large
exercise room alongside. A second market place was laid out in the early
3rd century and a basilican market hall erected. Its offices had decoratively painted plaster ceilings. A stone defensive circuit surrounded Ratae by the end of the 3rd century. There were four gateways with
cemeteries outside each and a
suburb to the north. Only two suggested
temples have been discovered in the town, one a possible
mithraeum.
Decline
In the late
4th century, Ratae was occupied by a detachment of the Roman army and towers may have been added to the town walls. However, a serious fire spread through the town centre and the forum, basilica and market hall were never rebuilt. Early
Saxon burials in the cemeteries suggest these people took control of the town soon after their arrival.
Remains
Further Information
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