Wiki Categories: Map Features

Baltic

  • The Baltic Sea is an almost enclosed Sea which connects through a narrow seaway called the Skagerrak into the North Sea and so into the Atlantic.
  • Tacitus called the Baltic the ‘Mare Suebicum’ named after the Suebi Tribe in his ‘Agricola’ and ‘Germania’. Pliny the Elder noted that the Baltic had a low salinity.

Baltic Rim Countries

  • The Sea is surrounded by the following countries in clockwise order:
  • Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kaliningrad (Russia), Poland, Germany, Denmark.

Bays and Gulfs

  • It has four Gulfs and many Bays: the Bay of Bothnia, the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga and the Gulf of Gdansk.

Islands and Archipelagos

  • Aland Archipelago (6,500 islands), Blekinge Archipelago, Bornholm, Falster, Gotland, Hailuoto, Kotlin, Lolland, Kvarken Archipelago, Mon, Oland, Rugen, Stockholm Archipelago, Varmdon, Usedom, West Estonian Archipelago, Hiiumaa, Muhu, Saaremaa, Vormsi, Wolin and Zealand.

Skagerrak and Danish Straits

  • The Skagerrak is a Strait that connects the North Sea with the Kattegat Sea.
  • It passes between southeastern Norway, western Sweden and the Jutland Peninsular of Denmark.
  • It then connects with the Baltic through the Danish Straits.

Curonian Spit

  • The Curonian Spit forms a barrier which separates the Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea.
  • It stretches 62 miles (100 km) from Lithuania to Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave, and is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Vistula Spit

  • The Vistula Spit is a narrow sandbank that separates the Vistula Lagoon from the Gdansk Bay of the Baltic. The highest Sand dunes reach 82 feet (25m) in height.

Amber

  • Pytheas
    • Pytheus stated that Amber was mainly found on the Baltic Sea coasts.
    • In his Work ‘On the Ocean’ (now lost) Pytheas wrote about Amber.
  • Pliny the Elder
    • He quoted the passage from Pytheas in his Natural History, in which Pytheas claimed that the Gutones found Amber on the beaches of the Isle of Abalus, in the Mentonomon Sea (Baltic), which they collected and then sold to the Teutones.

Amber Road

  • Amber travelled along the Amber Road from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and the Black Sea.

 

Baltic Sea

Castra Vetera

  • Castra Vetera was a Roman Legionary Fortress located in modern Xanten in Germany. It was in the Province of Germania Inferior.
  • It is now the site of the Open Air Archeological Park of Xanten which is a Museum where many of the buildings have been reconstructed.

Museums

  • Xanten Archeological Park
    • This is Europe’s largest open air museum on the site of the Roman Legionary Fortress of Castra Vetera and the town of Colonia Ulpia Traiana.
      • Roman Baths
        • including double glazing to keep Baths warm in Winter.
      • Roman Military Hospital
        • built to house 6-8 per cent of the Legion’s soldiers.
      • Roman Temple
      • Roman Amphitheatre
      • Roman Hostel
      • Roman City walls and gates
  • Xanten Archeological Park

History

 

Xanten Archeological Park, Germany

Car Dyke

  • The Car Dyke was an 86 mile (137km) long Roman Canal that connected the River Cam to the River Ouse in Cambridgeshire, built in the 1st century CE.

History

  • It is considered to have been navigable during the Roman Period. Parts are still visible as it was very wide.
  • A drainage cut connected the River Ouse to the River Nene, and another canal connected the Nene to the River Witham and Lincoln.
  • It is possible that a Roman Barge could have travelled from Cambridge to Lincoln and on to York without venturing into the North Sea by using the Fos Dyke that connected Lincoln to the River Trent.

 

Car Dyke

Palace of Domitian

  • The Palace of Domitian, also known as the Domus Flavia or the Flavian Palace, was completed by Domitian in 92 CE.
  • It was a massive complex that dominated the Palatine Hill in Rome and all Roman Emperors then used it as their main Place of Residence.

The Layout

  • The building was built of bricks and concrete and was segregated into three areas:
    • The Domus Flavia, a West Wing for conducting public business.
    • The Domus Augustana, an East Wing with private residential apartments.
    • The Gardens and Hippodrome, attached to the eastern side of the Domus Augustana.

1. The Domus Flavia (West Wing)

  • The western part of the Palace was where the Emperor conducted business and affairs of state.

The Portico

  • A road left the Forum Romanum and led to the North exterior of the Palace. fronted by a Portico. The Portico ran along the north wall, then followed down the west wall.
  • There were three rooms behind the Portico.

The Aula Regia

  • The Aula Regia was the Audience Chamber where the Emperor held his Court and conducted formal ceremonies and meetings. His chair was located in an apse in the south wall.
  • The ceiling was 90 feet high (30m). The walls were faced with marble veneer with purple marble columns.
  • There were eight alcoves for eight giant statues. Two of these were, Hercules and Bacchus, made of rare green Egyptian Sandstone, and are over 11 feet (3.5m) tall.
  • They are now located in the Farnese Collection, housed in the Archeological Museum in Parma.

The Larario

The Basilica

  • The Basilica to the left, may have been the office where the Emperor conducted his informal business.

The Peristyle

  • The Aula Regia led south into a huge central Peristyle, a courtyard surrounded by rows of columns and a covered porch.
  • In the middle of the courtyard was an ornamental garden and large pool. In the centre of the pool was an octagonal island with channels and fountains made of marble.

The Aula Ottogonale

  • There was a West entrance through the Aula Ottogonale, with Triclinia on either side furnished with reclining couches. On the East side were more Triclinia.

The Banquet Hall

  • The Peristyle led south again into the Cenatio, or Banquet Hall which was almost the same size as the Aula Regia. The floor was covered in a huge mosaic. Here the Emperor would entertain his guests. The views were spectacular, north onto the Peristyle and fountains, or both east and west onto courtyards with marble columns and fountains.

2. The Domus Augustana (East Wing)

  • This was a similar sized Building which mirrored the western part and held the Emperor’s private residential apartments.

The Vestibulum

  • This was a large Entrance Hall, for visitors to wait to have an audience with the Emperor.

The Peristyle

  • Behind the Vestibulum was another huge Peristyle.

Private Rooms and Apartments

  • Behind this Peristyle was a group of private rooms and apartments leading to a third garden.

The Baths

  • To the right of the Vestibulum and Peristyle were the Baths.

3. The Hippodrome and Garden

  • The area to the right of the Vestibulum and Peristyle held a private Hippodrome and another garden.

 

Circus Maximus

  • The Palace of Domitian overlooked the Circus Maximus which formed the southern perimeter.

The Salutatio

  • Each morning, starting before dawn, from roughly 0600 to 0800, a crowd gathered for an audience with the Emperor.
  • The Roman tradition of Salutatio, was the requirement of Client, in formal dress (the Toga), to attend on his Roman Patron at dawn, and greet him to show him reverence or friendship.
  • Visitors were divided into groups based on class, and admitted by importance of their rank.
  • Although it is not known, they were possibly admitted into the Vestibulum first, then high rank visitors would be seated in the Recliniums or Peristyles, before being granted an audience.

The Imperial Horseguard

  • The Imperial Horseguard, also known as the ‘Equites Singulares Augusti’, guarded the Palace from 98-312 CE, possibly wearing swords, ceremonial breastplates and smart red capes to impress visitors, although their standard uniform was the tunic.
  • The Palace Guard were selected for their exceptional height, muscular size and impressive appearance.

 

Domus Flavia, Rome

Piscina Mirabilis

Description

  • The Cistern was the terminus for the Aqua Augusta, the Aqueduct that supplied eight cities around the Bay of Naples. The water came from over 87 miles (140 km) away.
  • It was constructed inside a cliff and supported by vaulted ceilings held up by 48 pillars.
  • It had a capacity of 12,600 cubic meters.

 

Piscina Mirabilis:

Aqua Claudia

Getting There

  • Location 1: Via Statilla next to Porta Maggiore, Rome.
  • Nearest Tram Station: Porta Maggiore, Line 5, Line 14.
  • Location 2: Park of the Aqueducts, Via Lemonia, Rome.
  • Nearest Metro Station: Lucio Sestio, Giulio Agricola, Subaugusta, Line A.

The 11 Aqueducts of Ancient Rome

Cloaca Maxima

  • The Cloaca Maxima was the Sewer of Ancient Rome, through which all the used water from the aqueducts flowed into the River Tiber.

Sources

  • Frontinus:
    • ‘De Aquaeductu’, ‘The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome’, (c.95-99 CE).
  • Vitruvius:
    • De Architectura (c.15 BCE)  It includes a general section on Aqueducts.

 

Aqua Claudia

Aqua Anio Novus

The 11 Aqueducts of Ancient Rome

Cloaca Maxima

  • The Cloaca Maxima was the Sewer of Ancient Rome, through which all the used water from the aqueducts flowed into the River Tiber.

Sources

  • Frontinus:
    • ‘De Aquaeductu’, ‘The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome’, (c.95-99 CE).
  • Vitruvius:
    • De Architectura (c.15 BCE)  It includes a general section on Aqueducts.

 

Rome

Aqua Alexandrina

Getting there

  • Location: Viale Palmiro Togliatti, Rome.
  • Nearest Metro Station: Mirti, Line C.

The 11 Aqueducts of Ancient Rome

Cloaca Maxima

  • The Cloaca Maxima was the Sewer of Ancient Rome, through which all the used water from the aqueducts flowed into the River Tiber.

Sources

  • Frontinus:
    • ‘De Aquaeductu’, ‘The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome’, (c.95-99 CE).
  • Vitruvius:
    • De Architectura (c.15 BCE)  It includes a general section on Aqueducts.

 

Aqua Alexandrina

Aqua Augusta

  • The Aqua Augusta or Serino Aqueduct was a Roman Aqueduct supplying water to Naples and seven other nearby cities.
  • It was built by Augustus sometime between 30-20 BCE, and completed by 10 CE, making it the fourth longest aqueduct in the Roman Empire.

Route

Description

  • The cost of construction was approximately between 150 and 450 million Sesterces.
  • The Aqueduct was almost 87 miles (140 km) in length.
  • It started at the Acquaro and Pelosi Springs in the Apennines near Serino, at 1,213 ft (370 m) above sea level, and terminated at the Piscina Mirabilis at the Roman Naval Base of Portus Julius, Misenum at sea-level.
  • The Aqueduct ran in tunnels for a great part of its journey, including in parallel to the Crypta Neapolitana road tunnel near Naples.
  • In 79 CE the Aqueduct was covered in volcanic ash by the eruption of Vesuvius, and after the eruption of 472 CE, the Aqueduct ceased to function.

The Engineering Required:

  • A length of 87 miles (140km).
  • A 3.5 miles (6 km) tunnel
  • A  1.2 miles (2 km) tunnel into the Sarno Plain.
  • The 2 mile (3,5 km) Pomigliano d’Arco Arcade.
  • Two 0.6 mile (1 km) tunnels.
  • A sea crossing to an island.
  • A giant Cistern at the Terminus, known as the Piscina Mirabilis.
  • To cope with constant ground movement from volcanic tremors.

In Literature

  • ‘Pompeii’
    • This is a novel by Robert Harris and published by Random House in 2003.
    • The story is about a Roman Engineer in charge of the Aqua Augusta, and its link to Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius.

 

Aqueduct of Serafino, Naples

Azores

  • The Azores (Lat.37.74°) is an archipelago of nine volcanic islands located in the Atlantic Ocean, 870 miles (1,400km) west of Lisbon (Lat. 38.72°).
  • It is in the Autonomous Region of the Azores which is part of the Republic of Portugal. The largest city is Ponta Delgada on San Miguel Island.

Macaronesia

  • Macaronesia is a group of four volcanic archipelagos located in the Atlantic Ocean near to the coasts of Europe and Africa.
  • Each archipelago is a separate political system. Poitically, the islands that belong to Spain and Portugal are part of the European Union, while Cape Verde is a member of the African Union.

 

Ponta Delgada, Azores