Category: sean-williams - Part 8

AWiL Video Series – Queen Boudicca: Celtic Fashion and the Battle of Watling Street

Boudicca massacred 80,000 people on her way to infamy, as she left Colchester, London and St Albans little more than smouldering husks in 60AD. And it’s no surprise to learn that her appearance matched her bloodthirsty attitude. Boudicca was “a great big busty woman,” says expert Mark Hassall, “with a blonde mass of hair falling down to her shoulders. And she was wearing the torc, a symbol of virility.” (Our very own Boudicca also carries the stunning Battersea Shield – we know it’s a bit late but it’s a great example of Celtic ceremonial attire).

Torc (exemplified perfectly in the Snettisham Hoard), a beautiful mass of tangled gold, was normally worm by important men: it was Boudicca’s way of telling everyone that she wore the trousers (read about the recently discovered Stirling Torc Hoard here). And wear them she did, mercilessly slaughtering everyone in her path after having been betrayed by the Romans. Her husband Prasutagus was king of the Iceni tribe, in modern Norfolk, and became a client king of the invading Romans. “It was an alliance with him personally,” says Mark, “so it lasted as long as he was still there.

“Suetonius said to the people of Britain, ‘anyone who’d like to come with us…’ but old guys and women and children were abandoned to their fate.”

“But the chap in charge of the financial affairs of the Roman province said, ‘who’s fussed about some tribal chieftain?’ So they went in and took everything.” When Boudicca dissented she was beaten and her daughters raped. Destitute and demonic with rage, the queen rose up with her Celtic hoards to take Colchester, burning everything in sight. Her next stop was London, dishing out much the same treatment.

Britannia’s Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinus was already fighting tribesmen in Wales when he caught wind of the rebellion. Yet after having rushed down Watling Street to salvage London, he realised he’d bitten off more than he could chew. “Suetonius realised that there was no way they could hold this undefended city against the rebels, so he would have to retreat back up the line of Watling Street,” says Mark. “He said to the people of Britain, anyone whod like to come with us but old guys and women and children were virtually abandoned to their fate.”

What did Boudicca do to earn her place in the elusive Westminster? Image Credit - Burc Ozkan. With London demolished, Boudicca turned her sights on Suetonius, a decision which would prove fatal. The Romans picked a dense patch of forest to face off with the Britons: “This meant that the British superiority in numbers couldnt have an effect; they couldnt wheel round and attack the Roman lines from the side.

“It was inevitable that the Romans, with this superior equipment and training, should absolutely annihilate the Britons,” says Mark. Annihilate may be an understatement: in their bloodlust the Romans spared no elderley, women or children who had come to see the battle. Some might say the Celts got what they deserved after having murdered so many Roman citizens.

“After Boudicca was defeated its a bit of a mystery what happens to her,” says Mark. “Some people say she got ill and died, some people say she took poison. Theres a myth shes buried under one of the platforms at Kings Cross station, but basically we dont know.” Where do you think Boudicca is today? Answers on a postcard, or maybe just the .

HD Video: Episode 6 – Boudicca, Warrior Queen

(Transcription of this video.)

You can participate in Ancient World in London through our contests – you can also join in the fun with our virtual quests as well as have a look back at our recent lecture with astronomy author Paul Murdin. Take a look through our soon – with your help – to be complete directory of The Ancient World in London and suggest any that we may have missed. Just as well, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any suggestions for our webseries! Keep up-to-date with everything in the Ancient World in London by subscribing to our RSS feeds, or by following us onTwitter,YouTube,Facebook,FlickrandiTunes.Heritage Key – Unlock the Wonders.

Is Queen Boudicca Buried Beneath London’s Kings Cross Station?

Boudicca is one of ancient Britain’s biggest names: she’s even got her own statue overlooking Parliament. (Click to watch the Boudicca video) But for all today’s archaeological breakthroughs, we still don’t know where she’s buried right now. In fact, we don’t even know where she and the Romans played out a bloody denouement to the rebellion at the Battle of Watling Street. Even Tacitus and Cassius Dio, the Roman historians who chronicled the event, can’t agree whether she committed suicide or fell victim to illness.

So where is Boudicca today, apart from the government’s doorstep? A host of elaborate locations have been mooted over the years, but one I’ve noticed, while working on our Boudicca Ancient World in London video, leaps out more than others. A 1937 book by Lewis Spence called Boadicea, Warrior Queen of the Britons placed the Battle of Watling Street in the valley now occupied by Kings Cross and St Pancras Stations. Spence even made diagrams of the battle itself, but he built his argument on some pretty shaky evidence, with no archaeological clout whatsoever backing his claim.

It’s romantic to think that Boudicca is buried beneath the 7.14 to Manchester

Still, who knew truth to get in the way of a good story? Spence’s book was popular, and his theories spread like a bad fart. His bright idea may have had something to do with an old town called Battle Bridge, an ancient crossing of the River Fleet which stood on the site hundreds of years previously.

Yet to his credit Spence never actually said Boudicca was buried beneath the station; that appears to be thanks to the local media, delighted at their five seconds in the spotlight. Just after the Second World War the plot thickened when someone even hand-picked which platforms she was buried under! It’s nine and 10, by the way. A panel at the station celebrates this ‘fact’, as does nearby Boadicea Street.

Is Boudicca being crushed by the commuter run each day? Methinks not. The sad truth is that despite the epic nature of the battle – Dio claims there were over 200,000 Celts – we still don’t know where Boudicca met her bloody match. Some historians place the battle in the Midlands, others as far south as Surrey. I, like all of you I suspect, would love to think that Boudicca is buried under the 7.14 to Manchester Picadilly. Sadly it seems, we just ain’t got a clue.

HD Video: Episode 6 – Boudicca

(Transcription of this video.)

Check out our Ancient World in Londonvideo on Roman Colchester, one of the three cities Boudicca burnt to the ground. Keep checking in to our AWiL video page, where we’ll shortly be bringing you a special feature on Boudicca herself

Live from Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall – Latest News and Photographs

Hadrian’s Wall snakes its way through 84 miles of barren British countryside, the frostbitten tip of the Roman empire. Yet you needn’t leave your PC to get a feel for this weekend’s illuminations event, which promises to be a spectacular celebration of Roman prowess.

Nicole, Sam and myself will be heading up to the wall to watch the illuminations for an Ancient World in London video about the bits of Britain even Rome dared not tinker with. We’ll be visiting some of the wall’s best-known sites, and speaking to experts about its glorious past.

But you don’t have to wait for the video to get a feel for one of Britain’s most impressive ancient landmarks. I’ll be keeping a Hadrian’s Wall Diary throughout the event (update: find it here), and we’ll all be tweeting our pants off to give you the latest on the illuminations – check into this blog to see our live feed as it happens.

We’ll also be posting photographs regularly so you can see the stunning event from your own home, before anyone else. If you’re thinking of taking snaps yourself, you might want to check out our interview with renowned heritage photographer Derry Brabbs.

We’re dedicated to bring you the best of the ancient world here at Heritage Key, so keep checking in to see and hear from what should be one of the year’s most impressive adventures.

Tweets Live from Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall

Are you going too? Let us know – or give us updates from your spot along the wall – by tweeting @heritagekey using #illuminatinghadrianswall

What is @EmperorHadrian saying?

(Yes, we know Emperor Hadrian is long past dead, but well.. he’s tweeting on behalf of Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall)

Photos from Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall

To see your own photographs – and even video – from Hadrian’s Wall Illumination appearing here,
add them to our Flickr group and tag them with ‘illuminatinghadrianswall’ as well as ‘heritagekey’.

You can participate in Ancient World in London through our contests – check out our latest blogger’s challenge on London’s most important site, and you can join in the fun with our virtual quest as well as have a look back at our recent lecture with astronomy author Paul Murdin. Take a look through our soon – with your help – to be complete directory of The Ancient World in London and suggest any that we may have missed. Just as well, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any suggestions for our webseries! Keep up-to-date with everything in the Ancient World in London by subscribing to our RSS feeds, or by following us onTwitter,YouTube,Facebook,FlickrandiTunes.Heritage Key – Unlock the Wonders.

Colchester’s Roman Circus ‘Will be Fantastic’

This week campaigners reached a 200,000 target in their fight to save Colchester’s Roman circus. But it’s just the tip of an iceberg of red tape the circus must dodge to survive as a tourist attraction. And while the city’s leading archaeologist is thrilled the landmark figure has finally been made, he warns there’s much more work to be done.

Philip Crummy, director of Colchester Archaeology Trust, has long been fighting for the circus’ survival, and recongises the effort of everyone involved in keeping the dream alive: “We’re delighted that the sponsors and the public have been so helpful with this,” he says, “it’s been great. We’re now looking forward to moving on to the next stage – there’s a lot to do.”

The target is just one in a series of hurdles facing the campaign, which has already enlisted famous faces like Roman Mysteries author Caroline Lawrence, Time Team host Tony Robinson and TV historian Dan Cruickshank to fight its case. The future of the circus rests on the sale and restoration of the Sergeant’s Mess, a Victorian building sitting on top of the circus’ main gate. “This (money) is enough to do the first round of repairs,” says Philip. “The rest is from a mix of investors and public funding. It’s quite a technical process.”

“The result will be fantastic, and we’re determined to make it work.” – Philip Crummy

The trust plans to excavate the gate area, and open a state-of-the-art ‘interpretation area’, where visitors can experience a Roman day at the chariot races. Other parts of the mess will be made the trust’s headquarters. Philip hopes to have something in place by this summer: “It could take as long as two years to get the whole thing done though,” he says.

“It takes a year just to get planning permission,” Philip adds. “By the summer we could, if all goes as quickly as possible, be in a position to start repairing the building. If we do get into the building we’ll put in a temporary display.”

Philip insists the long-term future of the project looks bright, with private and council initiatives leading the way: “We’re in talks with a major tea room company about leasing them part of the building. That will hopefully provide enough money to pay the running costs of the interpretation centre which actually won’t be very great. If we can get to that stage we feel there’s a really solid long-term business plan there that will allow us to do what we want to do.

“(The circus) is 10-15 minutes outside the town centre but the council have this idea that they’re going to develop a ‘heritage arc’, which will start at the museum up to St. Botolph’s Priory, up to St John’s Abbey gate and then to the circus. It will tie the circus to the town centre and to the castle.”

It has been five years since archaeologists stumbled across the circus on an evaluation dig for property developers. The fight to save it is understandable: not only is it the only Roman chariot racetrack in Britain, it’s also the biggest known example outside Rome itself. Little wonder the trust is keen to make it one of Colchester’s premier heritage sites. “It’s a difficult project with lots of problems,” says Philip defiantly. “But the result will be fantastic, and we’re determined to make it work.”

Click here to see an extended interview with Philip Crummy, on plans for the circus.

Check out our Ancient World in London video below, when we took Jamie on a guided tour round Colchester, Britain’s oldest city. You can still help save the Roman circus by visiting the campaign homepage and making a donation. Heritage Key – Unlock the Wonders.

Salve! Colchester’s Roman Circus Reaches Funding Target

The future of Britain’s only chariot racetrack is looking a lot brighter this week, as the public funding needed to save Colchester’s Roman circus was reached yesterday. The 200,000 raised by Colchester Archaeological Trust and Destination Colchester will join 30,000 from the local council and 550,000 in loans and grants. The total will go towards buying the Sergeant’s Mess, a Victorian building which stands upon the circus’ gates. To see an in-depth blog on the campaign itself, click here.

Campaign spokesperson Wendy Bailey tells the BBC this funding is merely one of many obstacles the team faces, if Colchester is to see the circus in its former glory: “We have a very strong position now in order to complete the package which has to be put together. It’s a very big building that we’re trying to buy and now we’ve got part of it, we’ve got to lock in all the other partners.”

“We have a very strong position now in order to complete the package which has to be put together.”

Celebrities such as Roman Mysteries author Caroline Lawrence, Time Team presenter Tony Robinson and TV historian Dan Cruickshank have lent their voices to the campaign, which has even seen Roman centurions visiting Colchester United FC matches. Local actress Millie Banks, who played the character of Pulchra in the CBBC adaptation of Lawrence’s books, also starred in a presentation about daily life at the circus on February 19, which raised a substantial part of the final 200,000 needed by the end of the month.

Now that target has been achieved, Ms Bailey is confident it will provide a springboard to the city’s lofty plans for the circus. “This means we can apply for heritage lottery funds and other funding,” she says. “We’re now looking at how to put this complicated financial package together.” The plans will see part of the Sergeant’s Mess transformed into an ‘interpretation centre’ and Colchester Archaeological Trust offices. The rest of the space will be divided up between private investors.

The circus, discovered in 2005, is the largest known circus outside Rome. Plans for the site include excavating the gate area of the quarter-mile-long track and installing interactive screens showing what a day at the races would have been like 2,000 years ago. Acclaimed writer Lawrence hails the circus as a “real national treasure…well worth saving for the thousands of schoolchildren (and their parents) who love learning about Britain’s Roman heritage.”

Colchester, Britain’s first town, is already rich in Roman, Saxon and Medieval history. Surrounded by a Roman town wall, the Essex city counts Colchester Castle, the Roman theatre and Holy Trinity Church among its many attractions. Heritage Key recently visited Colchester as part of our Ancient World in London video series – see how much fun we had below.

HD Video: Colchester/Camulodunon (Save Our Roman Circus)

(Click here to read a transcript of this video)

You can still help save the Roman circus: just visit the fund’s website and submit a donation. Keep up-to-date with all of our Ancient World in London content via the special homepage. Heritage Key – Unlock the Wonders.

AWiL Video Series – Colchester, Britain’s First Roman City

Colchester can lay claim to a bevy of titles: some impressive, some not so. For instance, you might not know that it’s the first-ever town in Britain, founded as a Roman soldiers’ outpost shortly after Claudius‘ 43AD landing. You may also be unaware that it’s the home of Mary Whitehouse, Colchester United and Darren Day. A mixed bag, admittedly.

But there’s no denying Colchester’s history runs deep, and the wealth of ancient history lurking above ground could put central London to shame. Walls, churches, castles and priories are the lasting evidence of a town which became the capital of England in its Roman infancy, before the brutality of Boudicca and her marauding Celts saw to its total destruction in 60AD. Later years saw the city rebuilt by the Romans, before Saxons and Normans stamped their fearsome mark upon it.

Colchester, ne Camulodunon (a Celtic name meaning ‘fortress of the war god Camulos’), was near the summit of our Ancient World in London video hitlist, being just 55 miles from London in Essex. And thankfully we had the perfect guide: Howard Brooks, of the Colchester Archaeological Trust. The trust have been discovering and preserving the city’s history for decades. And it’s clear that Howard has lost none of his passion for archaeology. “It’s a thrill to be a digger working on a site as rich as this in Colchester,” he says.

“It’s a thrill to be a digger working on a site as rich as this in Colchester.”

Our first stop lies predictably on the outskirts of central Colchester, where the Roman wall (Check out our Top Ten Roman Walls)is a poignant reminder of Boudicca’s bloodthirsty rampage. Built just after her revolt in 60AD, it’s still visible in giant chunks today. The Balkerne Gate is a triumphant arch and watchtower at the mouth of the ancient city. “This is where the guards who would have been stationed in theory to say ‘Halt! Who goes there?'” says Howard. Most of the gate still stands, including lumps of Roman waterproof mortar, which allowed them to build in the less-than-tropical climates of East Anglia.

There’s a lot more of Colchester’s Roman wall left than in London, a large part of which we visited last week with Ian Smith(Watch that video). This may be because Colchester was the first city to feel the wrath of the Boudiccan Revolt, an incredible piece of British history. Boudicca, an Iceni queen native to modern Norfolk, was betrayed by the Roman British governer, beaten and her daughters raped. Understandably enraged, Boudicca rounded up her Celtic men and marched on Colchester, London and StAlbans in 60AD, burning each city to the ground and killing up to 80,000 people in the process. To this day, a layer of burned soil in each city is testament to the ubiquity of her destruction.

Boudicca would eventually meet a mysterious end a year later, defeated by the Roman governer at the Battle of Watling Street, whereabouts unknown, and slain in battle or by her own hand, depending on who you believe. Colchester, or what was left of it, was rebuilt, and the walls duly went up to avoid a bloody repeat. Colchester would then play second fiddle to London for its entire history, losing capital status but remaining an important outpost.

The Roman assimilation of Britain continued at break-neck speed until the 4th century AD. And the empire’s progressiveness is shown in Colchester’s Roman church, oddly found at the foot of a modern roundabout. “It’s almost 300 years after the Roman invasion we became officially Christianised,” says Howard. Before Constantine led the empire’s conversion in 313, Britain was still worshipping pagan gods like Mithras (see his temple in London here) and the Roman emperor, who was also officially a god.

Later centuries saw the Saxons bringing their versions of Christianity to the country, and Holy Trinity Church in Colchester’s city centre shows perfectly the ramshackle nature of Saxon architecture. “It’s been built out of Roman material, stone, brick and tile that has been recycled from the Roman houses around here,” says Howard.

Our next stop is the Roman theatre, discovered in the 1980s, lying strangely inside a house in Colchester’s Dutch Quarter. This is “where they had gladiatorial contests and also probably addresses of the council and meetings,” says Howard. Its current home, inside a small house in the city’s Dutch quarter, only adds to its mystique.

Howard takes us round St Botolph’s Priory, Britain’s first such Augustinian priory, and Colchester Castle, the largest-ever Norman keep, before telling us about Colchester’s hottest story: the Roman circus. Discovered in 2005, it’s Britain’s only chariot-racing track, and the biggest outside Rome.

The trust is understandably excited – especially now a fundraiser to save the site from development has just reached its 200,000 target (see the full story here). “It’s like Ben Hur, it’s a place where the Romans raced chariots competitively round a long circuit,” says Howard. The trust hopes to preserve the circus as an interactive centre where you can see chariots racing on a big screen. We leave Colchester praying they can make it happen.

HD Video: Colchester/Camulodunon (Save Our Roman Circus)

(Click here to read a transcript of this video)

The World’s First Chat-up Line was Gay

A panel of Japanese experts recently revealed what they considered to be the world’s greatest chat-up line, based upon reams of psychological and sociological research. The result? “This time next year, let’s be laughing together.”

Apparently the sure-fire phrase is based on keywords guaranteed to get the romantic juices flowing. I’m not convinced: it’s hardly Shakespeare, barely even Barbara Cartland.

Still, you might be surprised to learn that the world’s first chat-up wasn’t from a man to a woman, but from man to man. Yes, that’s right folks: the world’s first chat-up line is gay. The Tale of Horus and Seth, an Late Middle Kingdom (1850 – 1700BC) Egyptian papyrus, tells the story of the two gods’ rivalry for Horus’ father Osiris’ throne. After 80 years of arguing, Seth decides to take a rather different route to fool his foe.

“How lovely are your buttocks! And how muscular your thighs…”

Having invited Horus round his house for a feast, Seth performs a sex act on him to have Horus fall out of favour with the courts deciding who will succeed Osiris. In most papyri the act occurs of itself, yet in a version held at London’s Petrie Museum, Seth has to work a little more for his conquest:”How lovely are your buttocks! And how muscular your thighs,” he mentions cheekily.

I’m sure most of us have heard plenty worse, proving that the evolution of the chat-up line really hasn’t come that far in almost 4,000 years. The Tale of Horus and Seth features at the Petrie Museum’s LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Trail, part of UCL’s LGBT month this February, which has included talks by revered historians like Andrew Lear, who spoke recently on Greek pederasty.

If you want to see more of love and sex in the ancient world, then check out our special Ancient World in London video below, where we encounter steamy tales at Roman Baths and the alien world of pederasty.

(Click here to read a transcript of this video)

You can participate in Ancient World in London through our contests – if you’re in London, then check out Spot Ancient London, otherwise you can join in the fun with our virtual quest or the blogger’s challenge. Take a look through our soon – with your help – to be complete directory of The Ancient World in London and suggest any that we may have missed. Just as well, do not hesitate to contact us if you have any suggestions for our webseries! Keep up-to-date with everything in the Ancient World in London by subscribing to our RSS feeds, or by following us onTwitter,YouTube,Facebook,FlickrandiTunes.Heritage Key – Unlock the Wonders.

Check in to our AWiL video page to see all of our latest videos. Unlock the Wonders with Heritage Key.

Unlock the Wonders of the Universe and Star in an AWiL Video!

Want to star in an Ancient World in London video, and learn about the stars at the same time? Then join Heritage Key and famed astronomy writer Paul Murdin at a cool London restaurant this Wednesday at 6:30pm, as the Secrets of the Universe author gives a special presentation on how ancient civilisations and British astronomers have discovered the cosmos.

The talk, entitled ‘Unlocking the Wonders of Astronomy’, will show how man’s obsession with the heavens has endured for thousands of years, from the first cities of Sumer to the technological breakthroughs of today’s most powerful nations. The presentation will be held at Cicada, a hip restaurant in the heart of the City of London.

Paul is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, former president of the European Astronomical Society and Visiting Professor at John Moores University, Liverpool, and he currently works at the Institute of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge. He has written numerous popular and scholarly books on astronomy and is a regular commentator for the BBC and CNN. In 1988 he received the OBE for his contributions to astronomy and his efforts to make it accessible to everyone. Secrets of the Universe: How we Discovered the Cosmos, published by Thames and Hudson, is a stunning journey through astronomy including over 500 special illustrations.

The presentation therefore promises to be a mouth-watering combination of fascinating insights and spectacular images, as he brings millennia of human endeavour to a wholly modern audience. We’ll even be filming the event, so come along and be a part of our Ancient World in London series. You might even be our next big star!

So join us on an evening of discovery as we unlock the secrets of the stars with the nation’s top astronomy writer. Don’t forget: this event is just one of dozens of real-world, virtual and online events we have running throughout Ancient World in London. Check out our excellent video series to see what you can be a part of this Wednesday, and keep up-to-date with us on YouTube, Twitter, Flickr,Facebook and iTunes. You can even discover ancient stargazing from your desk with our breathtakingly beautiful Stonehenge Virtual.

Follow the LGBT Trail at the Petrie Museum this Month

Learning about ‘alternative’ sexualities through time is often a murky business, beset with the prejudices and right-leaning morals of almost every culture in history. And when you’re looking as far back as ancient Egypt, the task becomes infinitely harder. This makes the Petrie Museum’s latest endeavour all the more impressive, as it falls in line with LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Month, a UK-wide event running throughout February.

Watch our special AWiL video on Love & Sex in the ancient world here.

Like lesbian or gay history in general, you’ll have to do more than scratch at the museum’s surface to get a sniff of alternative sexualities in Egypt. ‘Beyond Isis and Osiris: Alternative Sexualities in Ancient Egypt’ is a recondite retrospective of gay and lesbian life, shown via 14 artefacts. Organiser John J. Johnston is hardly surprised at the lack of conspicuous gay iconography millennia ago:”That there is an ‘official’ somewhat censorious attitude towards homosexual acts in Pharaonic Egyptian culture is difficult to deny…The twenty-seventh declaration of the Book of the Dead is a confirmation by the deceased that he did not have homosexual relations.”

“The twenty-seventh declaration of the Book of the Dead is a confirmation by the deceased that he did not have homosexual relations.”

Yet Mr Johnston argues that this suppression proves homosexual activity occured in ancient Egypt – and there is no lack of museum evidence to back his claim. A stela of Akhenaten and his wife Nefertiti shows the heretic king in a wholly effeminate light, suggesting some sort of hermaphroditic aspect to his heretic worship of Aten, the sun-disk. The Tale of Horus and Seth, a papyrus fragment, describes how the two gods “lay down together. At night, Seth let his member become stiff and he inserted it between the thighs of Horus…”

The Classical Period is also explored in the trail, including the alleged romance of Alexander the Great and Hephaestion – see an in-depth article here. Emperor Hadrian, one of Rome’s greatest leaders, was supposedly embroiled in a love affair with a young man called Antinous: a bronze coin of the former and marble statue of the latter prove handy insights into the tale.

The trail is part of a wider series of events and lectures run by University College London this month, which has already featured Andrew Lear’s fascinating views on Greek pederasty. And Mr Johnston claims the Petrie Museum is the perfect venue for such a trail, as “Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie was particularly keen, in his excavation of settlement areas, to reveal the truth of the ancient Egyptians’ day-to-day lives rather than uncovering the art treasures and funerary artefacts sought by his contemporaries.” Catch the LGBT Trail throughout February.

AWiL Video Series: Love and Sex in the Ancient World

It’s the month of love, as our wealth of Valentine’s-inspired articles and contests testify (including dinner at Stonehenge Virtual and the top ten ancient romances), so from the murky history of theLondon Stone, we’ve delved into the mucky world of love and sex in the ancient world. A quick glance on the net will show you February has been linked with love since the Classical Period: Lupercalia, celebrated from the 13th to 15th, hailed fertility – while Gamelion worshipped the marriage of Zeus and Hera.

But there’s a seedier side to Greco-Roman relations. And if you’ve ever seen the erotic frescoes at Pompeii, you’ll understand why we were quick to whisk Natalie off to Bath Spa, an hour from London, to see what really went on at Aquae Sulis (‘The Waters of Sulis’) for our latest Ancient World in London video.

But while most scenes at Pompeii would make a Vivid director blush, it seems goings-on at Bath were more Mary Whitehouse than Debbie does Dallas. “There’s a bath at Rome that has erotic wall paintings,” says Roman Baths manager Stephen Clews, “so it’s assumed the activities there were morally questionable. But I think this bath-house probably wouldn’t have been like that, it’s whole set-up was rather different…probably under the control of priests.”

“Romance is an alien concept to the ancient world.”

Lack of licentiousness aside Bath is a beautiful place, one of England’s biggest tourist attractions, and with good reason. Though everything above waist height is a Georgian construct, it’s still a unique insight, in Britain at least, into a religious Roman holiday camp (think Butlins with a little less drinking). A hot spring brings water gushing to the surface at up to 46 degress – no wonder, then, that locals from Druidic times until the Middle Ages held Bath up as a gift from the gods.

“When the Romans first arrived in this part of the world there was no reason for them to settle here, apart from the fact that there was hot water coming out of the ground,” says Charlotte Hanna, marketing manager for Thermae Bath Spa, a modern spa built just around the corner from the Roman baths. “Once the Romans withdrew from Britain, the city carried on thriving as a small market town but with hot water…without the water there really wouldn’t be a city.”

It seems that while Romans were getting down and dirty across the channel, their Britannic counterparts were getting little more than a good scrub. A little disappointing, if I’m honest. So we chatted to Debbie Challis of the Petrie Museum, to see just how different things were 2,000 years ago. “Romance is an alien concept to the ancient world, particularly the Romans. Love affairs…depends on your position in society.”

There’s little wonder, says Debbie, that all the great Roman love poets were men: “If you were a Roman man you could afford to have love affairs and write poetry. For a Roman woman it would be very different. It would be different again if you were a slave woman.” Some might say the Romans were an enlightened bunch, but it seems they would have hardly made Germaine Greer a best-seller.

The Greek world may have taught us democracy and geometry, but one side of their culture seems certain not to catch on in a hurry. The idea of pederasty – whereby an older man, an erastes, would court a younger man (as young as 14), the eromenos, hoping to have sex with him – still steers pretty close to today’s mark.

“The reason it’s alien to us today,” says Debbie, “is because our idea of when people should have sex has changed. In the last ten, twenty years we find the idea of sex between men less weird, but we find the idea of such older men and younger men more problematic.” The practice is captured in the controverial Warren Cup, a stunning silver goblet featuring two explicit homoerotic scenes. Withheld from public view until 1980, the Cup is now one of the British Museum’s best examples of Greco-Roman artwork.

HD Video: Love and Sex in the Ancient World

(Click here to read a transcript of this video)