200

kms

IBE

RIA

NS

Ars

e(S

agun

to)

Car

thag

e

And

orra

Col

de

Pani

ssar

s

Aga

tha

(Agd

e)

Nar

bo(N

arbo

nne)

Mas

salia

(Mar

seill

e)LIG

UR

IAN

SETRUSCANS

Batt

le o

fT

icin

us(H

anni

bal)

Rhodanus(Rhone)

12

3

4

Nem

auso

s(N

îmes

)

Garu

mna

(Gar

onne

)

Sequ

ana

(Sein

e)

Arar (Saône

)

Lugd

unum

(Lyo

n)

Ale

sia

Sanc

tuar

y of

Her

cule

s(D

eneu

vre)

Ister

(Dan

ube)

Solis

col

umna

(‘Pilla

r of t

he S

un’)

Alps

Her

cyni

an F

ores

t

Mat

rona

Pass

Rom

e

Med

iterr

anea

nSe

a

Adria

tic Se

a

Druentia (Dura

nce)

New

Car

thag

e(C

arta

gena

)

Port

usH

anni

balis

(Alv

or)

Sacr

edPr

omon

tory

(Sag

res)

Fist

erra

Bay

ofBi

scay

Oce

anus

Occ

iden

talis

(Wes

tern

Oce

an)Fini

stèr

e

Bele

rion

Cas

site

ride

s?(‘T

in Is

land

s’)

Gad

es(C

adiz

) Pilla

rs o

fH

ercu

les

CE

LT

IBE

RIA

NS

Pyre

nees

GA

UL

S

1. P

lain

of t

he C

rau

2. R

oque

mau

re (

Rho

ne c

ross

ing)

3. S

erre

-la-C

roix

opp

idum

4. B

riga

ntiu

m (

Bria

nçon

)

Med

iola

num

1. The Road from the Ends of the Earth

Île d

e Se

in

Hue

lgoa

tOs

ismi

Sées

Sagii

Évre

ux

Au

lerc

iM

ont

Valé

rien

Parisii

Chip

illy-

Mér

icou

rt

V

irom

andu

i?

Vieu

x-La

on(B

ibra

x)Re

mi

Reim

s

Ville

neuv

e/Yo

nne

(Cam

p du

Châ

teau

)Se

none

s

Bovi

olle

s(M

ont

Chât

el)

Leuc

i

Châl

ons

(Mon

t Jo

vis)

Cata

laun

i

Luxe

mbo

urg

Nam

urAd

uatu

ci

Bonn

Ebur

ones

Baill

eul

Bello

vaci

Loon

-Pla

geCa

ssel

Mena

pii Mon

s

Nerv

iiLa

Cha

ussé

e-Ti

ranc

ourt

Ambi

ani

Le H

aut

duCh

âtea

uAr

vii

Capu

t Ca

leti

Chât

eaun

euf-

sur-

Loire

Carn

utes

?La

ngre

s

Ling

ones

Chât

eaum

eilla

ntBi

turige

s

Chât

illon

-en-

Mic

haill

eAm

barri?

Allobr

oges

?

Carn

acVa

nnes

Vene

ti

Vend

ôme

Ceno

man

i?

Puy-

de-

Dôm

eGer

govi

a A

rver

ni

Bibr

acte

Aed

uiRh

one

sour

ceUb

eri

Sion

Sedu

ni

Foss

é de

sPa

ndou

rs

Medi

omat

rici

Mor

mon

t

Laus

anne

Helve

tii

Ales

ia

Man

dubi

i

Mon

t-M

ilan

(Lan

gogn

e)Ve

llavi?

Poitie

rsPi

cton

es

Bord

eaux

Bitu

rige

sVivisc

iAngo

ulêm

eAg

esin

ates

Baza

sVa

sate

s Sos

Sotia

tes

Plan

de

Her

rebo

ucAu

sci

St-M

arto

ryCo

nven

ae

Ando

rra

Ando

sini Mon

tjui

ch(B

arce

lona

)La

ieta

ni

Vic

Ause

tani

Axat

Atac

ini?

Nar

bonn

eEl

isyc

i

Albi

Rute

niVi

eille

-To

ulou

seTe

ctos

ages Berg

aBe

rgista

ni

St-L

izie

rCo

nsor

anni

Dum

noni

umPr

omon

torium

Ren

nes

Redi

ones

Belle

-Île

(Cam

p De

Césa

r)Ve

neti

Pîtr

esVe

lioca

sses

Nîm

esVo

lcae

Mar

duel

Den

telle

s de

Mon

tmira

ilCo

l de

Tend

e

Mat

rona

Pass

La C

rau

Poen

ina

Col d

eSa

vern

e

Tara

scon

Mas

salia

Olbi

a

Serr

e-la

-Cr

oix

Av

antic

i?

Bria

nçon

Brigiani

Aost

aSa

lassi

Aron

aTi

cinu

sM

ezzo

mer

ico

Ivre

aSa

lassi

Mila

n

Insu

bres

Medi

omat

rici?

Libu

i &

Sallu

vii

Crem

ona

Ceno

man

i

Bres

cia

Ceno

man

iVe

rona

Boii

Mod

ena

Bolo

gna

Boii

Rim

ini

Ling

ones

Chiu

si(Sen

ones

)

Rom

e

Seni

galli

a

Seno

nes

Anco

na

Mar

tign

yVe

ragr

i

Besa

nçon

Seq

uani

Zürich

Helvet

ii

Auer

berg

Vind

elici?

Spey

er

Nemet

es

Don

ners

berg

Trev

eri

Bibe

rgAm

biso

ntes

Mag

dale

nsbe

rgNo

rici?

Hei

deng

rabe

nVind

elici?

Her

akle

a?Av

atici

100

Km

s

Trib

al c

entr

eTr

ibal

cen

tre

mor

e th

an10

00 m

. fro

m a

line

Oth

er s

ites

Mou

ntai

n pa

ss

41. Tribal centres and the migration to Italy

The names in boxes are those of tribes who migrated to Italy. A solar

line – sometimes more than one – passes directly through a Gaulish tribal

centre in twenty-fi ve cases and within 1000 metres of the site’s perimeter

in twelve further cases (on average, 750 metres). In Italy, beyond Milan, the

system suggests a general direction of migration rather than an exact trajectory.

Paths of the Gods 155

The legend is entirely plausible, except in one respect: the god-given itinerary looks very odd indeed. Unless Bellovesus and his followers mistook the lacy ridge of the Dentelles de Montmirail for a range of mountains, the territory of the Tricastini is a strange place from which to contemplate the distant Alps. Either they ignored the direction assigned to them by the Druids, or the gods’ instruc-tions were exceedingly complicated: south-south-east, a deviation towards Massalia, then north-east, and fi nally south-east to New Mediolanum (fi g. 40).

This all sounds like a post facto justifi cation of military conquest, a boastful bardic tale designed to make the events fi t a spurious divine plan. Yet Livy, like most ancient historians, accepted the divinatory basis of the expedition. Justinus, too, in describing the Celtic coloni-zation of Italy and later migrations to the east, said – presuming that

Several minor oppida on the lines have been omitted (e.g. Les Baux-de-

Provence, Mondeville by Caen, Malaucène, Vézénobres, etc.), as have tribes

whose names or capitals are unknown (e.g. the Budenicenses and the inhabitants

of Marduel and Tarusco). Some tribes or tribal names may diff er from those of

the fourth century bc.

Speculative journeys along the lines will reveal many other likely sites for

which there is, at the time of writing, insuffi cient archaeological evidence (e.g.

Dôle, Jouarre, Luxembourg, Montpellier, Najac, Treviso).

Bearings – taken where possible from the nodal points of Mediolanum

Biturigum and Alesia – are those provided by the tangent ratio of 11:7 (57.53°,

122.47°, etc.), with the exception of the Alesia–Bibracte–Gergovia line, which,

for geographical reasons, is 28.2° from north rather than 28.8° (see pp. 197–8).

The creation of a settlement obviously depended in part on topography, and

so some leeway was presumably allowed. With a slightly broader margin, several

more tribes could join the total of thirty-seven. Major oppida occurring more

than 1000 metres from a line are indicated on the map: Arvii (1.5 km), Cenomani

(1.5), Remi (at Bibrax) (1.7), Bergistani (2.4), Laietani (2.4), Atacini (3.1), Seduni

(3.5), Ruteni (3.6), Consoranni (4.0), Atrebates (4.1), Morini (4.1), Nervii (4.1),

Sagii (4.4), Ausetani (4.8), Osismi (4.8), Sequani (5.0), Veragri (5.0), Aduatuci

(5.3). In retracing ancient surveys, especially over such long distances, common

sense calls for certain adjustments. Future explorers of the system should feel

free to experiment.

Ale

sia

Boii

Boii

Boii?

Boii?

Boii?

Hel

vetii

Rau

raci

Boii

Med

iola

nu

m

Bitu

rigu

mM

ed

iola

nu

m(M

ilan)

Mag

dale

nsbe

rg

Nem

etes

Tect

osag

es

1

23

4

5

6

7

8

9

9

Port

aH

ercy

niae

Záv

ist

Star

éH

radi

sko

Med

iola

nu

m

Spey

erSy

lvaAr

guen

neis

Ardu

enna

Silva

Silva

Car

bona

ria

Man

chin

gM

ed

iola

nu

m

Med

iola

nu

m

Her

cuni

ates

Belg

rade

1. H

arz

2. W

este

rwal

d3. T

huri

nger

Wal

d4. E

rzge

birg

e5. O

denw

ald

6. B

lack

For

est

7. B

ohem

ian

Fore

st8. B

akon

y Fo

rest

9. C

arpa

thia

ns

Sofia

Del

phi

Balli

hisa

rAnk

ara

Troc

mii

Tolis

tobo

gii

/ Boi

i?

Tect

osag

es

Rom

e

Szal

acsk

aBuda

pest

Zem

plin

Reg

öly

Brat

isla

va

Tect

osag

es

Garo

nne

Loire

Sein

e

Rhone

Rhine

Rhine

Elbe

Dan

ube

Dan

ube

200

kms

Opp

idum

Med

iola

num

Oth

er L

ocat

ion

Fore

st

43. Oppida east of Gaul and remnants of the Hercynian Forest

The Hercuniates might have reached their new home (the oppida around Lake

Balaton) by travelling due east along the equinoctial line from Mediolanum Biturigum,

via the capital of the Helvetii and the sources of the Rhone and the Rhine.

Bury StEdmunds

IxworthIckworth

Magiovinium(Fenny Stratford)

OxfordCaesaromagus(Chelmsford)

Durobrivae(Rochester)

Hæstingaceaster(Hastings)

Noviomagus(Chichester)

Venta(Winchester)

Salisbury

AbbotsburyCastle

Isca(Topsham)

TamariOstia

Place referred to in the textLindinis

(Ilchester)

GlastonburyTor

Wanborough

BagendonPiercefield

fort

SuttonWalls

Worcester

Wardy Hill

PeterboroughCaister-on-Sea

Pendinas

Aberffraw

Alauna(Alcester)

Reading

Leucomagus(East Anton)

Verlamion(St Albans)

(Plymouth)

Tripontium(nr Rugby)

Mediolanum(Whitchurch)

DinasEmrys

Deva (Chester)

Luguvalium(Carlisle)

Rubers Law

Trimontium

Traprain Law

Din Eidyn(Edinburgh)

Medionemeton

BrownCaterthun

100 kms

62. The British network

The network so far. All bearings are exact (tan ratio 4:3).

244 THE ANCIENT PATHS

Salisbury

1. Fosse Way2. Watling Street3. Icknield Way4. Ermin Street

Exeter

Chichester

Silchester

Oxford WelwynSt Albans

Bury StEdmunds

Wardy Hill

Lincoln

Leeds

Chester

Dinas Oleu

Dinas Emrys

2

3

4

Pendinas

Worcester

Gloucester

Cirencester

1

50 kms

tan ratio 4:336.87°

53.13°Solstice lines

64. The Four Royal Roads and the Roman road system

All these survey lines have a tan ratio of 4:3. The Exeter–Lincoln line (the Fosse

Way) implies a survey tolerance (acceptable deviation from the survey line) of

0.59°. The southern terminus of the Roman Fosse Way was probably Ilchester,

which lies on the Whitchurch meridian: this Roman road has a tan ratio of 3:5

(bearing 30.96°, with a survey tolerance of 0.44°.)

Watling Street; Ermin Street is the winter solstice line, bisected by the Fosse Way.*

* Ermine Street, which ran approximately north from London, shows no obviously signifi cant bearing, whereas Ermin Street (north-west from Silchester) follows the British solstice bearing. Medieval scholars chose what they believed to be the more important ‘Ermyngestrete’, though in some versions of the legend (e.g. Robert of Gloucester’s thirteenth-century Chronicle), ‘Eningestret’ is paired with ‘Ikenildestrete’, as it is on the map above: ‘Lyne me clepeth eke thulke wey, he goth thorgh Glouceter, / And thorgh Circetre [Cirencester] euene also’.

50 kmsPetuaria

Parisorum(Brough)

YeaveringBell

Traprain Law/ Dunpelder

BrownCaterthun

Lumphanan

Culloden

Dunalastair 1

23

4

5

DunollieDundurn

Dunadd

OceanusSeptentrionalis

OceanusHibernicus

OceanusHyperboreus

Stanwick

Rubers Law

Trusty’sHill

to DinasEmrys andPendinas

to Mediolanum(Whitchurch)

Luguvalium(Carlisle) 17’24”

HumberEstuary

17’54”

18’24”

Trimontium(Eildon Hill)

Din Eidyn(Edinburgh)

CraigPhadraig(Inverness)

BaileDhubhthaich

(Tain)

Din Guardi(Bamburgh)

Nemthur(Dumbarton)

Brocavum(Eamont)

Probable Celtic tribal capitalPost-Roman, Dark Age capital or ‘royal site’

Nemeton (sanctuary)TripointOther placeAntonine WallHadrian’s WallModern English–Scottish border

1. Taigh nan Teud2. Schiehallion / Maiden Pap3. Tigh Neimhidh (Duneaves, Fortingall)4. Gartincaber Tower near Doune5. Medionemeton

Centres of Scotland

(unconfirmed)

74. Centres of Scotland and the Caledonian meridians

Some capitals of Dark Age kingdoms founded after the departure of the Romans

were probably the successors of Iron Age capitals. The only plausible solstice

diagonal in Caledonia is the trajectory of the ‘Royal Road’ along which Boudica

marched from Wardy Hill to Camulodunum. This is the longest diagonal that can

be drawn through Britain. It passes to the west of the tribal capital of the Carvetii

tribe, Luguvalium (Carlisle), through Brocavum (Eamont), Blatobulgium and several

other Roman forts, and along the route of the A74 via Gretna Green to the site

of the Glasgow Necropolis. It is shown as a dotted line in fi gure 79.

50 kms

1

23

4

5

‘Royal Roads’ and solstice linesfrom the Oxford omphalos

Lines of latitude and longitude

Solstice lines implied by the system

Early Christian sites

Monasteries and cathedrals

6

7 89 10

1112

1314

15

16

17

18

19

20

2122

2324

25 26 2728

AB

C

D

E

F

G H

I

JK

L M

NO

P

Q

R

S

T

29 30 31

32

3837 3940

4142

43 44

45

46 4748

49

50

51

52

53

545556

5758 59

60

61

62

63 64 6566 67

6869

70

71

7273

7475

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83 8485

86 8788

89

90

9192

343335 36

79. Christianity and the solar network

The early Christian sites (fi rst foundation, up to the mid-seventh century) are

plotted without prior reference to solstice lines. For exact coordinates, see

www.panmacmillan.com/theancientpaths. In Wales, pre-eighth-century monas-

teries are shown. Hoards containing Christian artefacts are omitted because

provenances are uncertain (Mildenhall, Traprain Law, Water Newton, etc.), as

are Christian embellishments and private chapels in Roman villas. Later monasteries

and cathedrals (c. 974–1248) are selected for their association with the system

(e.g. those on the ‘Royal Road’ between Salisbury and Bury St Edmunds: p. 239).

Key:

Early Christian sites (list of coordinates at www.panmacmillan.com/theancientpaths):

1. Iona. 2. Dumbarton. 3. Glasgow (Govan). 4. Dunfermline. 5. Mailros (Melrose).

6. Lindisfarne. 7. Kirkmadrine. 8. Whithorn. 9. Ardwall Isle. 10. Carlisle. 11.

Bewcastle. 12. Jarrow. 13. Eamont. 14. Hartlepool. 15. Whitby. 16. Manchester.

17. Leeds. 18. York. 19. Caergybi. 20. Aberff raw. 21. Penmon. 22. St Asaph. 23.

Chester. 24. Lincoln (St Paul in the Bail). 25. Clynnog Fawr. 26. Dinas Emrys. 27.

Bangor on Dee. 28. Ancaster. 29. Bardsey. 30. St Tudwal’s Island East. 31. Meifod.

32. Llanbadarn Fawr. 33. Ashton. 34. Ely. 35. Soham. 36. Icklingham. 37. Llanarth.

38. Llanddewi Brefi . 39. Glascwm. 40. Leominster. 41. Hereford. 42. Malvern (St

Ann’s Well). 43. Worcester. 44. Bannaventa. 45. St Davids. 46. St Brides. 47. Coygan

Camp. 48. Carmarthen. 49. Llanarthney. 50. Llangyfelach. 51. Bishopston. 52.

Merthyr Tydfi l. 53. Llantwit Major. 54. Raglan. 55. Dixton. 56. Llandogo. 57. Caerleon.

58. Caerwent. 59. Mathern (St Tewdric’s Well). 60. Gloucester (Churchdown Hill).

61. Uley. 62. Bagendon (church in oppidum). 63. Dragon Hill, Uffi ngton (chapel).

64. Abingdon. 65. Dorchester-on-Thames. 66. Cholesbury. 67. St Albans. 68.

Witham. 69. Colchester. 70. Sutton Hoo (?). 71. Bradwell (Othona). 72. Silchester.

73. Chertsey. 74. Westminster. 75. Rochester. 76. Canterbury. 77. Reculver. 78.

Richborough. 79. St Ives (St Ia’s). 80. St Michael’s Mount. 81. Phillack. 82. Perranporth

(St Piran’s Oratory). 83. Carhampton. 84. Glastonbury Tor (St Michael’s). 85.

Bradley Hill. 86. Muchelney. 87. Ilchester. 88. Sherborne. 89. Poundbury (Dorchester).

90. Winchester. 91. Lyminge. 92. Folkestone (St Eanswythe).

Monasteries and cathedrals (selected): A. Bolton Priory. B. Fountains Abbey.

C. Haughmond Abbey. D. Haverholme Priory. E. Croyland Abbey. F. Monmouth

Priory. G. Tintern Abbey. H. Chepstow Priory. I. Osney Abbey. J. Newnham

Priory (Bedford). K. St Neots Priory. L. Walden Abbey (Saff ron Walden). M.

Clare Priory. N. Bury St Edmunds Abbey. O. Ixworth Priory. P. Plympton Priory.

Q. Exeter Abbey. R. Salisbury Cathedral. S. Reading Abbey. T. Waverley Abbey.