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Pons Aelius ((ラテン語:Aelian Bridge)) or Newcastle Roman Fort was an auxiliary castra and small Roman settlement on Hadrian's Wall in the Roman province of Britannia Inferior (northern England) and was situated on the north bank of the River Tyne close to the centre of present-day Newcastle upon Tyne. == History == Pons Aelius was a fort and Roman settlement at the original eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, at the site now occupied by The Castle, Newcastle. The Latin name means "Aelian Bridge" and can be traced back to when emperor Hadrian (whose family ''Nomen'' (clan name) was Aelius) visited Britain in AD 122 and first saw the need for a frontier wall. The population of the town is estimated to have been around 2,000. The fort is estimated to be have been in size, quite small by usual Roman standards. As Pons Aelius was a wall fort it is very likely that a military road led from it and followed the Wall, linking together all of its forts and milecastles. The bridge and its fort were built at the northern end of a road, Cade's Road, which is speculated to have run from Brough-on-Humber, passing through York (Eboracum) and the fort of Concangis. Although the fort was to be the eastern end of the wall, it was not long before the wall was extended to Segedunum (Wallsend). There is evidence to suggest that the fort was rebuilt in stone, probably during the reign of the emperor Septimius Severus (AD 193-211).〔(Welcome to the Castle Keep, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK. The Castle Keep Timeline )〕 It is also suggested that Pons Aelius may have been built to replace an earlier fort at the south of the Tyne at Gateshead. The fort is mentioned once in the Notitia Dignitatum in the 4th/5th centuries; this is the only known literary reference. The bridge was the only bridge outside Rome named after an emperor, suggesting a particular importance. Strategically, the fort was sited here to guard the important river-crossing, the first major encampment being nearby at Condercum (Benwell, Tyne & Wear). It would have given the Roman Army an excellent view of the surrounding areas and more importantly it commanded an excellent position at the northern bridgehead.〔(Pons Aelius Brief History )〕 It is also unusual among other forts in being placed at the promontory at Newcastle. This would only allow it to use the west gate for dispersion of troops, while normally all four gates would be used. Despite the bridge, the settlement of Pons Aelius was not particularly important among the northern Roman settlements. The most important stations were those on the highway of Dere Street running from Eboracum (York) through Hadrian's Wall and to the lands north of the Wall. Corstopitum (Corbridge), being a major arsenal and supply centre, was much larger and populous than Pons Aelius. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Pons Aelius」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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