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Gentleman's Magazine 1851 part 2 p.507
one of these, called Old Carlisle, about two miles from
Wigton. It is supposed to be the Roman Olenacum, but
the confirmation of inscriptions is wanted to support this
appropriation. Among the remains from this station which are
preserved by Miss Matthews of Wigton, we noticed an altar
dedicated to Jupiter and Vulcan, for the health of the
emperor Gordian, which appears to me to be unpublished; and
the following curious specimen of orthography:- TANCORIX
MULLIER VIGSIT ANNOS SEGSAGINAT:- "Tancorix, a woman; she
lived sixty yers (sic)." The memorial is also remarkable for
the mode adopted to express the sex of Tancorix, a British
or Gaulish name, which from its termination would have been
considered masculine.
I have in this slight sketch only been able to allude to the
inscriptions which have strewed the ground from Bowness to
Wallsend. They form a chapter in the history of our country
which has been but little consulted by the historical
antiquary, and is altogether unknown to the public in
general. Referring for the present to the most limited range
of these records, I may observe that they very clearly
explain the origin of the wall itself, and settle the
questions which have so long been raised as to its date.
They prove that to Hadrian this honour is due, and that
Severus, who has shared the credit with Hadrian, did nothing
more than repair the fortresses and the public buildings
which had become dilapidated; that Hadrain brought together
for this work the entire military force of the province, and
that the British states or communities also contributed
workmen. The mythology of the wall, as shewn by
inscriptions, is another highly interesting subject of
inquiry. We find a considerable number of deities,
apparently both of Celtic and Teutonic parentage,
incorporated with the well-known gods and goddesses of
Greece and Rome; and topical divinities, whose influence was
restricted to particular localities, are also very numerous.
The latter seem to have held an intermediate place, and to
have exercised a mediatorial or connecting relation between
the higher gods and their worshippers, and every where we
trace marks of the popularity in which they were
held.* But it is rather singular that in no instance
do we recognise any monument or inscription bearing
reference to Christianity; a fact which, coupled with a
similar void in the early monuments of the south of Britain,
tends to iinduce us to place the general diffusion of the
gospel in Britain at a much later date than is commonly
assigned.
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* A monument of this class, found on the line of the
wall near Burgh by Sands, has been communicated to me by my
friend Mr. Rooke, of Wigton, since my return. It reads:
MATRI .
D . O . M .
V . E . X .
VI .
Matribus Domesticus, Vexillatio. leg. vi.
It has been noticed, I see, by Mr. Hodgson.
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