Blestium
A plaque on Lloyds TSB records the fort's position.
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 Shown within Wales
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| Alternate name | Blestio |
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| Location | Monmouth, Monmouthshire, Wales, United Kingdom |
| Region | Britannia Superior |
| Coordinates | 51°48′32″N 02°43′01″W / 51.80889°N 2.71694°WCoordinates: 51°48′32″N 02°43′01″W / 51.80889°N 2.71694°W |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Builder | Publius Ostorius Scapula or Aulus Didius Gallus |
| Founded | Possibly before 55 AD |
| Periods | Roman Imperial |
Blestium (also Blestio in the Antonine Itinerary (Iter XIII)) was a small fort and iron working centre in the Roman province of Britannia Superior, part of Roman Britain. It has been identified with the site of the later town of Monmouth in south east Wales, located adjoining the confluence of the River Monnow with the River Wye. A plaque on the local bank records its position.
The reference to Blestio in the Antonine Itinerary is the only one made to the settlement in Roman sources. It was located on the road between Caerleon (Isca Silurum) and Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum), midway between the fort at Usk (Burrium) and the iron making centre at Ariconium, believed to be at Weston under Penyard near Ross-on-Wye. It is suggested that the name may derive from the Greek word βλαστος, meaning "offshoot".
It is now generally accepted that a Neronian or pre-Flavian military fort was established at Monmouth, perhaps before 55 AD, making it the earliest Roman fort in Wales. The fort was probably established, either by Publius Ostorius Scapula or his successor Aulus Didius Gallus, during the first advances of the Romans against the Silures of south east Wales. The invading forces established a series of auxiliary forts along the Monnow valley into mid Wales, as well as advancing towards Usk where they established the fort of Burrium. The Silures fought a successful guerrilla war against the Romans for some thirty years before being defeated by the forces led by Sextus Julius Frontinus. The fort at Blestium is believed to have housed around 2,000 soldiers during the initial campaign, and later to have remained as a small fortlet.
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