Segedunum
| Segedunum | |
|---|---|
Segedunum Roman Fort
|
|
  Segedunum shown within Tyne and Wear |
|
| Founded | c. 122 AD |
| Abandoned | c. 400 AD |
| Attested by | Notitia Dignitatum |
| Province | Britannia |
| — Stone structure — | |
| Size and area | 138 m x 120 m (1.65 ha) |
| — Cohorts — | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′16″N 1°31′56″W / 54.98791°N 1.53231°W |
| Town | Wallsend |
| County | Tyne and Wear |
| Country | England |
| UK-OSNG reference | NZ301660 |
Segedunum was a Roman fort at modern-day Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, England, UK. The fort lay at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall (in Wallsend) near the banks of the River Tyne, forming the easternmost portion of the wall. It was in use as a garrison for approximately 300 years, almost up to 400AD.
Today, Segedunum is the most thoroughly excavated fort along Hadrian's Wall, and is operated as Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths and Museum.
Five places named Segedunum are known to have existed in the Roman empire, one each in Britain and Germany and three in Gaul. The first element of the name is attested widely in Gaul, Spain, Germany and Italy, and derives from the Indo-European root segh-, which is reflected in various later European languages with similar meanings: Irish seg-, segh- 'strength, vigour', Welsh hy 'daring, bold', German Sieg 'victory', and so on. As applied to place names, it appears to have had the meaning of "place of strength" or "place of victory". The second element, -dunum, is a Celtic term widely attested across Britain and Gaul and typically meant a fort. Thus Segedunum probably had the meaning of "strong fort" or "victory fort".
The Roman wall originally terminated at Pons Aelius (Newcastle upon Tyne). Work began at Pons Aelius in 122AD and proceeded towards the west. Subsequently, in about 127AD, the wall was extended further east, possibly to protect the river crossing at Pons Aelius. A four-mile section of the wall east from the fort of Pons Aelius, passing through present-day Byker and ending at the new fort of Segedunum was built. The new section of wall was narrower than the sections previously built, being 7 feet 6 inches (2.29 m) on a foundation of 8 feet (2.4 m). Unlike the rest of the wall, the extension had no vallum.
...
Wikipedia