バースのローマンバス Roman baths in Bath

バースは古代ローマ帝国時代の温泉遺跡がある場所。バス（風呂）の名前が地名になっていて、温泉好きの日本人にはイギリスで有名な観光地だと思います。日本だとあちこちで温泉が湧き上がっていますが、ヨーロッパでは火山がないから珍しい。当時は驚異の的だったことでしょう。

The name of the city Bath, came from its　baths. Bath is famous for the remains of the natural hot spring baths built in the time of the Romans. The name of the city may be well-known among Japanese people, who are hot spring lovers. All over Japan, there are many natural hot springs, but in European countries they are very rare because of a lack of volcanoes. It must have been an object of wonder at that time.

ローマ人が侵入する以前から、この湧き上がるお湯は女神の仕業として崇められていました。伝説によると、ハンセン病で王から遠ざけられていた王子が、豚の皮膚病がその温かい泥につかっているうちに治るのを発見し、自分もそのお湯を試し、病気を克服、のちにその地の王となったとあります。

ローマ人もその不思議なお湯は神が湧きださせているとして神殿を建て、ローマ帝国の中でもすばらしい医療＆レジャースパ施設を作り上げました。そこには多くの人が訪れ、湯船のそばには露店も立ち、その店の前の敷石はなんとたくさんの人の靴によりすり減ってへこんでしまったと言われています。（実際見ると本当にへこんでいました。石がへこむだなんてどれだけたくさんの人が来たのでしょう・・・。）

Before the Romans arrived in Bath, the hot bubbling marshes had been held in awe. It was thought a goddess lived at the source. As legend has it, a prince, suffering from leprosy, who had been banished by the king, found that his pigs' skin disease disappeared after they dipped their flesh in the warm bubbling mud. So, he tried it himself. He was cured and was re-admitted to the court, and eventually became king.

The Romans also thought the mysterious bubbling of the water was a divine act. They built a temple by the source and erected one of the great medical and pleasure spas of the Roman world. Many people visited there and it's said that the pavement in the front of the stall, which was built near the bath tab, became hollow because of the wear and tear from the shoes of numerous visitors. It was definitely worn when we saw it, so we wondered how many people had visited in ancient times.

他にも面白い話を、たまたま参加できたツアーで熟練のガイドさんから聞くことができました。興味深かったのは、温泉の湯気が床下、壁を通り、部屋を暖めていたというもの。２０００年も前にそんな床暖房の知恵があったなんて驚きです。
浴槽だけではなく、脱衣所、マッサージ部屋、蒸し風呂、水風呂などもありました。召使いは泥棒対策として主人の服を見はっていなければならなかったようです。また、剣闘士のマッサージに使われた汗、垢の交じったオイルはなんと女性の美肌オイルとして売られていたということです。

We heard many other interesting stories from a veteran guide in a tour which we were luckily to join. What amazed me was that the hot steam passed under the floor and through channels in the walls and kept the rooms warm. Can you imagine more than 2000 years ago the Romans had the skill to make central heating systems?
There were not only spa pools, but also changing, massage, steam and cold rooms. Servants had to keep their eye on the Romans' clothes because of thieves. Used massage oil which contained sweat and dirt from gladiators was sold as skin care oil for women.

ローマ人が去るとその建築技術、メンテナンスの技術も失われ、町は崩壊していきました。その後、また温泉の街として栄えることになりますが、今回残念ながら時間がなくて、ローマ風呂博物館しか見ることができませんでした。またぜひ来て観光したい町です。

After the Romans left Britain, taking their architectural and maintenance techniques with them, much of the city fell into ruin. Later the city was rebuilt and prospered as a spa city. This time we visited only the Roman Baths museum because we didn't have much time. We hope we go to Bath again, to see the many other interesting historical places some day.