Neolithic Settlement

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tiompan T
tiompan Jun 5, 2013 18:38:33
Replying to Littlestone

Littlestone wrote:
Mr t, you’re still missing the point.

We all know that one of the manifestations of Minerva was as a deity of healing - that’s not in dispute. The question is whether the baths were dedicated to her as such (and not dedicated to her in one or more of her other manifestations). You still have not provided evidence for that, and you continue to skip over the fact that the official Roman Bath website (which you yourself supplied) does not mention that the springs (at Bath) were dedicated to her in that role. The links you supply are simply saying (to quote one) that the “Celtic shrine was taken over and the goddess Sulis was identified with the Roman goddess Minerva as a healing deity.” Yes, again, we know that she was a healing deity. We also know that she was the goddess primarily of other things and, by extension, has an equal claim in the dedication stakes from that perspective.

There were four quotes of those "The Roman goddess Minerva, “as a patroness of the art of healing she was honored at thermal springs " "Dedicated to Sulis," "Spring dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, a deity with healing powers. " Which is more than just pointing out the healing deity aspect .
Here's another http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulis"At Bath, the Roman temple is dedicated to Sulis Minerva,
Maybe you can list some contrary evidence ?

L Littlestone
Littlestone Jun 5, 2013 21:34:39
Replying to tiompan

You’re still missing the point Mr t. Your link above makes no mention of the springs at Bath being dedicated to Minerva in her manifestation as a goddess of healing. In fact the opening paragraph reads -

In localised Celtic polytheism practised in Britain, Sulis was a deity worshiped at the thermal spring of Bath (now in Somerset). She was worshipped by the Romano-British as Sulis Minerva, whose votive objects and inscribed lead tablets suggest that she was conceived of both as a nourishing, life-giving mother goddess and as an effective agent of curses wished by her votaries.

No mention of healing in that paragraph or anywhere else in your link. Interestingly though there is mention that -

At Bath, the Roman temple is dedicated to Sulis Minerva, as the primary deity of the temple spa. Through the Roman Minerva syncresis, later mythographers have inferred that Sulis was also a goddess of wisdom and decisions.

Note ‘goddess of wisdom and decisions’. Again, no reference in your link to healing, or the Bath springs being dedicated to Minerva in her manifestation as a healing deity there...