[716] The bishops of St. David's being called in Latin Menapienses by the earliest of our ecclesiatical writers, is an argument that the station is near the present town. The site of the station itself was probably at a short distance from the modern city, at a place called the Burrows, and just above a fine harbour called the Porth Mawr.
[717] Few of the Roman stations have been fixed at so many different pieces as that of Calleva Atrebatum. It has been placed at Silchester, Henley, Wallingford, and Reading, by different antiquaries; yet in no doubtful case do more testimonies concur to ascertain the site. It was evidently a station of importance, because it appears as a central point, to which the roads traversed by three different Iters of Antonine (the 13th, 14th, and 15th,) converge. It was the capital of the Atrebates; situated at known distances from London, Winchester, Bath, Spene, and Caerleon; and at a doubtful one, though easily supplied, from Cirencester and Old Sarum. These circumstances cannot by any expedient be brought to coincide, either with Henley, Wallingford, or Reading; but all agree in regard to Silchester. Its distance nearly accords with the Itinerary distance of Calleva from London, Bath, Spene, Winchester, and Caerleon, and, if a station (which is evidently lost) in the Iter of Antonine be supplied, with that from Cirencester. The present remains are those of a great Roman town; it is situated in the district formerly inhabited by the Atrebates; and in every direction traces of Roman roads converging to this point still plainly exist, from London, Spene, Winchester, Old Sarum, Bath, and Cirencester.
[718] Bultro, Iter 13
[719] Stukeley, X.
[720] Richard, b. 1, c. 6, sect. 28, describing the several nations whose territories were watered by the Thames in its course to the German Ocean, places the Atrebates between the Hedui and the Cassii, without even mentioning the Segontiaci, a proof that their territories did not approach the river.
[721] In Hasted's History of Kent is a passage which countenances the idea of an ancient road having traversed the country in this line.
[722] Stuk. XXX.
[723] It. 3. Duraliponte—Durnomago XX.—Issinis XX.—Lindo XX.
[724] XVI.
[725] It. 2, inv. Etoceto.—Manduessuedo XIII.—Benonais XII.—Tripontio Isantia Varia XII.