Bath, UK; Leominster, MA
Title
Bath, UK; Leominster, MA
Catalog Entry
The Romans believed that Bath was originally a hot spring blessed by the goddess of healing Sulis-Minerva. This blessing would allow the bath to heal and cleanse them of fatigue and disease. When the Romans gathered to heal, it eventually ended up being a communal hub. Over time Bath evolved into a central area in which the community could not only cleanse themselves, but to converse with one another, do business, form relationships, relax, or heal fatigue. This evolution of Bath and the idea of bringing the community closer together as a whole in hopes of empowering their society would not only strengthen the bonds of the people living in that community, but further economic success. Cities that have a strong economical foundation become well-known and will attract tourists and bring a sense of pride to the community. Arguably, you can claim that communities with pride are more respectful of the country in which they belong, their ruler, and even the work they accomplish within their community. The focus is on how a simple idea or location on which the idea was created can evolve into a successful community.
When considering this idea of how Bath evolved, we can see how the idea of a communal hub is successful by viewing downtown Leominster. This town was originally an industrial town of plastics manufacturing, then evolved into a hub in which the community holds events downtown where people can do those activities mentioned previously. We see the same pattern of success happening here as well. Having a community that works together or celebrates together strengthens the bonds of the people living there. People who have a strong bond with their community will be more likely to help someone else living there who is in need. The same can be said for the Romans. When they went to battle they would have stronger bonds with the other Roman soldiers because they would have something more to fight for. They fought for the pride in their successful nation. Having a reason to fight for something more than yourself, or better yet protect, strengthens morale and resolve for the soldier in turn making a stronger army. We see this spark of an idea or location that explodes into a community. The location of a blessed hot spring evolving into a communal hub of success, industrial plastics facilities evolving into a community, even the location of a river turning into a community.
It isn’t just downtown Leominster that has shown the same pattern of success. We have Waltham with the invention of the loom, which helped start the industrial revolution. We have Canton, with the invention of the granite railway which helped fortified commerce. We have Springfield to thank for rubber, which in time helped create tires even furthering commerce. What all of these have in common is that each of these ideas coming from these areas had helped transform them into the significant communities they are today.
When considering this idea of how Bath evolved, we can see how the idea of a communal hub is successful by viewing downtown Leominster. This town was originally an industrial town of plastics manufacturing, then evolved into a hub in which the community holds events downtown where people can do those activities mentioned previously. We see the same pattern of success happening here as well. Having a community that works together or celebrates together strengthens the bonds of the people living there. People who have a strong bond with their community will be more likely to help someone else living there who is in need. The same can be said for the Romans. When they went to battle they would have stronger bonds with the other Roman soldiers because they would have something more to fight for. They fought for the pride in their successful nation. Having a reason to fight for something more than yourself, or better yet protect, strengthens morale and resolve for the soldier in turn making a stronger army. We see this spark of an idea or location that explodes into a community. The location of a blessed hot spring evolving into a communal hub of success, industrial plastics facilities evolving into a community, even the location of a river turning into a community.
It isn’t just downtown Leominster that has shown the same pattern of success. We have Waltham with the invention of the loom, which helped start the industrial revolution. We have Canton, with the invention of the granite railway which helped fortified commerce. We have Springfield to thank for rubber, which in time helped create tires even furthering commerce. What all of these have in common is that each of these ideas coming from these areas had helped transform them into the significant communities they are today.
Bibliography
Cook, J. M. “Bath-Tubs in Ancient Greece.” Greece & Rome, vol. 6, no. 1, 1959, pp. 31–41. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/641971.
Fagan, Garrett G. “The Genesis of the Roman Public Bath: Recent Approaches and Future Directions.” American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 105, no. 3, 2001, pp. 403–426. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/507363.
R. H. Rodgers. “Phoenix.” Phoenix, vol. 56, no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 205–207. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1192497.
Fagan, Garrett G. “The Genesis of the Roman Public Bath: Recent Approaches and Future Directions.” American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 105, no. 3, 2001, pp. 403–426. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/507363.
R. H. Rodgers. “Phoenix.” Phoenix, vol. 56, no. 1/2, 2002, pp. 205–207. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1192497.
Research Assistant(s)
Jordan Provencial, Student, Fitchburg State University
Photographer(s)
Kisha G. Tracy
Collection
Citation
“Bath, UK; Leominster, MA,” Cultural Heritage through Image, accessed April 26, 2024, https://culturalheritagethroughimage.omeka.net/items/show/47.