The photograph is taken from one of the popular Route Marches that are
organised by the Trust for pupils from Primary Schools.
For the Museum there are worksheets and a quiz for pupils
to focus attention on a few particular aspects of the display.
Our aim is to increase the content of this new section in response to
pupils' and school teachers' requests. If you want to input to the
site click here and put your suggestion
directly to the Trimontium Trust.
TRIMONTIUM ROUTE MARCH
Starting at Leaderfoot the March ends at Newstead Millenium Milestone followed by a visit
to the Museum in Melrose.
* TALK AS THE ROMANS as you march from Leaderfoot to Newstead
This script is to be enjoyed as word play, not as a task. - DG stands for Donald Gordon the March Guide.
DG
'SALVETE, OMNES (Sal-vay-tay om-naze) = Hello, everybody
'UT VALETIS?' (OOT Va-lay-tis) = How are you doing/
Pupils
'SALVE, CENTURIO' (Sal-vay kert-too-ree-oh,) = Hello, sir
'OPTIME, GRATIAS' (Op-ti-may gra-ti-as) = Very well, thank you
DG
QUOT PONTES VIDEMUS?' (Kwat pon-taze vi-day-moose) = How many bridges do we see?
Pupils
'TRES PONTES VIDEMUS!' (Traze pon-taze etc) = We see three bridges
DG
"ET NOMEN FLUMINI?, (Et no-men floo-mini-ee?) = And the river's name.....?
Pupils
'TVEDA EST! (Tvay-da est) =It's (the) Tweed
Greeting to R Tweed
'0 TVEDA, TF, SA.LUTAMUS' (Oh Tvay-dah, tay sa-loo-ta-moose) = Oh, Tweed, we salute you
DG
'AD SIGNA’ = ‘To the Standards (ie flags)'= FALL IN ie prepare to march
'PROCEDITE' (Pro-keh-dee-tay) = QUICK MARCH (Sin.... dex etc)
'CONSISTITE’ (Kon-sis-tee-tay) = HALT
'QUOD VIDEMUS?' (Kwod vee-day-moos) = What do we see?
Answer(pupils/discipuli/soldiers/milites)
‘PONTEM FERRI-VI-ARI-AM VIDEMUS'= It's a railway bridge that we see
Greeting to builder of railway viaduct
'0 PONTIFEX, TE SALUTAMUS' (Oh Pon-ti-fex, tay sa-loo-ta-moose (as above) = Oh, bridge-builder, we salute you
DG at amphitheatre
QUOD VIDEMUS? Answer ‘ARENAM VIDEMUS' = We see an amphitheatre, an arena (harena is Latin for 'sand' - on the ground, within the circus area)
Greeting to Emperor at amphitheatre
'AVE CAESAR, TE SALUTAMUS' (Ah-vay Kye-sar etc as above) = Hail, Caesar, we salute you
DG at North Gate space
'QUOD VIDEMUS?" Answer 'PORTAM VIDEMUS'= We see a gate
At North Gate, to the two-headed God Janus '0 JANE, TE SALUTAMUS' (Oh Janny etc) = Oh Janus, we salute you
DG at monument
'QUOD VIDEMUS?' Answer 'ARAM VIDEMUS' (Ah-ram etc) =We see an altar
At Monument
'0 AGRICOLA, TE SALUTAMUS' (Oh A-gri-caw-la etc) = Oh Agricola. (Roman Govemor) we salute you.
DG at W Annexe
'QUOD VIDEMUS?' Answer 'VALLUM ET MURUM VIDEMUS'(Val-lum ... moo-room etc) = It's an earth rampart we see - and a wall
At West Annexe
'VALE, TRIMONTHIUM (Vah-lay, Try-mon-ti-um) = Goodbye, Trimontium and to the God of Travel (even in a minibus) '0 MERCURI, TE SALUTAMUS' (Oh Mer-coo-ree etc) = Oh Mercury, we salute you.
Other useful phrases:
To pupils VALETE (Vah-lay-tay) Goodbye
To one person, VALE (Vah-lay) Goodbye
GRATIAS MAXIMAS Very many thanks - (Sounded as spelt)
SINISTER (PES) Left foot
DEXTER (PES) Right foot
Mons, montis m a mountain Trimontium = Trium montium = The place of the Three Mountains
Pons, pontis m a bridge Tripontium = Trium pontium = The place of the Three Bridges.
Discipuli - Dis-ki-poo-lee = Pupils
Milites - Mee-lee-taze = soldiers
Pueri - Poo-er-ee =Boys
Puellae - Poo-ell-aye = Girls
Magister (masculine) - Ma-gis-ter (‘g' as in 'go')= Teacher . The feminine is Magistra'
dies Lunae - dee-aze Loo-nye = Monday
dies Martis = Tuesday
dies Meicurii'(this time Mer-coo-ree-ce) = Wednesday
dies-Iovis (Yo-vis, like Hovis) = Thursday
dies Veneris = Friday (Veh-neh-ris)
dies Saturni (Sa-toor-knee) = Saturday
dies Solis (Saul-is) = Sunday
WORKSHEETS
Below is part of the "ROMANS" worksheet. Sections also relate to the CELTS and the TRADERS.
For school and Junior visitors there is an alternative or additional quiz.
* A TRIMONTIUM SOLDIER'S MARCHING SONG
(To the tune 'John Brown's body')
I joined the Roman army and became the Emp'ror's man,
I banged my sword against my shield - and off the enemy ran,
I dig the ditches, lay the roads and boil soup in my can,
And my boots go marching on
TRY -try- monti- monti- montyum x 3 ) CHORUS
And my boots go marching on
I joined the Roman army and they marched me through the town.
'
Twas "sinister ... dexter; shoulder your pack!", parading roun' an' roun',
Centurion's coming! Watch your head! His stick is coming down!
And my poor feet go marching on.
CHORUS + And my poor feet go marching on
I joined the Roman army and they gave me a wee horse,
An oval shield, a great big spear, no stirrrups yet, of course,
I hold on tightly with my knees - he doesn't give a toss,
But his hooves go galloping, on.
CHORUS + But his hooves go galloping on
Pay day, I leave the fort behind, to see what people sell,
The baths are great; I sometimes put an offering down a well.
You watch what you are doing 'cause you might fall down to......
And your soul would go marching on
CHORUS + And your soul would go marching on
I joined the Roman army and we bndged the river Tweed,
We pushed Dere Street up Lauderdale, you should've seen our speed.
The boats come up from Berwick docks with everything we need,
And our oars go splashing on
CHORUS + and our oars co splashing on
I left the Roman army, I'm a veteran farmer now,
I have a wife and family, ten acres and a cow,
I fish and hunt and keep the peace - no marching for me - wow!
It's my sheep that go marching on
CHORUS + It's my sheep that go marching on
* ON A ROMAN HELMET, FOUND AT NEWSTEAD
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A helmet of the 'Legion,this,
That long and deep hath lain,
Come back to taste the living kiss
Of sun and wind again.
Ah! touch it with a reverent hand,
For in its burnished dome
Lies here within this distant land
The glory that was Rome.
The tides of sixteen hundred years
Have flowed, and ebbed, and flowed,
And yet - I see the tossing spears
Come up the Roman road;
While, high above the trumpets pealed,
The eagles lift and fall,
And, all unseen, the War God's shield
Floats, Guardian, over all.
Who marched beneath this gilded helm?
Who wore this casque a-shine?
A leader mighty in the realm?
A soldier of the line?
The proud patrician takes his rest
The spearman's bones beside,
And Earth who knows their secret best
Gives this of all their pride.
With sunlight on this golden crest
Maybe some Roman guard,
Set free from duty, wandered West
Through memory's gates unbarred;
Or climbing Eildon cleft in three,
Grown sick at heart for home,
Looked Eastward to the grey North Sea
That paved the road to Rome.
Or by the Queen of Border streams
That flowed his camp beneath
Long dallied with the dearer dreams
Of love as old as death,
And doffed this helm to dry lipls need,
And dipped it in the tide,
And pledged in brimming wine of Tweed
Some maid on Tiber-side.
Years pass; and Time keeps tally,
And pride takes earth for tomb,
And down the Melrose valley
Corn grows and roses bloom;
The red suns set, the red suns rise,
The ploughs lift through the loam,
And in one earth-worn helmet lies
The majesty of Rome.
W H Ogilvie, Ashkirk
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* AN ADDITIONAL QUIZ
The Trimontium Exhibition
Look Find Tick
- Claudius knocking Britannia down
- Agricola points the way .. - - -
- The Roman boats are coming
- The three Eildon Hills in the blue distance
- The Roman milestone (in three sizes)
- The little bathhouse, outside the fort
- The lovely native shield
- Seven bronze axes, a gift to the gods
- A pair of soldier's tackety boots
- The centurion's bendy stick
- 'and boil soup in my can’
- The quernstone to grind the corn
- Up to the boat with the sail
- the flashing lights
- 'Trimontium' In the red box on the map
- A big lump of glass
- Two big lumps of iron
- The Trimontium mouse
- The Trimontium lion
- The bells, the bells
- The vest made of little rings of iron
- The high-up horse's face decoration, the chamfron
- How many prongs on the saddle?
- The helmet with the silver face
- The potter's wheel
- The yellow dish with the pouring spout
- The colour of the 'dancing girl' ringstone ?
- 'D'for DIANA. Can you see it ?
- Whose well is it?
- Anybody seen a black face ?
- The Twentieth Legion flag, hanging high
Have you a favourite item - the one you like best - in the Exhibition?
Feel free to draw it on a fresh piece of paper.
