Tridamus facts for kids
Tridamus is the name of an ancient god from Roman Britain. We know about Tridamus from a special stone altar found in a place called Michaelchurch in what is now Herefordshire, England. This altar is the only place where Tridamus is mentioned, making him a bit of a mystery!
The altar has an old message carved into it. It says:
- DEO TRIDAM(...)
- BELLICVS DON
- AVIT ARA[M]
This message means: 'To the god Tridam(us), Bellicus gave (this) altar.' So, someone named Bellicus gave this altar to the god Tridamus a very long time ago.
Reading the Ancient Message
The carving on the altar is quite old and a bit rough, which makes it hard to read perfectly. Because of this, some people have thought the name might be "Triv" or "Trivii" instead of "Tridamus." It's like trying to read really old handwriting that's faded!
Where is the Altar Now?
You can still see the original stone altar today! It is kept safe in St Michael's Church in Michaelchurch, where it was first discovered.
What Does the Name Tridamus Mean?
Experts who study ancient languages think the name Tridamus might come from a very old language called Proto-Celtic. In this language, *tri-damos could mean 'three-bovine one'. A "bovine" is a type of animal like a cow or an ox. So, the name might suggest a connection to three cattle or a powerful animal god.
