DUROBRIVAE
DUROBRIVAE in Kent, mentioned in the second Itinerary as being the second station from London in the direction of
Richborough (Rutupae), and by general consent fixed at
Rochester. The prefix
dur, being one which will reappear, may conveniently be noticed here.
It is the Keltic
dwr == water; so that the local names wherein it occurs are the Keltic analogues to the English terms
Water-ford, Bridge-
water, &c. Camden has pointed out the following corruptions of the form Durobrivae, viz.:
Durobrovae, Durobrevis, and Civitas
Roibi, from which comes the Saxon
Hrofe-ceaster ==
Rochester. In the foundation charter of the cathedral, Rochester is expressly called
Durobrovae. The Rochester river (
dwr) is the Medway.
In the third and fourth Itineraries we also find *Durobrivae (in all cases, twenty-seven Roman miles from London).
This, alone with the satisfactory character of the evidence in favour of Rochester, makes the present notice a convenient place for the investigation of
Duro-levum and
Duro-vernum.
Durolevum is the next stage to Rochester in the second Itinerary, and here
Durovernum is twenty-eight miles
from Durobrivae. But in the next two Itineraries the distance is only twenty-five. This (as Horsely remarks) makes it necessary to consider Durolevum as lying somewhat out of the direct road.
Now at
Len-ham (on the river
Len) we have Roman remains, and so we have at Charing (also on the
Len). One of these was probably the Roman Duro-
levum, or (considering the name of the river, along with the likelihood of that of the station being the same, the chances of confusion between
v and
u, and, lastly, the fact of the names
Deva and
Deuna (q. v.) being actually confused) Duro-
lenum; a read., ing already suggested by previous investigators.
The present writer, then, fixes
Durolevum (-
lenum) on the
Len, assuming the likelihood of an improved reading, and laying great stress on the name.
At the same time, he adds that Newington, Sittingbourne, Milton, and Faversham (all on a different line of road) have found supporters.
Durovernum is generally identified with Canterbury.
It is mentioned in the same Itineraries with the other two stations.
The river (
dwr) here is the Stour. Ptolemy's form is Darvenum (
Ἀρούενον).
At Rochester remains of the ancient Durobrivae are sufficiently abundant; e.g. coins of Vespasian, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, M. Aurelius Antoninus, Constantius, and Constantine, fibulae, and pottery.
At Canterbury the evidence is of the same kind; coins being numerous, and there being also traces of the two great Roman roads which led to
Dover (Dubris) and
Lymne (Lemanis).
[
R.G.L]
