Ancient Bristol

The year before the birth of Christ 380, Dunwallo Molmutius reined the first King of Britain. He had two sons: Bellinus and Brennus. Bellinus having followed the example of his father in constructing roads and highway in Britain and contributed to the foundation of Bristol, but William of Worcester, English chronicler and antiquary asserts that it was founded by Brennus.

Brennus was known as a leader of the Gauls and conqueror of Rome.

A little before time of Nennuis, the name of the town seems to have been changed from Caer Odre to Caer Brito.

From Brito the name became Brystoe, and Brighstowe, or the illustrious dwelling; Brigston, the city with a bridge; more recently Bristow, and finally Bristol.

The last of the ancient names by which Bristol seems to have been known is the Venta Belgarum of Ptolemy. The testimony of Ptolemy to the antiquity of Bristol is important, for it shows that it was a capital city of the Belgae when he wrote, as early as the year of Christ 120.

About the year 50, the Romans captured this place under Ostorius Scapula in the reign of Claudius and made war upon and extirpated the Changi a brave British tribe inhabiting Somersetshire.

Under the Romans, it is probable that Bristol was either a rude fortress, or if the seat of any commerce, merely the emporium for such commodities as were in demand among the Romans, in their encampments on Clifton and Leigh Downs.

The original form of Bristol appears to have been circular; its principal streets, High streets with Broad-street, Wine-street with Corn-street, intersecting each other, appear to have constituted the diameters of the circle.
Ancient Bristol