Aquae Neri
AQUAE NERISo the name is written in the Theodosian Table; for which we ought probably to write Aquae Nerae, as D'Anville suggests. It appears to correspond to Néris, which Gregory of Tours calls Vicus Nereensis. Nérisis in the department of Allier.
[G.L]Some Gallo-Roman baths mentioned in the Peutinger Table have been partly excavated. They were quite luxurious, with marble veneers; some pools can still be seen. Tiles bearing the mark of Legio VIII and the presence of a camp suggest that there was a valetudinarium here. Remains of an amphitheater, some rich villas, and two aqueducts are still standing. A number of inscriptions have been found, several of them with the dedication: DEO NERIO.
Sculptures representing the traditional Gallic gods have also been found: a crouching god, a god with a snake, one snake with a ram' s head. Others show Epona and Abundance, while Oriental religions are represented by a lamp with a dedication to the Mother of the Gods.
A remarkable number of bowls of metal as well as of glass and terracotta have been found on the site. Two potter' s kilns of the Tiberian period have been discovered; they were used to bake terra sigillata and ordinary domestic bowls. Bowls with a lead glaze were also found in the furnace dump.
BIBLIOGRAPHYH. Vertet, “Lampe en bronze dediée à Cybèle, trouvée à Neris,” Revue archéologique du Centre 1 (1962) 348-50I; “Informations,” Gallia 25 (1967) 297-98I;29 (1971) 323-24I.
H. VERTET