The Roman Map of Britain
Brano.Genium,
Brannogenion,
and Brauonio
Mediolano, Mediomanum, Mediolanion,
and Mediolanum
Brannogenium
and Mediolanium are found in Ptolemy's Geography as two poleis
in the territory of the Ordovices. Mediolano
and Brauonio are placed by AI outside the territory described by Ptolemy. Ptolemy's
description places Ordovican
territory west of the Cornovii. Two towns of the Cornovii are Chester-on-Dee
(Ptolemy's Deva) and Wroxeter (Ptolemy's Viroconium).
AI's Mediolano is between
the two and presumably within the territory of the Cornovii. Brauonio is
27 m.p. south of Wroxeter at Leintwardine. AI's Mediolano does not
appear to equate with Ptolemy's Mediolanium. Ravenna's Mediolano
(R&C 84) is separated from Ravenna's
Deva victris (R&C
86) by one entry, and is the same as AI's Mediolano. Ravenna's
Mediomanum (R&C 80)
precedes Seguntio Caernarvon (R&C
81). The equation of Ptolemy's Mediolanium with Ravenna's Mediomanum
would resolve the conflict by allowing for two Mediolanos, one at
Whitchurch and one in the west within the territory of the Ordovices. As noted
by PNRB, Holder II 497
lists no fewer than forty-two Mediolanum places. To find two in Britain
would not be extraordinary.
AI's Brauonio, Leintwardine, can be interpreted
as Ravenna's Branogenium, less the -ge-. But as pointed out
by R&C: The identification suggested by Holder with Bravonium is very
doubtful. There is plenty of room for another site on the road.
Branogenium and a *Branonio could be two distinct
places, both in the vicinity of Leintwardine, that share a river-name element.
Leintwardine is not a single site, but a complex spread over a significant area.
Another possibility is that Brinauis (R&C
77), which precedes Utriconion Cornoviorum Wroxeter (R&C
79), is the same as AI's Brauonio. In any case,
Leintwardine appears to be at the common border of Quadrants 4 and 7.
Ptolemy's Brannogenium, if a second Mediolanum
can be accepted, would be distinct from Ravenna's Branogenium. The
distance and bearing between Mediolanium and Brannogenium, and the
placement of Mediomanum (R&C
81) prior to Seguntio Caernarfon (R&C
82) suggest an identification of Mediolanium/Mediomanum with
Tomen y Mur (sh7038), and Brannogenium
with Pennal (sh7000). Bryn y
Gefeilia (Bettws y Coed) (sh7457)and
Brithdir (sh7718) have a similar
geographical relationship, but there is no suggestion of a road connecting Bryn
y Gefeilia to Caernarfon, while there is a road suggested for Tomen y Mur,
Margary 68.