Hildegard was a Benedictine abbess, born in the 12th century, who founded two monasteries in Germany. She was also a writer and composer. She wrote treatises on theology, medicine or the functioning of the human body, but also about plants and minerals. As a composer, she made some innovations in Gregorian chant. 

Both monasteries she founded are on the banks of the river Rhine, which was a natural border of the Roman Empire. In this activity, you will learn the importance of this river and of the Danube in Roman times, by answering some questions.

Questions:

1)      Place the Rhine on the map of Europe and find some information on its course: where it rises, where it empties, how long it is and whether it is navigable.

2)      German tribes settled down in both sides of the lower side of the river, and the Celts in the upper side of its course. Its name, Rhenum in Latin, comes from the Celtic word Renos, "the one who flows". Since it is an Indoeuropean language, it shares root with Greek ῥέω (reo), "to flow". What is the name, with a Celtic and Latin origin, given to the German region to both sides to the Rhine? 

3)      Place on the Rhine the city of Bingen, where Hildegard founded her first monastery in the 12th century.

4)      Draw on the map the course of the Danube and compare the outline of both rivers to the borders of the Roman Empire during the 1st century AD.

5)      What did limes mean during Roman times? What are the limes of the Rhine called?

6)      The Romans founded several cities along the Rhine. Find out the origin and the Roman name of: Bonn, Cologne and Mainz.

7)      Who was Agrippina the Younger? How are emperors Augustus, Claudius and Nero related to her?

8)      The Rhine also played an important role in the fall of the Western Roman Empire. What barbarian tribes crossed the border of the Rhine and the Danube at the beginning of the 5th century?

9)      Enheduanna was the first person to sign her poetry. She is from earlier times than Agrippina and Hildegard, but she also lived near a big river. Find out which river it is and which civilization it belonged to (name, place and year).