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Colonia(Roman)

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For other uses, seeColonia.

A Romancolonia(pl.:coloniae) was originally a settlement ofRoman citizens,establishing a Romanoutpostin federated or conquered territory, for the purpose of securing it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term "colony".

Characteristics

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Under theRoman Republic,which had nostanding army,their own citizens were planted in conquered towns as a kind of garrison. There were two types:[1][2]

  • Roman colonies,coloniae civium Romanorumorcoloniae maritimae,as they were often built near the sea, e.g.Ostia(350 BC) andRimini(268 BC). The colonists consisted of about three hundred Roman veterans with their families who were assigned from 1 to 2.5 hectares of agricultural land from theager colonicus(state land), as well as free use of theager compascus scripturarius(common state land) for pasture and woodland.[3]
  • Latin colonies (coloniae Latinae) were considerably larger than Roman colonies. They were military strongholds near or in enemy territory. They may have been similar to theAtheniancleruchy.The colonists were given large estates up to 35 hectares. They lost their citizenship which they could regain if they returned to Rome.

After 133 BCtribunesintroduced reforms to support the urban poor to become farmers again in new colonies as agricultural settlements (e.g.Tarentumin 122 BC).[citation needed]

UnderCaesarand in the Imperial era starting fromAugustus,thousands ofRoman legionaryveterans were granted lands in manycoloniaein the empire and were responsible for theRomanizationof many territories (mainly in the spread ofLatin languageand ofRoman lawsandcustoms).[citation needed]

History

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According toLivy,Rome's first colonies were established in about 752 BC atAntemnaeandCrustumerium,both inLatium.[4]

Other early colonies were established atSigniain the 6th century BC,VelitraeandNorbain the 5th century BC, andOstia,Antium,andTarracinain the late 4th century. In this first period of colonisation, which lasted down to the end of thePunic Wars,colonies were primarily military in purpose, being intended to defend Roman territory.

The first Roman colony outside Italy was probablyItalicainHispania[5]founded in 206 BC byPublius Cornelius Scipioduring theSecond Carthaginian War.[6]

In the Empire colonies became large centres for the settlement of army veterans, especially in Roman north Africa which had the largest density of Roman colonies per region in the Roman Empire, where the Italic population constituted more than one third of the total population during the second century AD.[citation needed]

Under the Kingdom

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  • BC 752 at Antemnae and Crustumerium, both in Latium.
  • BC 745 (or 737) Fidenae became a Roman colony
  • BC 737 Cameria

Under the Republic

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New bilateral defence contracts with Falerii,Tarquinii(Etruria)Caere(again), Pomptina and Poplilia tribus (tribes) formed in territories of Antium

  • BC 338Capuainhabitants got Roman civil rights
  • BC 335Cales(Latium)
  • BC 332 (two new voting tribus established): Scaptia, Maecia
  • BC 329Anxur(Latium)
  • BC 318 Falerna tribus established, Cales made contract with Rome again
  • BC 318Canusium(Apulia)

New Roman municipia made from small towns around Rome: Aricia, Lanuvium, Nomentum,Pedum,Tusculum. Latin ius contracts made withTibur,Praeneste,Lavinium,Cora(Latium) Ius comercii contracts made withCircei,Notba,Setia,Signia,Nepi,Ardea,Gabii Ius migrationi and ius connubii Ufentina tribus established (on territories of Volscus city Antium),Privernum,Velitrae,Terracia,FondiandFotmiaemade contract with Rome (cives sine suffragio)

Under the Principate

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Colonies were not founded on a large scale until the inception of the Principate.Augustus,who needed to settle over a hundred thousand of his veterans after the end of hiscivil wars,began a massive colony creation program throughout his empire. However, not all colonies were new cities. Many were created from already-occupied settlements and the process of colonization just expanded them. Some of these colonies would later grow into large cities (modern day Cologne was first founded as a Roman colony). During this time, provincial cities can gain the rank of colony, gaining certain rights and privileges.[7]After the era of theSeveran emperorsthe new "colonies" were only cities that were granted a status (often of tax exemption), and in most cases during the Late Imperial times there was no more settlement of retired legionaries.[citation needed]

Effects and legacy of colonization

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Roman colonies sometimes served as a potential reserve of veterans which could be called upon during times of emergency. However, these colonies more importantly served to produce future Roman citizens and therefore recruits to theRoman army.[7]

Roman colonies played a major role in the spread of the Latin language within the central and southern Italian peninsula during the early empire.[8]The colonies showed surrounding native populations an example of Roman life.[9]Since the veterans settled there were usually single until discharge and married local women, colonies tended to become culturally integrated in their surroundings within a few generations.

Examples

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Modern name Latin name Modern country Roman province Foundation or Promotion Founder or Promotor additional Info
Arles Colonia Iulia Paterna Arelatensis Sextanorum France Gallia Narbonensis 45 BC Julius Caesar
Belgrade Singidunum Serbia Moesia Superior 239 AD founded by Celts c.279 BC, conquered by Romans in 15 BC
Budapest Aquincum Hungary Pannonia 41-54
Carteia Carteia Spain Hispania Ulterior 171 BC Roman Senate
Colchester Colonia Claudia Victricensis Camulodunum United Kingdom Britannia/Britannia Superior/Maxima Caesariensis 49 Claudius
Köln Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium Germany Germania Inferior 50 Claudius
Jerusalem(on the site of) Colonia Aelia Capitolina Hierosoloma IsraelandPalestine Judaea AfterBar Kokhba's revolt Hadrian
Lincoln Lindum Coloniaor Colonia Domitiana Lindensium United Kingdom Britannia/Britannia Inferior/Flavia Caesariensis 71 Domitian
Narbonne Colonia Iulia Paterna Claudius Narbo Martius Decumanorum France Gallia/Gallia Narbonensis 118 BC Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus refounded by Caesar in 45 BC[10]
Patras Colonia Augusta Achaica Patrensis Greece Achaia After thebattle of Actium Augustus
Şebinkarahisar Colonia (Κολώνεια) Turkey Bithynia et Pontus 1st century BC Pompey [11]
Colonia Iulia Concordia Apamea Turkey Bithynia-Pontus ca. 45 BC Iulius Caesar
York Eboracum United Kingdom Britannia/Britannia Inferior/Britannia Secunda early 3rd century[12] Caracalla
Mérida Colonia Emerita Augusta Spain Hispania/Lusitania 25 BC Augustus for war veterans ofV AlaudaeandX Geminalegions
Sarmizegetusa Colonia Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa Romania Dacia 106-110 Trajan
Alba Iulia Apulum Romania Dacia 180-192[13] Commodus
Cluj Napoca Napoca Romania Dacia 2nd half of 2nd century Commodus
Drobeta-Turnu Severin Drobeta Romania Dacia 198-208[14] Septimius Severus
Gigen Oescus Bulgaria Moesia Inferior 106-112 Trajan
Ljubljana Colonia Iulia Aemona Slovenia Illyricum 14 or 15 Decree ofAugustus,completed byTiberius On the site of theLegio XV Apollinaris,after it left forCarnuntum
Debelt Colonia Flavia Pancensis Deultum Bulgaria Thracia After theYear of the Four Emperors Vespasian for veterans ofVIII Augusta
Qalunya Colonia AmosaorColonia Emmaus[15] Israel Judaea After 71 Vespasian Might have beenEmmausof theNew Testament.[16]
Zaragoza/Saragossa Caesaraugusta Spain Hispania Tarraconensis Between 25 BC and 11 BC[17] Augustus To settle army veterans from theCantabrian wars.
Augsburg Augusta Vindelicorum Germany Raetia 15 BC[18] Augustus The name means "the Augustan city of theVindelici"[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^E.T. Salmon, The Coloniae Maritimae, Athenaeum, N.S.41 (1963) 3-33
  2. ^A.N. Sherwin-White,The Roman Citizenship,86
  3. ^C.G.Severino, Crotone. Da polis a città di Calabria, 1988, p. 29
  4. ^Livy,Ab urbe condita,1:11
  5. ^Livy (25 June 2009).Hannibal's War: Books 21-30.ISBN978-0-19-955597-0.Archivedfrom the original on 17 February 2023.Retrieved17 February2023.
  6. ^Appian, Iberian Wars 38
  7. ^abNigel., Rodgers (2006).Roman Empire.Dodge, Hazel. London: Lorenz Books.ISBN0754816028.OCLC62177842.
  8. ^"History of Europe - Romans".Encyclopedia Britannica.Retrieved2018-07-03.
  9. ^"Colonia - Livius".www.livius.org.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-07-02.Retrieved2018-07-02.
  10. ^"CHRONOLOGIE - Les grandes dates - Narbo Martius"(in French).Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved4 February2017.
  11. ^ProcopiusDe Aedificiis3.4.6-7
  12. ^"EBORACUM or Eburacum or Eburaco (York) Yorkshire, England".Archivedfrom the original on 10 August 2020.Retrieved4 May2021.
  13. ^"APULUM (Alba Iulia) Romania".Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2021.Retrieved4 May2021.
  14. ^"DROBETA or Drubeta (Drobeta-Turnu Severin) Romania".Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2021.Retrieved4 May2021.
  15. ^Khalidi, 1992, p. 309
  16. ^Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p.40
  17. ^Sivan, H.; S. Keay; R. Mathisen; DARMC, R.; Talbert, S.; Gillies, J.; Åhlfeldt; J. Becker; T. Elliott."Places: 246344 (Col. Caesaraugusta)".Pleiades.Archivedfrom the original on 24 December 2014.Retrieved23 December2014.
  18. ^Jecmen, Gregory; Spira, Freyda (2012).Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance Prints and Drawings, 1475-1540.National Gallery of Art (U.S.). p. 25.ISBN9781848221222.
  19. ^Tore Janson (2007).A Natural History of Latin.OUP Oxford. p. 169.ISBN9780191622656.

Further reading

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  • Bradley, Guy, and John-Paul Wilson, eds. 2006.Greek and Roman Colonization: Origins, Ideologies and Interactions.Swansea, UK: Classical Press of Wales.
  • Broadhead, William. 2007. "Colonization, Land Distribution, and Veteran Settlement". InA Companion to the Roman Army.Edited by Paul Erdkamp, 148–163. Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World. Malden, MA: Blackwell.
  • Crawford, Michael H. 2014. "The Roman History of Roman Colonisation". InThe Roman Historical Tradition: Regal and Republican Rome.Oxford Readings in Classical Studies. Edited by James H. Richardson and Federico Santangelo. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Curchin, Leonard A. 1991.Roman Spain: Conquest and Assimilation.London: Routledge.
  • Fuhrmann, Christopher J. 2012.Policing the Roman Empire: Soldiers, Administration, and Public Order.Oxford and New York: Oxford Univ. Press.
  • Salmon, Edward T. 1955. "Roman Expansion and Roman Colonization in Italy".Phoenix9.2: 63–75.
  • Stek, Tesse D. and Gert-Jan Burgers eds. 2015.The Impact of Rome on Cult Places and Religious Practices in Ancient Italy.Bulletin of the Institute of Classical Studies Supplement 132. London: Institute of Classical Studies, University of London.
  • Sears, Gareth. 2011.The Cities of Roman Africa.Stroud, UK: History Press.
  • Termeer, Marleen K. 2010. "Early Colonies in Latium (ca. 534–338 BC): A Reconsideration of Current Images and the Archaeological Evidence".Bulletin Antieke Beschaving85:43–58.
  • Woolf, Greg. 1998.Becoming Roman: The Origins of Provincial Civilization in Gaul.Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.
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Library resourcesabout
Colonization in the Roman Empire
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