Colonia (Roman) Explained

A Roman Latin: colonia (: Latin: coloniae) was originally a settlement of Roman citizens, establishing a Roman outpost in 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

Under the Roman Republic, which had no standing army, their own citizens were planted in conquered towns as a kind of garrison. There were two types:[1] [2]

After 133 BC tribunes introduced reforms to support the urban poor to become farmers again in new colonies as agricultural settlements (e.g. Tarentum in 122 BC).

Under Caesar and in the Imperial era starting from Augustus, thousands of Roman legionary veterans were granted lands in many coloniae in the empire and were responsible for the Romanization of many territories (mainly in the spread of Latin language and of Roman laws and customs).

History

According to Livy, Rome's first colonies were established in about 752 BC at Antemnae and Crustumerium, both in Latium.[4]

Other early colonies were established at Signia in the 6th century BC, Velitrae and Norba in the 5th century BC, and Ostia, Antium, and Tarracina in the late 4th century. In this first period of colonisation, which lasted down to the end of the Punic Wars, colonies were primarily military in purpose, being intended to defend Roman territory.

The first Roman colony outside Italy was probably Italica in Hispania[5] founded in 206 BC by Publius Cornelius Scipio during the Second 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.

Under the Kingdom

Under the Republic

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

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

Under the Principate

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 his civil 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 the Severan emperors the 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.

Effects and legacy of colonization

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 the Roman army.

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

Modern nameLatin nameModern countryRoman provinceFoundation or PromotionFounder or Promotoradditional Info
ArlesColonia Iulia Paterna Arelatensis SextanorumFranceGallia Narbonensis45 BCJulius Caesar
BelgradeSingidunumSerbiaMoesia Superior239 ADfounded by Celts c.279 BC, conquered by Romans in 15 BC
BudapestAquincumHungaryPannonia41-54
CarteiaCarteiaSpainHispania Ulterior171 BCRoman Senate
ColchesterColonia Claudia Victricensis CamulodunumUnited KingdomBritannia / Britannia Superior / Maxima Caesariensis49Claudius
Colonia Claudia Ara AgrippinensiumGermanyGermania Inferior50Claudius
Jerusalem (on the site of)Colonia Aelia Capitolina HierosolomaIsrael and PalestineJudaeaAfter Bar Kokhba's revoltHadrian
LincolnLindum Colonia or Colonia Domitiana LindensiumUnited KingdomBritannia / Britannia Inferior / Flavia Caesariensis71Domitian
NarbonneColonia Iulia Paterna Claudius Narbo Martius DecumanorumFrance118 BCGnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbusrefounded by Caesar in 45 BC[10]
PatrasColonia Augusta Achaica PatrensisGreeceAchaiaAfter the battle of ActiumAugustus
ŞebinkarahisarColonia (Κολώνεια)TurkeyBithynia et Pontus1st century BCPompey[11]
Colonia Iulia Concordia ApameaTurkeyBithynia-Pontusca. 45 BCIulius Caesar
YorkEboracumUnited KingdomBritannia / Britannia Inferior / Britannia Secundaearly 3rd century [12] Caracalla
MéridaColonia Emerita AugustaSpainHispania / Lusitania25 BCAugustusfor war veterans of V Alaudae and X Gemina legions
SarmizegetusaColonia Ulpia Traiana SarmizegetusaRomaniaDacia106-110Trajan
Alba IuliaApulumRomaniaDacia180-192 [13] Commodus
Cluj NapocaNapocaRomaniaDacia2nd half of 2nd century Commodus
Drobeta-Turnu SeverinDrobetaRomaniaDacia198-208 [14] Septimius Severus
GigenOescusBulgariaMoesia Inferior106-112Trajan
LjubljanaColonia Iulia AemonaSloveniaIllyricum14 or 15 Decree of Augustus, completed by Tiberius
DebeltColonia Flavia Pancensis DeultumBulgariaThraciaAfter the Year of the Four EmperorsVespasianfor veterans of VIII Augusta
QalunyaColonia Amosa or Colonia Emmaus[15] IsraelJudaeaAfter 71VespasianMight have been Emmaus of the New Testament.[16]
Zaragoza/SaragossaCaesaraugustaSpainHispania TarraconensisBetween 25 BC and 11 BC[17] AugustusTo settle army veterans from the Cantabrian wars.
AugsburgAugusta VindelicorumGermanyRaetia15 BC [18] AugustusThe name means "the Augustan city of the Vindelici" [19]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  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]
  5. Book: Hannibal's War: Books 21-30. 978-0-19-955597-0. Livy. 25 June 2009. 17 February 2023. 17 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230217133018/https://books.google.com/books?id=0KwVDAAAQBAJ&q=Italica+first+roman+city+outside+of+Italy&pg=PA689. live.
  6. Appian, Iberian Wars 38
  7. Book: Nigel., Rodgers. Roman Empire. 2006. Lorenz Books. Dodge, Hazel.. 0754816028. London. 62177842.
  8. Encyclopedia: History of Europe - Romans. Encyclopedia Britannica. 2018-07-03. en. .
  9. Web site: Colonia - Livius. www.livius.org. en. 2018-07-02. 2018-07-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20180702233437/http://www.livius.org/articles/concept/colonia/. live.
  10. Web site: CHRONOLOGIE - Les grandes dates - Narbo Martius . fr . 4 February 2017 . 4 March 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304023814/http://bib.cervantesvirtual.com/portal/simulacraromae/narbona/crono.htm . live .
  11. [Procopius]
  12. Web site: EBORACUM or Eburacum or Eburaco (York) Yorkshire, England . en . 4 May 2021 . 10 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200810204221/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0006:entry=eboracum . live .
  13. Web site: APULUM (Alba Iulia) Romania . en . 4 May 2021 . 4 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210504131350/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0006:id=apulum . live .
  14. Web site: DROBETA or Drubeta (Drobeta-Turnu Severin) Romania . en . 4 May 2021 . 4 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210504131352/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0006:alphabetic+letter=D:entry+group=3:entry=drobeta . live .
  15. Khalidi, 1992, p. 309
  16. Conder and Kitchener, 1883, SWP III, p. 40
  17. Web site: Places: 246344 (Col. Caesaraugusta) . Sivan, H. . S. Keay . R. Mathisen . DARMC, R. . Talbert, S. . Gillies, J. . Åhlfeldt . J. Becker . T. Elliott . 23 December 2014 . Pleiades . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141224023056/http://pleiades.stoa.org/places/246344 . 24 December 2014 .
  18. Book: Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance Prints and Drawings, 1475-1540 . Gregory . Jecmen . Freyda . Spira . 2012 . 25 . National Gallery of Art (U.S.) . 9781848221222.
  19. Book: A Natural History of Latin . Tore Janson . 2007 . 169 . OUP Oxford . 9780191622656.