Noviomagus Explained

Noviomagus is the name of a number of settlements found across the Western Roman Empire. The name is believed to be a Latinization of a Brittonic placename, Novio meaning "New" and -magos, meaning "Field" or "Market" (cf. Welsh maes 'field', Old Irish mag 'plain'), in other words a clearing in woodland.^[1]

Noviomagus may refer to:

Places

France

• Noviomagus Lexoviorum ("Noviomagus of the Lexovii"), the Gallo-Roman settlement at Lisieux, France
• Noviomagus Veromanduorum ("Noviomagus of the Veromandui"), the Gallo-Roman settlement at Noyon, France
• Noviomagus Tricastinorum ("Noviomagus of the Tricastini"), later known as "Augusta" and "Colonia Flavia Tricastinorum", the Gallo-Roman settlement at Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, France

Germany

• Noviomagus Nemetum ("Noviomagus of the Nemetes"), the Germano-Roman settlement at Speyer, Germany
• Noviomagus Trevirorum ("Noviomagus of the Trevii"), the Germano-Roman settlement at Neumagen-Dhron near Trier, Germany

Great Britain

• Noviomagus Reginorum ("Noviomagus of the Regnenses"), the Romano-British settlement at Chichester, West Sussex, in England
• Noviomagus Cantiacorum ("Noviomagus of the Kentish"), the Romano-British settlement probably located at West Wickham, London (though Crayford has also been suggested)
• Noviomagus, the previous site mistakenly placed by John Dunkin near Dartford, England, usually quoted as Crayford

The Netherlands

• Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum ("Ulpian Noviomagus of the Batavians"), the Germano-Roman settlement at Nijmegen in the Netherlands

People

• Daniel Santbech Noviomagus, Dutch mathematician and astronomer (died circa 1561) has given his name to the Santbech crater on the Moon

See also

• Noviomagum, a minor planet
• Neumagen, a river in the Black Forest
• Nijmegen, a city in The Netherlands

Notes and References

1. Cunliffe, Barry, 1973, The Regni, Duckworth (Peoples of Roman Britain series), p. 49