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Colonia (Roman)

A Roman colonia (pl.: 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).[citation needed]

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).[citation needed]

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.[citation needed]

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 connubii Ufentina 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.[citation needed]

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.[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

See also

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, Ab urbe condita, 1:11
  5. ^ Livy (25 June 2009). Hannibal's War: Books 21-30. ISBN 978-0-19-955597-0. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  6. ^ Appian, Iberian Wars 38
  7. ^ a b Nigel., Rodgers (2006). Roman Empire. Dodge, Hazel. London: Lorenz Books. ISBN 0754816028. OCLC 62177842.
  8. ^ "History of Europe - Romans". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  9. ^ "Colonia - Livius". www.livius.org. Archived from the original on 2018-07-02. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  10. ^ "CHRONOLOGIE - Les grandes dates - Narbo Martius" (in French). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  11. ^ Procopius De Aedificiis 3.4.6-7
  12. ^ "EBORACUM or Eburacum or Eburaco (York) Yorkshire, England". Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  13. ^ "APULUM (Alba Iulia) Romania". Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  14. ^ "DROBETA or Drubeta (Drobeta-Turnu Severin) Romania". Archived from the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  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. Archived from the original on 24 December 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  18. ^ Jecmen, Gregory; Spira, Freyda (2012). Imperial Augsburg: Renaissance Prints and Drawings, 1475-1540. National Gallery of Art (U.S.). p. 25. ISBN 9781848221222.
  19. ^ Tore Janson (2007). A Natural History of Latin. OUP Oxford. p. 169. ISBN 9780191622656.

Further reading

External links

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Colonization in the Roman Empire
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