A Roman (plural ) was originally a
Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure 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
In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state' ...
''.
Characteristics
Under the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...
, which had no
standing army, bodies of their own citizens were planted in conquered towns as a kind of garrison. There were two types:
* Roman colonies, ''coloniae civium Romanorum'' or ''coloniae maritimae'', as they were often built near the sea, e.g.
Ostia (350 BC) and
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
(268 BC). The colonists consisted of about three hundred
Roman families and were given a small plot of land so were probably small business owners.
* Latin colonies (''coloniae Latinae'') were considerably larger than Roman colonies. They were military strongholds near or in enemy territory. 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 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
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
and
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
thousands of
Roman legionary veterans were granted lands in many ''coloniae'' in the empire and were responsible for the
Romanization
Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, a ...
of many territories (mainly in the spread of
Latin language
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of t ...
and of
Roman laws
This is a partial list of Roman laws. A Roman law (Latin: ''lex'') is usually named for the sponsoring legislator and designated by the adjectival form of his ''gens'' name ('' nomen gentilicum''), in the feminine form because the noun ''lex'' (pl ...
and
customs).
History
According to
Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...
, Rome's first colonies were established in about 752 BC at
Antemnae
Antemnae was a town and Roman colony of ancient Latium in Italy. It was situated two miles north of ancient Rome on a hill (now Monte Antenne) commanding the confluence of the Aniene and the Tiber. It lay west of the later Via Salaria and now l ...
and
Crustumerium
Crustumerium (or Crustumium) was an ancient town of Latium, on the edge of the Sabine territory, near the headwaters of the Allia, not far from the Tiber.
In the legends concerning Rome's early history, the Crustumini were amongst the peoples whi ...
, both in
Latium
Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire.
Definition
Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...
.
Other early colonies were established at
Signia in the 6th century BC,
Velitrae and
Norba
Norba, an ancient town of Latium (''Adjectum''), Italy. It is situated 1 mile northwest of the modern town of Norma, on the western edge of the Volscian Mountains or Monti Lepini. The town is perched above a precipitous cliff with a splendid v ...
in the 5th century BC, and
Ostia,
Antium
Antium was an ancient coastal town in Latium, south of Rome. An oppidum was founded by people of Latial culture (11th century BC or the beginning of the 1st millennium BC), then it was the main stronghold of the Volsci people until it was conqu ...
, and
Tarracina in the late 4th century. In this first period of colonization, which lasted down to the end of the
Punic Wars, colonies were primarily military in purpose, being intended to defend Roman territory. There were colonies of citizens and colonies of Latins, which differed in size, constitution, and region. Colonies of citizens were typically coastal and known as ''coloniae maritimae''. These were small (three hundred families), close to Rome, and enjoyed no civic life of their own.
Sherwin-White suggested that they were similar to the
Athenian
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
cleruchy
A cleruchy (, ''klēroukhia'') in Classical Greece, was a specialized type of colony established by Athens. The term comes from the Greek word , ''klērouchos'', literally "lot-holder".
History
Normally, Greek colonies were politically independen ...
. The Latin colonies (''coloniae juris latini''), on the other hand, were much larger and populated by Latins, as well as by Romans who, however, did not retain Roman citizenship. The first Latin colonies were initially founded by the
Latin league
The Latin League (c. 7th century BC – 338 BC)Stearns, Peter N. (2001) ''The Encyclopedia of World History'', Houghton Mifflin. pp. 76–78. . was an ancient confederation of about 30 villages and tribes in the region of Latium near the ancient ...
.
During the Late Republic, prominent figures such as the tribune
Gaius Gracchus
Gaius Sempronius Gracchus ( – 121 BC) was a reformist Roman politician in the 2nd century BC. He is most famous for his tribunate for the years 123 and 122 BC, in which he proposed a wide set of laws, including laws to establish ...
proposed to settle Rome's landless citizens in colonies of recently conquered provinces. This concept, though popular and frequently reiterated by Roman contemporaries, failed to gain traction. Large scale settlement of landless Roman citizens in provinces would never really occur in the Roman Empire.
Under the Kingdom
*BC 752 at Antemnae and Crustumerium, both in Latium.
*BC 745 (or 737) Fidenae became a Roman colony
*BC 737 Cameria
Under the Republic
*BC 396
Veii
Veii (also Veius; it, Veio) was an important ancient Etruscan city situated on the southern limits of Etruria and north-northwest of Rome, Italy. It now lies in Isola Farnese, in the comune of Rome. Many other sites associated with and in the ...
and
Fidenae
Fidenae ( grc, Φιδῆναι) was an ancient town of Latium, situated about 8 km north of Rome on the '' Via Salaria'', which ran between Rome and the Tiber. Its inhabitants were known as Fidenates. As the Tiber was the border between Etr ...
defeated. 4 new
tribus lection districtorganised (Stellatina, Tromentana, Sabatina, Arniensis)
*BC 385
Satricum
Satricum (modern Le Ferriere), an ancient town of Latium vetus, lay on the right bank of the Astura river some SE of Rome in a low-lying region south of the Alban Hills, at the NW border of the Pontine Marshes. It was directly accessible from Ro ...
(lost and burned in BC 346)
*BC 354–349
Tibur,
Praeneste,
Caere
:
Caere (also Caisra and Cisra) is the Latin name given by the Romans to one of the larger cities of southern Etruria, the modern Cerveteri, approximately 50–60 kilometres north-northwest of Rome. To the Etruscans it was known as Cisra, t ...
(
Latium
Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire.
Definition
Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...
) alliance agreement
*BC 332 (or after):
Sutrium
Sutri (Latin ''Sutrium'') is an Ancient town, modern ''comune'' and former bishopric (now a Latin titular see) in the province of Viterbo, about from Rome and about south of Viterbo. It is picturesquely situated on a narrow tuff hill, surrounded ...
,
Nepete (Latium),
*BC 338
Ostia colony and port
New bilateral defence contracts with Falerii,
Tarquinii
Tarquinia (), formerly Corneto, is an old city in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, Central Italy, known chiefly for its ancient Etruscan tombs in the widespread necropoleis, or cemeteries, for which it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage statu ...
(Etruria)
Caere
:
Caere (also Caisra and Cisra) is the Latin name given by the Romans to one of the larger cities of southern Etruria, the modern Cerveteri, approximately 50–60 kilometres north-northwest of Rome. To the Etruscans it was known as Cisra, t ...
(again), Pomptina and Poplilia tribus (tribes) formed in territories of Antium
*BC 338
Capua
Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain.
History
Ancient era
The name of Capua comes from the Etrus ...
inhabitants got Roman civil rights
*BC 335
Cales (Latium)
*BC 332 (two new voting tribus established): Scaptia, Maecia
*BC 329
Anxur
Terracina is an Italian city and ''comune'' of the province of Latina, located on the coast southeast of Rome on the Via Appia ( by rail). The site has been continuously occupied since antiquity.
History Ancient times
Terracina appears in anci ...
(Latium)
*BC 318 Falerna tribus established, Cales made contract with Rome again
*BC 318
Canusium
Canosa di Puglia, generally known simply as Canosa ( nap, label= Canosino, Canaus), is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located between Bari and Foggia, on the northwestern edge of the ...
(Apulia)
New Roman municipiums 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 Nepi (anciently ''Nepet'' or ''Nepete'') is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Viterbo, Lazio, central Italy. The town lies southeast of the city of Viterbo and about southwest from Civita Castellana.
The town is known for its miner ...
,
Ardea,
Gabii
Gabii was an ancient city of Latium, located due east of Rome along the Via Praenestina, which was in early times known as the ''Via Gabina''.
It was on the south-eastern perimeter of an extinct volcanic crater lake, approximately circular ...
Ius migrationi and ius connubii
Ufentina tribus established (on territories of Volscus city Antium),
Privernum Priverno is a town, ''comune'' in the province of Latina, Lazio, central Italy. It was called ''Piperno'' until 1927.
It has a station of the Rome-Naples railway mainline. Nearby is the Monti Lepini chain. It was the birthplace of the canonist Reg ...
,
Velitrae,
Terracia,
Fondi and
Fotmiae made contract with Rome (cives sine suffragio)
*BC 303
Alba Fucens
Alba Fucens was an ancient Italic town occupying a lofty location (1,000 m) at the foot of the Monte Velino, c. 6.5 km north of Avezzano, Abruzzo, central Italy. Its remains are today in the ''comune'' of Massa d'Albe.
History
It was ...
,
Carsioli (Latium)
*BC 313
Suessula,
Saticula (Campania)
*BC 315
Luceria (Apulia)
*BC 303
Sora (Latium)
*BC 299 Nequinum (Narnia/
Narni in Etruria and Umbria) was a keypoint fortress against the Samnis tribes
*BC 296
Minturnae
Minturno is a city and ''comune'' in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Garigliano (known in antiquity as the Liris), with a suburb on the opposite bank about from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia cross ...
(Latium)
*BC 291
Venusia
Venosa ( Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Potenza, in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, in the Vulture area. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Ginestra, Lavello, Maschito, Montemilone, Palazzo San Gerva ...
(Apulia) colonia (20,000 male inhabitants) to control the Samnis tribes
*BC 290 Pinceum besieged and occupied, soon became a Roman colony
*BC 290(?)
Hatri (Atria) by Adriatic sea (Abruzzo)
*BC 269
Castrum Novum Picenii in BC 286), BC 264(?)
Picenum colonies (Abruzzo)
*BC 289 (or in BC 283)
Sena Gallica
Sena may refer to:
Places
* Sanandaj or Sena, city in northwestern Iran
* Sena (state constituency), represented in the Perlis State Legislative Assembly
* Sena, Dashtestan, village in Bushehr Province, Iran
* Sena, Huesca, municipality in Hues ...
(Umbria)
*BC 273
Paestum
Paestum ( , , ) was a major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Magna Graecia (southern Italy). The ruins of Paestum are famous for their three ancient Greek temples in the Doric order, dating from about 550 to 450 BC, whi ...
(Latium)
*BC 273
Cosa
Cosa was a Latin colony founded in southwestern Tuscany in 273 BC, on land confiscated from the Etruscans, to solidify the control of the Romans and offer the Republic a protected port.
The Etruscan site (called ''Cusi'' or ''Cosia'') may have ...
(Etruria)
*BC 268
Beneventum (Samnium)
*BC 268
Ariminum (Aemilia)
*BC 268
Brundisium (Apulia)
*BC 264
Firmum
*BC 263
Aesernia (Samnium)
*BC 247
Alsium
Alsium ( el, ; modern: Palo) was an ancient city on the coast of Etruria, between Pyrgi and Fregenae, on the Via Aurelia, by which it is about 35 km from Rome near the modern Ladispoli. It was one of the oldest towns of Etruria, but does ...
(Etruria)
*BC 245
Fregenae (Etruria)
*BC 222
Mediolanum
Mediolanum, the ancient city where Milan now stands, was originally an Insubrian city, but afterwards became an important Roman city in northern Italy. The city was settled by the Insubres around 600 BC, conquered by the Romans in 222 BC, and ...
(Transoadana)
*BC 218
Placentia (Aemilia)
*BC 218
Cremona (Venetia et Histria)
*BC 197–192
Volturnum,
Liternum,
Puteoli
Pozzuoli (; ; ) is a city and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Naples, in the Italian region of Campania. It is the main city of the Phlegrean Peninsula.
History
Pozzuoli began as the Greek colony of ''Dicaearchia'' ( el, Δικα ...
,
Salernum
Salerno (, , ; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the province of Salerno, namesake province, being the second largest city in the ...
(Campania)
Sipontum
Siponto ( la, Sipontum, grc-gre, Σιπιούς) was an ancient port town and bishopric in Apulia, southern Italy. The town was abandoned after earthquakes in the 13th century; today the area is administered as a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' ...
,
Buxentum
Policastro Bussentino (or simply Policastro) is an Italian town and hamlet (''frazione'') of the municipality of Santa Marina (of which it is its seat) in the province of Salerno, Campania region. It is a former bishopric, now titular see, an ...
(Calabria)
*BC 196
Brixia (Venetia et Histria)
*BC 193
Copia (Lucania et Bruttii)
*BC 192
Vibo Valentia
Vibo Valentia (; Monteleone before 1861; Monteleone di Calabria from 1861 to 1928; scn, label= Calabrian, Vibbu Valenzia or ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Calabria region of southern Italy, near the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the ca ...
(Lucania et Bruttii)
*BC 189
Bononia (Aemilia)
*BC 184
Pisaurum (Umbria),
Potentia Romanorum (Lucania et Bruttii)
*BC 183
Mutina,
Parma (Aemilia)
*BC 181
Aquilea (Venetia es Histria)
Gravisca (Latium)
*BC 180
Portus Pisanus (Etruria)
*BC 177
Luna
Luna commonly refers to:
* Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin
* Luna (goddess), the ancient Roman personification of the Moon
Luna may also refer to:
Places Philippines
* Luna, Apayao
* Luna, Isabela
* Luna, La Union
* Luna, San Jose
Roma ...
(Etruria)
*BC 125
Pollentia
250px, Church of San Vittore at Pollenzo.
Pollentia, known today as Pollenzo ( pms, Polèns), was an ancient city on the left bank of the Tanaro. It is now a ''frazione'' (parish) of Bra in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont, northern Italy.
In a ...
,
Vardacate (Liguria)
*BC 123–118
Hasta,
Dertona (Liguria)
*BC 100
Eporedia (Transpadana, today Piemonte region)
Under the Principate
Colonies were not founded on a large scale until the inception of the Principate.
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
, 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.
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
The Roman army (Latin: ) was the armed forces deployed by the Romans throughout the duration of Ancient Rome, from the Roman Kingdom (c. 500 BC) to the Roman Republic (500–31 BC) and the Roman Empire (31 BC–395 AD), and its medieval contin ...
.
Roman colonies played a major role in the spread of the Latin language within the central and southern Italian peninsula during the early empire. The colonies showed surrounding native populations an example of Roman life.
Examples
See also
*
Local government (ancient Roman)
*
Duumviri
The duumviri ( Latin for "two men"), originally duoviri and also known in English as the duumvirs, were any of various joint magistrates of ancient Rome. Such pairs of magistrates were appointed at various periods of Roman history both in Rome i ...
*
Roman colonies in antiquity
*
List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
This is a list of ancient cities, towns, villages, and fortresses in and around Thrace and Dacia. A number of these settlements were Dacian and Thracian, but some were Celtic, Greek, Roman, Paeonian, or Persian.
A number of cities in Dacia ...
*
List of ancient cities in Illyria
This is a list of settlements in Illyria founded by Illyrians (southern Illyrians, Dardanians, Pannonians), Liburni, Ancient Greeks and the Roman Empire. A number of cities in Illyria and later Illyricum were built on the sites or close to the ...
References
Further reading
* 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." In ''A 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." In ''The 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." ''Phoenix'' 9.2: 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 Beschaving'' 85:43–58.
* Woolf, Greg. 1998. ''Becoming Roman: The Origins of Provincial Civilization in Gaul.'' Oxford: Oxford Univ. Press.
External links
Jona Lendering, “Coloniae”, Livius.org (2006)L. Adkins and R.A. Adkins, “Coloniae”, in L. Adkins and R.A. Adkins, ''Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome'', New York, 1994.M. Bunson, “colonies, Roman”, in M. Bunson, ''Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire'', New York, 1994.
{{Colonies of Ancient Rome
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
Ancient Roman geography
Veterans' settlement schemes