Venetia et Histria (
Latin: ''Regio X Venetia et Histria'') was an administrative subdivision in the northeast of
Roman Italy. It was originally created by
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 Pri ...
as the tenth ''regio'' in 7 AD alongside the
nine other ''regiones''. The region had been one of the last regions of Italy to be incorporated into the Roman Empire. It was later renamed by
Diocletian the ''VIII provincia Venetia et Histria'' in the third century. Its capital was at
Aquileia
Aquileia / / / / ;Bilingual name of ''Aquileja – Oglej'' in: vec, Aquiłeja / ; Slovenian: ''Oglej''), group=pron is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Na ...
, and it stretched geographically from the
Arsia River in the east in what is now
Croatia to the
Abdua in the current Italian region of
Lombardy and from the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
to the
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to the ...
.
Etymology
The name ''Venetia et Histria'' was used for the region was in part because of the "early and unwavering" loyalty of the local
Veneti people to the
Roman state
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
. This name was also preferred to using the name of a more rebellious group like the Celtic
Cenomani because of the Roman belief in a shared descent with the Veneti from the
Trojans
Trojan or Trojans may refer to:
* Of or from the ancient city of Troy
* Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans
Arts and entertainment Music
* ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...
.
History
Pliny the Elder was the only Roman writer to discuss the Augustan subdivision of Italy into ''regiones'' directly and did so in his
''Natural History''. The region's new borders did not cleave directly to pre-existing regional identities.
Verona which had traditionally been seen as part of
Transpadana
Cisalpine Gaul ( la, Gallia Cisalpina, also called ''Gallia Citerior'' or ''Gallia Togata'') was the part of Italy inhabited by Celts (Gauls) during the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.
After its conquest by the Roman Republic in the 200s BC it was co ...
as it was north of the
Po was not incorporated into the region with that name, ''regio XI'' but was made part of ''regio X''.
Neratius Pansa, a Roman senator of the late first century AD, is believed, on the basis of epigraphic evidence, to have led a census here under the reign of the Emperor
Vespasian in 73-74.
Geography
In the late first century AD,
Pliny
Pliny may refer to:
People
* Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'')
* Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...
identified 36 cities in the region, while
Strabo identified 12 in the same area. The
CIL has identified 16 separate settlements using
epigraphic evidence, and other historians have argued that "the density of cities for the region is not high compared to the rest of Italy".
While the capital of the region, Aquileia, was a major centre for commerce, transport, and public life in northeastern Italy, with an amphitheater that could hold more than 27,000 and a position at the centre of a wide network of
roads
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
, other cities like
Concordia,
Tergeste, and
Altinum
Altinum (in Altino, a ''frazione'' of Quarto d'Altino) was an ancient town of the Veneti 15 km SE of modern Treviso, close to the mainland shore of the Lagoon of Venice. It was also close to the mouths of the rivers Dese, Zero and Sile. A ...
were also substantial regional hubs.
Gallery
File:Udine_aquileia2.jpg, Columns in Aquileia
Aquileia / / / / ;Bilingual name of ''Aquileja – Oglej'' in: vec, Aquiłeja / ; Slovenian: ''Oglej''), group=pron is an ancient Roman city in Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about from the sea, on the river Na ...
File:Roman Inscription in Ljubljana, Nar. Muz. Slov., Slovenia (EDH - F030862).jpeg, Inscription from Emona
Emona (early gkm, Ἤμονα) or Aemona (short for ) was a Roman castrum, located in the area where the navigable Ljubljanica river came closest to Castle Hill,
File:Anfiteatro_de_Pula,_Croacia,_2017-04-17,_DD_58-63_HDR_PAN.jpg, Amphitheatre in Pula
File:Museo_Altino.JPG, Ruins at museum in Altinum
Altinum (in Altino, a ''frazione'' of Quarto d'Altino) was an ancient town of the Veneti 15 km SE of modern Treviso, close to the mainland shore of the Lagoon of Venice. It was also close to the mouths of the rivers Dese, Zero and Sile. A ...
File:Brescia_Capitoline_Temple.jpg, Temple at Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label=Eastern Lombard, Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes ...
References
External links
''Venetia et Histria'' as a Pleiades place resource
{{Authority control
Roman Italy
History of Venice
History of Istria
States and territories established in the 0s