Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

encompassing most of modern-day

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

(south of the

Douro River The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern part of the Meseta ...

) and a large portion of western

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

(the present

Extremadura Extremadura ( ; ; ; ; Fala language, Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is a landlocked autonomous communities in Spain, autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, Spain, Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central- ...

and

Province of Salamanca Salamanca () is a province of western Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Castile and León (Castilla y León). It is bordered by the provinces of Ávila, Cáceres, Valladolid, and Zamora, and on the west by Portugal. It ...

). Romans named the region after the

Lusitanians The Lusitanians were an Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking people living in the far west of the Iberian Peninsula, in present-day central Portugal and Extremadura and Castilla y Leon of Spain. It is uncertain whether the Lusitanians ...

, an

Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...

tribe inhabiting the lands. The capital

Emerita Augusta Augusta Emerita, also called Emerita Augusta, was a Roman '' colonia'' founded in 25 BC in present day Mérida, Spain. The city was founded by Roman Emperor Augustus to resettle Emeriti soldiers from the veteran legions of the Cantabrian Wars ...

was initially part of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

province of

Hispania Ulterior Hispania Ulterior (English: "Further Hispania", or occasionally "Thither Hispania") was a Roman province located in Hispania (on the Iberian Peninsula) during the Roman Republic, roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of moder ...

before becoming a province of its own during the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. After Romans arrived in the territory during the 2nd century BC, a war with Lusitanian tribes ensued between 155 and 139 BC, with the Roman province eventually established in 27 BC. In modern parlance, ''Lusitania'' is often synonymous with Portugal, despite the province's capital being located in modern

Mérida, Spain Mérida () is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, part of the Province of Badajoz, and capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Located in the western-central part of the Iberian Peninsula at 217 metres above sea ...

Etymology

The etymology of the name of the

Lusitani The Lusitanians were an Indo-European languages, Indo-European-speaking people living in the far west of the Iberian Peninsula, in present-day central Portugal and Extremadura and Castilla y Leon of Spain. It is uncertain whether the Lusitanians ...

(who gave the Roman province its name) remains unclear. Popular etymology connected the name to a supposed Roman demigod

Lusus Lusus is the supposed son or companion of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and divine madness, to whom Portuguese national mythology attributed the foundation of ancient Lusitania and the fatherhood of its inhabitants, the Lusitanians, seen as th ...

, whereas some early-modern scholars suggested that ''Lus'' was a form of the Celtic

Lugus Lugus (sometimes Lugos or Lug) is a Celtic god whose worship is attested in the epigraphic record. No depictions of the god are known. Lugus perhaps also appears in Ancient Rome, Roman sources and medieval Insular Celts, Insular mythology. Va ...

followed by another (unattested) root ''*tan-'', supposed to mean "tribe", while others derived the name from ''Lucis'', an ancient people mentioned in Avienius' ''Ora Maritima'' (4th century AD) and from ''tan'' (

-stan -stan ( Persian: ستان )(Sanskrit: ''sthān'' or ''sthānam)'' is a Persian suffix that has the meaning of "a place abounding in" or "place where anything abounds" as a suffix. It is widely used by Iranian languages (mainly Persian) and ...

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

), or from ''tain'', meaning "a region" or implying "a country of waters", a root word that formerly meant a prince or sovereign governor of a region. Ancient Romans, such as

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...

(''

Natural History Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

''
3.5
and

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

(116 – 27 BC, cited by Pliny), speculated that the name ''Lusitania'' had Roman origins, as when Pliny says "''lusum enim Liberi Patris aut lyssam cum eo bacchantium nomen dedisse Lusitaniae et Pana praefectum eius universae''" [Lusitania takes its name from the ''

'' associated with Bacchus and the ''Lyssa'' of his Bacchantes, and Pan (mythology), Pan is its governor]. ''Lusus'' is usually translated as "game" or "play", while ''lyssa'' is a borrowing from the Greek language, Greek λυσσα, "frenzy" or "rage", and sometimes

Rage Rage may refer to: * Rage (emotion), an intense form of anger Games * Rage (collectible card game), a collectible card game * Rage (trick-taking card game), a commercial variant of the card game Oh Hell * ''Rage'' (video game), a 2011 first- ...

personified; for later poets, Lusus and Lyssa become flesh-and-blood companions (even children) of

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

Luís de Camões Luís Vaz de Camões (; or 1525 – 10 June 1580), sometimes rendered in English as Camoens or Camoëns ( ), is considered Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet. His mastery of verse has been compared to that of William Shakes ...

' epic ''

Os Lusíadas ''Os Lusíadas'' (), usually translated as ''The Lusiads'', is a Portuguese epic poem written by Luís Vaz de Camões ( – 1580) and first published in 1572. It is widely regarded as the most important work of Portuguese-language literature ...

'' (1572), which portrays Lusus as the founder of Lusitania, extends these ideas, which have no connection with modern etymology. In his work, ''Geography'', the classical geographer

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

(died ca. 24 AD) suggests a change had occurred in the use of the name "Lusitanian". He mentions a group who had once been called "Lusitanians" living north of the Douro river but were called in his day "Callacans".

Lusitanians

The Lusitani established themselves in the region in the 6th century BC, but

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

s and

archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeol ...

s are still undecided about their

ethnogenesis Ethnogenesis (; ) is the formation and development of an ethnic group. This can originate by group self-identification or by outside identification. The term ''ethnogenesis'' was originally a mid-19th-century neologism that was later introduce ...

. Some modern authors consider them to be an indigenous people who were Celticized culturally and possibly also through intermarriage. The archeologist Scarlat Lambrino defended the position that the Lusitanians were a tribal group of Celtic origin related to the

Lusones The Lusones ( Greek: ''Lousones'') were an ancient Celtiberian (Pre- Roman) people of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania), who lived in the high Tajuña River valley, northeast of Guadalajara. They were eliminated by the Romans as a sign ...

(a tribe that inhabited the east of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

). Some have claimed that both tribes came from the Swiss mountains. Others argue that the evidence points to the Lusitanians being a native Iberian tribe, resulting from intermarriage between different local tribes. The first area colonized by the Lusitani was probably the

Douro The Douro (, , , ; ; ) is the largest river of the Iberian Peninsula by discharge. It rises near Duruelo de la Sierra in the Spanish Soria Province, province of Soria, meanders briefly south, then flows generally west through the northern par ...

valley and the region of Beira Alta (present day Portugal); in Beira, they stayed until they defeated the

Celtici ] The Celtici (in Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish, and Galician languages, ) were a Celtic tribe or group of tribes of the Iberian Peninsula, inhabiting three definite areas: in what today are the regions of Alentejo and the Algarve in ...

and other tribes, then they expanded to cover a territory that reached Estremadura Province (historical), Estremadura before the arrival of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

War against Rome

The Lusitani are mentioned for the first time in

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 i ...

who describes them as fighting for the

Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( ) usually refers to the civilisation of ancient Carthage. It may also refer to: * Punic people, the Semitic-speaking people of Carthage * Punic language The Punic language, also called Phoenicio-Punic or Carthaginian, i ...

s in 218 BCE; they are reported as fighting against Rome in 194 BC, sometimes allied with Celtiberian tribes. In 179 BC, the ''

praetor ''Praetor'' ( , ), also ''pretor'', was the title granted by the government of ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected ''magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to disch ...

'' Lucius Postumius Albinus celebrated a

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

over the Lusitani, but in 155 BC, on the command of

Punicus Punicus (known as ''Púnico'' in Portuguese and Spanish; died 153 BC) was a chieftain of the Lusitanians, a proto-Celtic tribe from western Hispania. He became their first military leader during the Lusitanian War, and also led their first majo ...

(Πουνίκου, perhaps a Carthaginian) first and

Caesarus Caesarus (known as ''Césaro'' in Portuguese and Spanish) was a chieftain of the Lusitanians, a proto-Celtic tribe from western Hispania. He followed and later replaced Punicus as their major military leader during the Lusitanian War. Biograp ...

(Καίσαρος) after, the Lusitani reached

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

. Here they were defeated by the ''praetor''

Lucius Mummius Lucius Mummius (2nd century BC) was a Roman statesman and general. He was consul in the year 146 BC along with Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus. Mummius was the first of his family to rise to the rank of consul thereby making him a novus homo. He r ...

. From 152 BC onwards, the Roman Republic had difficulties in recruiting soldiers for the wars in Hispania, deemed particularly brutal. In 150 BC,

Servius Sulpicius Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba may refer to: * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 108 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (praetor 54 BC), assassin of Julius Caesar * Galba, born Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman emperor fro ...

organised a false armistice. While the Lusitani celebrated this new alliance, he massacred them, selling the survivors as slaves; this caused a new rebellion led by

Viriathus Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish; died 139 Anno Domini, BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanians, Lusitanian people that resisted Roman Republic, Roma ...

, who was after many attempts killed by traitors paid by the Romans in 139 BC, after having led a successful guerrilla campaign against Rome and their local allies. Two years after, in 137 BC

Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus (or Gallaecus or Callaecus; c. 180113 BC) was a consul of the Roman Republic for the year 138 BC together with Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio. He was an optimate politician and a military commander in Hisp ...

led a successful campaign against the Lusitani, reaching as far north as the

Minho river The Minho ( ; ) or Miño ( ; ; ; ) is the longest river in the autonomous community of Galicia in Spain, with a length of . It forms a part of the international border between Spain and Portugal. By discharge volume, it is the fourth largest r ...

. Romans scored other victories with ''

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military ...

'' Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus and

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbrian War, Cimbric and Jugurthine War, Jugurthine wars, he held the office of Roman consul, consul an unprecedented seven times. Rising from a fami ...

(elected in 113 BC), but still the Lusitani resisted with a long guerilla war; they later joined

Sertorius Quintus Sertorius ( – 73 or 72 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate on the Iberian Peninsula. Defying the regime of Sulla, Sertorius became the independent ruler of Hispania for m ...

' (a renegade Roman General) troops (around 80 BC) and

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 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 Caesar's civil wa ...

conducted a successful campaign against them in 61-60 BC, but they were not finally defeated until the reign of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

(around 28–24 BC).

Roman province

Territory

Under Augustus

With Lusitania (and

Asturia Asturias (; ; ) officially the Principality of Asturias, is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive with the province of Asturias and contains some of the territory that was part of the larger Kingdom of Asturias in the ...

and

Gallaecia Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia, northern Portugal, Asturias and Leon and the later Kingdom of Gallaecia. The Roman cities inclu ...

), Rome had completed the conquest of the

Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...

, which was then divided by

(25–20 BC or 16–13 BC) into the eastern and northern ''

Hispania Tarraconensis Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern North Region, Portugal, northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now ...

,'' the southwestern ''

Hispania Baetica Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces created in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) in 27 BC. Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of ...

'' and the western '' Provincia Lusitana''. Originally, Lusitania included the territories of Asturia and Gallaecia, but these were later ceded to the jurisdiction of the new ''

Provincia Tarraconensis A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provin ...

'' and the former remained as ''Provincia Lusitania et

Vettones The Vettones (Greek language, Greek: ''Ouettones'') were an Prehistoric Iberia#Iron Age, Iron Age pre-Roman people of the Iberian Peninsula. Origins Lujan (2007) concludes that some of the names of the Vettones show clearly Hispano-Celtic lan ...

''. Its northern border was along the Douro River, while on its eastern side its border passed through '' Salmantica'' (

Salamanca Salamanca () is a Municipality of Spain, municipality and city in Spain, capital of the Province of Salamanca, province of the same name, located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located in the Campo Charro comarca, in the ...

) and '' Caesarobriga'' (

Talavera de la Reina Talavera de la Reina () is a city and municipalities of Spain, municipality of Spain, part of the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Its population of 83,303 makes it the second most populated municipalit ...

) to the ''

Anas ''Anas'' is a genus of dabbling ducks. It includes the pintails, most teals, and the mallard and its close relatives. It formerly included additional species but following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study in 2009 the genus was s ...

'' (

Guadiana The Guadiana River ( , , , ) is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border, separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from la Mancha and the e ...

) river. Between 28 and 24 BC Augustus' military campaigns pacified all Hispania under Roman rule, with the foundation of Roman cities like ''

Asturica Augusta Asturica Augusta was a Ancient Rome, Roman city corresponding to the Spanish city of Astorga, Spain, Astorga, in the province of León, Spain, León. Founded around 14 B.C. as a camp of the Legio X Gemina, at the beginning of the first century it ...

'' ( Astorga) and ''

Bracara Augusta Braga (; ) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality had a resident population of 201,583 inhabitants (in 2023), representing t ...

'' (

Braga Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...

) to the north, and to the south ''

'' ( Mérida) (settled with the emeriti of the

Legio V Alaudae Legio V Alaudae ("Fifth Legion of the Lark"), sometimes also known as Legio V Gallica ("Fifth Gallic Legion"), was a legion of the Roman army founded in 52 BC by the general Gaius Julius Caesar (dictator of Rome 49-44 BC). It was levied in Tra ...

and

Legio X Gemina Legio X Gemina ("10th Twin(s) Legion" in English), was a Roman legion, which was active during the late Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire as part of the Imperial Roman army. It was one of the four legions used by Julius Caesar in 58 ...

legions).

''Conventus Iuridicus''

Between the time of

and

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

, the province was divided into three

conventus iuridicus In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It c ...

, territorial units presided by capital cities with a court of justice and joint Roman/indigenous people assemblies (conventus), that counseled the Governor: *''

Conventus Emeritensis In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It c ...

'', with capital in ''

'' ( Mérida, Spain) *''

Conventus Scalabitanus In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It c ...

'', with capital in ''Scalabis Iulia'' (

Santarém Santarém may refer to: Places * Santarém, Pará, Brazil * Santarém District, a district in Portugal * Santarém, Portugal, Capital of the Ribatejo province * Roman Catholic Diocese of Santarém, Portugal Other * Santarém cheese, a Portuguese g ...

, Portugal) *''

Conventus Pacensis In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It c ...

'', with capital in ''Pax Iulia'' ( Beja, Portugal) The ''conventus'' ruled of a total of forty-six populis. Five were

Roman colonies Colonies in antiquity were post-Iron Age city-states founded from a mother-city or metropolis rather than from a territory-at-large. Bonds between a colony and its metropolis often remained close, and took specific forms during the period of clas ...

: ''

'' ( Mérida, Spain), ''

Pax Iulia ''Pax Iulia'' (also known as ''Colonia Civitas Pacensis'') or later ''Pax Augusta'' was a city in the Roman province of Lusitania (today situated in the Portuguese municipality of Beja). History The region was inhabited during 400 BC by Celtic ...

'' ( Beja), ''

Scalabis Scallabis (also ''Scallabi Castrum'', ''Præsidium Iulium'', ''Scallabis Praesidium Iulium'' or ''Colonia Scallabis Iulia'') was the Roman name of Santarém, Portugal. History The first documented human occupation dates from the 8th century BC. ...

'' (

), ''

Norba Caesarina 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 vi ...

'' ( Cáceres) and '' Metellinum'' (

Medellín Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...

). ''

Felicitas Iulia Olisipo Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo (in Latin: ''Olisippo'' or ''Ulyssippo'' ; in Greek: ''Ὀλισσιπών'', ''Olissipṓn'', or ''Ὀλισσιπόνα'', ''Olissipóna'') was the ancient name of modern-day Lisbon while it was ...

'' (

Lisbon Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...

, which was a

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

municipality) and three other towns had the old Latin status: '' Ebora'' (

Évora Évora ( , ), officially the Very Noble and Ever Loyal City of Évora (), is a city and a municipalities of Portugal, municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of . It is the historic capital of the Alentejo reg ...

), ''

Myrtilis Iulia ''Myrtilis Iulia'' was the Roman name given to present day Mértola, Portugal. During Classical Antiquity, Mértola was inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians and finally the Romans, who called it ''Myrtilis Iulia''. The region was inhabited at ...

'' (

Mértola Mértola (), officially the Town of Mértola (), is a town and municipality in southeastern Portuguese Alentejo near the Spanish border. In 2011, the population was 7,274, in an area of approximately : it is the sixth-largest municipality in Portu ...

) and ''Salacia'' (

Alcácer do Sal Alcácer do Sal () is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. The population in 2011 was 13,046, in an area of 1,499.87 km2. History Earliest settlement There has been human settlement in the area for more than 40,000 y ...

). The other thirty-seven were of '' stipendiarii'' class, among which ''

Aeminium Aeminium was the ancient name of the city of Coimbra, Portugal. The Romans founded the civitas of Aeminium in this place at the time of Augustus, which came under the protection of nearby Conímbriga situated some to the south. The Roman city ...

'' (

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...

), ''Balsa'' (

Tavira Tavira (), officially the City of Tavira (), is a Portuguese town and municipality, capital of the ''Costa do Acantilado'', situated in the east of the Algarve on the south coast of Portugal. It is east of Faro and west of Huelva across the riv ...

), or ''Mirobriga'' (

Santiago do Cacém Santiago do Cacém () is a municipality in Setúbal District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 29,749, in an area of 1059.69 km2. The present mayor is Álvaro Beijinha, elected by the Unitary Democratic Coalition. The municipal holiday ...

). Other cities include ''Ossonoba'' ( Faro), '' Cetobriga'' (

Setúbal Setúbal ( , , ; ), officially the City of Setúbal (), is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the entire municipality in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies withi ...

), '' Collippo'' (

Leiria Leiria () is a city and municipality in the Central Region, Portugal, Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, after Coimbra, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat o ...

) or ''Arabriga'' ( Alenquer).

Under Diocletian

Under

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

, Lusitania kept its borders and was ruled by a ''

praeses ''Praeses'' (Latin ''praesides'') is a Latin word meaning "placed before" or "at the head". In antiquity, notably under the Roman Dominate, it was used to refer to Roman governors; it continues to see some use for various modern positions. ...

'', later by a ''

consularis ''Consularis'' is a Latin adjective indicating something pertaining to the position or rank of consul. In Ancient Rome it was also used as a noun (plural ''consulares'') to designate those senators who had held the office of consul or attained con ...

.''

Roman diocese

Finally, in 298 AD, Lusitania was united with the other provinces to form the ''

Diocesis Hispaniarum The Diocese of Hispania was a late antique administrative unit ('' Dioecesis'') of the Roman Empire on the Iberian Peninsula. It existed from 298 to about 461 AD. Its capital was Augusta Emerita. The diocese was governed by a vicarius responsible ...

'' ("

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of the Hispanias"). File:Hispania 2a division provincial.svg, Roman Hispania under

: ''

Tarraconensis Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia, was t ...

,'' ''

Baetica Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces created in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula) in 27 BC. Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of ...

'' and ''Lusitana'' File:Conventushispanus.svg, Roman Hispania after

: ''Conventus juridici'' (''Emeritensis,'' ''Scalabitanus'' and ''Pacensis)'' File:Iberia 293.svg, Roman Hispania under

: Lusitania found in the west File:Roman Empire with dioceses in 300 AD.png, Roman Empire in 300 AD: ''

'' in the west

Known governors

1st century BC

* Quintus Acutius Faienanus, ''

legatus Augusti pro praetore A ''legatus Augusti pro praetore'' () was the official title of the governor or general of some Imperial provinces of the Roman Empire during the Principate era, normally the larger ones or those where legions were based. Provinces were denote ...

,'' 19 – 1 BC. * Quintus Articuleius Regulus, 2 BC – AD 14.

1st century

Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus (c. 12 BC – c. 60 AD) was a Roman senator of the Principate. He was the first member of the Ummidii to reach the office of consul in his family, or a ''homo novus''. Quadratus is also known for his tenure as gove ...

, c. 37 * Lucius Caecilius Rufus, early 1st century *

Lucius Calventius Vetus Carminius Lucius Calventius Vetus Carminius was a Roman senator who flourished during the Principate. He was suffect consul in AD 51, replacing Servius Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus. Carminius is known entirely from inscriptions. In his monograph on R ...

, ''legatus Augusti pro praetore,'' 44 – 45 * arcus? orcius?Cato, c. 46 * Oth001 cropped

Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus, 58 – 68 *

Gaius Catellius Celer Gaius Catellius Celer (also known as Lucius Pompeius Vopiscus Gaius Catellius Celer) was a Roman senator who flourished during the Flavian dynasty. He served as suffect consul for the ''nundinium'' September-October 77 with Marcus Arruntius Aquila ...

, 75/76 – 77/78 * Quintus Acutius Faienanus, 78 – 119

2nd century

* ?

Gaius Calpurnius Flaccus Gaius Calpurnius Flaccus was a Roman senator of the second century. He was attested suffect consul with Lucius Trebius Germanus as his colleague on 15 December of an undetermined year between 122 and 127. Both Flaccus and Germanus are primarily k ...

, 119/120 – 120/121 * Gaius Oppius Sabinus Julius Nepos Manius Vibius Sollemnis Severus, 128 – 130 * Lucius Roscius Maecius Celer Postumus Mamilianus Vergilius Staberianus, under Hadrian *

Gaius Javolenus Calvinus Gaius Javolenus Calvinus was a Roman senator of the 2nd century AD who occupied a number of offices in the imperial service, as well as serving as suffect consul between 140 and 143. An inscription found in Grottaferrata in Campania provides his fu ...

, 138 – 140Géza Alföldy, ''Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen'' (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag, 1977), p. 256 *

ulus Avillius Urina Ulus may refer to: Places *Ulus, Bartın, a district in Bartin Province, Turkey * Ulus, Beşiktaş, neighborhood in Beşiktaş, Istanbul Province, Turkey *Ulus, Ankara, an important quarter in central Ankara, Turkey **Ulus (Ankara Metro), an under ...

ius Quadratus, c.151 – c.154 * Sextus Tigidius Perennis, before 185 * ?

Cornelius Repentinus Cornelius Repentinus was a Roman Senator who was active in the 2nd century AD. He held a number of positions during the reigns of emperors Marcus Aurelius, Commodus and Didius Julianus, which included suffect consul and Urban prefect of Rome. Rep ...

, c.185 – c.188Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare'', p. 290 *

Publius Septimius Geta Publius Septimius Geta ( ; 7 March 189 – 26 December 211) was Roman emperor with his father Septimius Severus and older brother Caracalla from 209 to 211. Severus died in February 211 and intended for his sons to rule together, but they prove ...

, c.188 – c.191Paul Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander'' (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 1989), p. 289 *

Gaius Caesonius Macer Rufinianus Gaius Caesonius Macer Rufinianus (c. AD 157 – c. AD 237) was a Roman military officer and senator who was appointed suffect consul in around AD 197 or 198. He was the first member of ''gens'' Caesonia to hold a consulship. Biography Caesonius ...

, 193/194 – 197 * Gaius Junius Faustinus l[cidusPostumianus">idus.html" ;"title="l[cidus">l[cidusPostumianus, c.197 – c.200

3rd century

* Decimus Iun[ius? ...] Coelianus, c.201 – 209 * Sextus Furnius Julianus, c.211Paul Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander'' (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 1989), p. 289. *

Rutilius Pudens Crispinus Rutilius Pudens Crispinus was a Roman senator and general who led the forces at the Siege of Aquileia along with Tullius Menophilus. He was favoured by Caracalla but demoted during the rule of Macrinus and Heliogabalus. He returned to grace duri ...

, c.225 – c.227 * Aemilius Aemilianus, late 3rd century * Datianus, 286 – 293

4th century

* Iulius Saturninus, c.337 – c. 340 *

Vettius Agorius Praetextatus Vettius Agorius Praetextatus (c. 315 – 384) was a wealthy pagan aristocrat in the 4th-century Roman Empire, and a high priest in the cults of numerous gods. He served as the praetorian prefect at the court of Emperor Valentinian II in 384 until h ...

, 361– 362

''Coloniae'' and ''Municipia''

* ''Colonia

Augusta Emerita Augusta Emerita, also called Emerita Augusta, was a Roman '' colonia'' founded in 25 BC in present day Mérida, Spain. The city was founded by Roman Emperor Augustus to resettle Emeriti soldiers from the veteran legions of the Cantabrian Wars, ...

'' ( Mérida) - provincial capital, * ''Colonia Metellinum'' (

), * ''Colonia

'' ( Cáceres), * ''Colonia Civitas Pacensis'' ( Beja), * ''Colonia Scalabis Praesidium Iulium'' (

), * ''Municipium Caesarobriga'' (

), * ''Municipium Augustobriga'' ( Talavera la Vieja), * ''Municipium

'' (

), * ''Municipium

Conímbriga Conímbriga is one of the largest Roman settlements excavated in Portugal, and was classified as a National Monument in 1910. Located in the civil parish of Condeixa-a-Velha e Condeixa-a-Nova, in the municipality of Condeixa-a-Nova, it is situa ...

'' (

Condeixa-a-Nova Condeixa-a-Nova (), officially the Town of Condeixa-a-Nova (), and often called simply Condeixa, is a town and a municipality in the district of Coimbra, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,078, in an area of 138.67 km2. It is located 1 ...

), * ''Municipium Salmantica'' (

), * ''Municipium Caurium'' ( Coria), * ''Municipium Turgalium'' ( Trujillo), * ''Municipium Capara'' (

Cáparra The Roman city of Cáparra is located in the north of Extremadura (Spain) in the valley of the River Alagón. In Roman times it was in the province of Lusitania within the Conventus Iuridicus Emeritensis, whose capital was Colonia Augusta Emeri ...

), * ''Municipium

Olisipo Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo (in Latin: ''Olisippo'' or ''Ulyssippo'' ; in Greek: ''Ὀλισσιπών'', ''Olissipṓn'', or ''Ὀλισσιπόνα'', ''Olissipóna'') was the ancient name of modern-day Lisbon while it w ...

'' (

), * ''Municipium Egitandiorum'' (

Idanha-a-Velha Idanha-a-Velha (Idanha "the old") is a village in the civil parish (''freguesia'') of Monsanto e Idanha-a-Velha, in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova (Idanha "the new"), central eastern Portugal, and the site of ancient Egitânia, a former bisho ...

), * ''Municipium Regina Turdulorum'' (

Casas de Reina Casas de Reina is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census ( INE), the municipality has a population of 193 inhabitants. See also * List of municipalities in Badajoz This is a list of t ...

), * ''Municipium

Lacobriga ''Lacobriga'' (Laccobriga or Lacóbriga (Lacobrica in Latin)) was an ancient town of Celtic origin, usually identified as the predecessor of the current city of Lagos in Portugal. The nearby Archaeological Site of Monte Molião is also known as L ...

'' (

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

), File:Merida Roman Theatre2.jpg, Roman Theatre of ''Augusta Emerita'' (Mérida) File:Teatro Romano de Medellín 23.jpg, Roman Theatre of '' Metellinum'' (

) File:Arco Romano.jpg, Roman arch of ''

'' ( Beja) File:Cryptoporticus of Aeminium - Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro - Coimbra, Portugal - DSC09856.jpg,

Cryptoporticus In Ancient Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural styl ...

of the ancient forum of ''

'' (

) File:Conimbriga.jpg, Ruins of Conimbriga File:Pont romain et cathédrales vieille et nouvelle de Salamanque (1967-08-07).jpg, Roman bridge of '' Salmantica'' (

) File:Coria - Murallas 1.jpg,

Roman walls Defensive walls are a feature of ancient Roman architecture. The Romans generally fortified cities, rather than building stand-alone fortresses, but there are some fortified camps, such as the Saxon Shore#The forts, Saxon Shore forts like Portu ...

of '' Caurium'' ( Coria) File:Ciudad Romana de Caparra - 011 (30618914251).jpg,

Forum Forum or The Forum may refer to: Common uses *Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example * Internet forum, discussion board ...

gate of '' Capara'' (

) File:Cerca Velha - Portas do Sol.JPG, Roman walls of ''

'' (

) File:Roman arch, Egitania, Idanha-a-Velha, Lusitania, Portugal (13249368064).jpg, Roman arch of '' Egitandiorum'' (

)

Notable Lusitanians

Gaius Appuleius Diocles Gaius Appuleius Diocles (104after 146 AD) was a Roman charioteer. His existence and career are attested by two highly detailed contemporary inscriptions, used by modern historians to help reconstruct the likely conduct and techniques of chariot ...

Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...

Legacy of the name

As with the Roman names of many European countries, ''Lusitania'' was and is often used as an alternative name for Portugal, especially in formal or literary and poetic contexts. The 16th-century colony that would eventually become Brazil was initially founded as "

New Lusitania The Captaincy of Pernambuco or New Lusitania () was a hereditary land grant and administrative subdivision of northern Portuguese Brazil during the colonial period from 1534 to 1821, with a brief interruption from 1630 to 1654 when it was part of D ...

". In common use are such terms as

Lusophone The Portuguese-speaking world, also known as the Lusophone world () or the Lusophony (''Lusofonia''), comprises the countries and territories in which the Portuguese language is an official, administrative, cultural, or secondary language. This ...

, meaning Portuguese-speaking, and

Lusitanic The Portuguese-speaking world, also known as the Lusophone world () or the Lusophony (''Lusofonia''), comprises the countries and territories in which the Portuguese language is an official, administrative, cultural, or secondary language. This ...

, referring to the

Community of Portuguese Language Countries The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (; : CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth or Lusophone Community (), is an international organization and political association of Lusophone nations across four continents, where Portug ...

—once Portugal's colonies and presently independent countries still sharing some common heritage. Prior to his

invasion An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...

in 1807,

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

proposed the establishment of a French-backed puppet

Kingdom of Northern Lusitania The Kingdom of Northern Lusitania (; ) was a Monarchy, kingdom proposed by Napoleon in 1807 for the king of Etruria, Charles II, Duke of Parma, Charles Louis, located in the Norte, Portugal, North of Portugal. In 1807 Portugal refused Napoleon' ...

as one of the successor states to Portugal under the assumption that such a campaign would result in an easy French victory. The province was also the namesake of the North Atlantic Ocean liner RMS ''Lusitania'' infamous for being torpedoed by a German

U-boat U-boats are Submarine#Military, naval submarines operated by Germany, including during the World War I, First and Second World Wars. The term is an Anglicization#Loanwords, anglicized form of the German word , a shortening of (), though the G ...

in 1915. The ship's owners, the

Cunard Line The Cunard Line ( ) is a British shipping and an international cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its four ships have been r ...

, commonly named their vessels after Roman provinces with the ''Lusitania'' so being called after the Roman Iberian province to the north of the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa. The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...

while her sister ship RMS ''Mauretania'' was named after the Roman North African province on the south side of the strait.

References

External links

Lusitania, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20190708130808/https://www.southernstar.ie/News/Crewmans-strange-foreboding-of-disaster-24042015.htm Southern Star Article: Crewman's strange foreboding of disaster {{coord, 38.7689, N, 7.2181, W, source:wikidata, display=title .L Roman provinces in Hispania Provinces of the Roman Empire History of Portugal by polity Ancient Portugal Medieval history of Portugal States and territories established in the 1st century BC States and territories disestablished in the 9th century 1st-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic 9th-century disestablishments in Portugal 1st millennium in Portugal