Colonia (Roman)

A Colonia ( Germanized colony; plural: Coloniae ) was in the Roman Empire a planned scale settlement outside of Rome, originally in an area that had been conquered in war. Thus, the Coloniae had initially mainly the character of a military outpost for the control and suppression of the original population that was involved in the rule to the settlement. Later came the most important purpose of the supply of Roman citizens with the country, especially for veterans, added. Coloniae should not be confused with the Roman provinces.

Republican period

In the Roman Republic there were two types of Coloniae:

• Coloniae civium Romanorum, in which Roman citizens were settled. These retained their Roman citizenship and were given a small piece of land by lot assigned. The citizens colonies were first on the coasts of Italy ( that's why they were singled referred to as coloniae maritimae ) and were relatively few colonists (mostly 300 families) provided. Later they were also applied in the interior of the country and provided with a greater number of colonists. The first citizen colony was founded, traditionally in the royal period Ostia Antica, later about Mutina and Parma.
• Coloniae Latinae whose residents own, " latinisches " civil rights possessed (comparable to the subject of Rome Latins in the vicinity of the city). However Originally Roman citizens received their civil rights again when they returned to Rome. The Latin colonies were larger than citizens colonies and were regarded as independent cities within the Roman alliance system.

Both types of Coloniae formed in the period of the middle Republic, the heart of the Roman alliance system in Italy. They served as bases for example, in the wars against the Samnites and against Pyrrhus king. The system of Coloniae in the newly occupied territories the Romans spared the deployment of occupation troops, which would have been in the Republic in the face of non- standing army for longer periods hardly possible. At the same time, the colonists encouraged economic development, trade and the associated romanization of the original population.

For the establishment of a Colonia a law of the Roman popular assembly was required. The selection of the colonists ( coloni ) and their settlement ( deductio ) was mostly due to a triple College ( tresviri coloniae deducendae ), often the members of the Roman ruling class ( nobility ) belonged. The Roman or Latin colonists were generally still parts of the Vorbevölkerung, such as in particular have shown archaeological and epigraphic evidence. The actual foundation of Colonia was carried out according Etruscan ritual. Here, the layout of the city and its surrounding agricultural use were measured and divided into parcels ( centuriatio ).

Towards the end of the Republic the first Coloniae outside Italy were created ( first Carthage by the tribunes Gaius Sempronius Gracchus, then Narbo ). In the late Republic, the colonies were mainly to supply the landless population ( plebs ) of the capital, but in particular for settlement of demobilized veterans of the now constantly under arms army. An example is Pompeii, in the 80 BC by Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix 2000 veterans were settled.

Roman Empire and Late Antiquity

In the early Imperial period, the locations of colonies was continued especially outside Italy first, now also in the eastern half of the Empire (about Corinth and Alexandria Troas ). The founding of colonies ended at the beginning of the 2nd century. After that there was still nor the award of the title of a colonia to existing cities (so-called " Titularkolonien " without settlement of colonists ). This status had a higher status than that of a municipium. Originally the inhabitants of a Colonia civium Romanorum were also exempt from taxes and duties, this privilege was in the imperial period but canceled and cities where applicable in a separate privilege.

In late antiquity, the differences between the various types of municipal law disappeared completely. In the sources this time cities are still as colonia, municipium, civitas, urbs or oppidum called, but there was no apparent class differences more.

Examples of Coloniae the imperial period:

• In Germania inferior: Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, later to Cologne
• Colonia Ulpia Traiana in Xanten

• Augusta Treverorum, today Trier

• Augusta Vindelicorum, today Augsburg

• Colonia Aurelia Anthony Ovilabis, today Wels

• Carnuntum in bathroom German -Altenburg, about 40 km east of Vienna
• Colonia Claudia Savaria, today Szombathely

• Lindum Colonia, today Lincoln
• Camulodunum, later Colonia Claudia Victricensis, today Colchester
• Eboracum, later Colonia Eboracensium, today York

• Jerusalem, re-established after the revolt of Bar Kochba as Colonia Aelia Capitolina

• Colonia Ulpia Oescus
• Colonia Ulpia Ratiaria (both on the Danube, today northern Bulgaria )

• Colonia Flavia Deultemsium ( port on the Black Sea)

• Colonia Thaenae, 12 km from Sfax
• Colonia Junonia Carthage (122 BC planned, but discarded) - then (29 BC) Colonia Iulia Concordia implemented as Carthage - Carthage ( after its destruction by the Romans )
• Taucheira