Lutetia

Lutetia ( sometimes called Lutetia Parisiorum or Lucotecia ) is the ancient name of Paris. This name is of Celtic origin, but is also the name of the Roman city, which developed into the later Paris.

Etymology

The origin of the town name is attributed to the Celtic, and there are two explanatory proposals: one way leads Lutetia luto or luteuo - back, meaning " swamp " means calls the other as the origin Lucot, which stands for "mouse".

Prehistory

First traces of settlements in the area of Paris come from the period around 4000 BC There are remains from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. The name of Lutetia is for the year 53 BC for the first time mentioned by Gaius Julius Caesar and described as lying on an island. After Caesar Lutetia was the capital of the Celtic tribe of the Parisii. However Archaeological remains from this period are sparse, so that can not be said with certainty where exactly was the Celtic city. Historians have to identify the Ile de la Cité, an island in the Seine, tried as location of the Celtic city. Excavations as no pre-Roman remains have on there so well brought to light. The location of the Celtic city remains uncertain.

The Roman city

The oldest remains ( Italic amphorae, fibulae ) from the Roman period, after the integration of Gaul into the Roman Empire, dated to 40-30 BC, found themselves without context, so that little can be said about an early Roman settlement. It is believed that the city originated in a military camp, but have so far found no clear evidence.

The actual city was probably founded in the early first century AD and had three residential projects. On the left side of the Seine was the actual center. The Ile de la Cité, an island formed another focus, and on the right side of the river there was a considerable suburb. The three parts of the city were connected by bridges.

The city left (south ) of the Seine received a checkerboard map with city blocks ( insulae ) of 300 × 300 Roman foot size ( 88.8 × 88.8 m ), this street grid was apparently not strictly observed. From the southeast, there were, for example, a diagonal road coming from Lyon, which led to the center of the city. Although it is well acted by a major city, Lutetia was not a provincial capital and gained its importance particularly well as a crossroads of important trade routes.

Buildings

In the city of various public buildings could be detected during excavations. There was a two insulae comprehensive forum in the middle of a courtyard and a temple and in the East, a basilica. The building was probably surrounded on all sides by arcades and shops. There was an amphitheater, which lay just outside the town, and a theater in the heart of the city. The theater, which was excavated in 1861 and 1884, corresponded with his half- round ( cavea ) and the rectangular stage construction the usual Roman type and took a Insula of the city. It was probably built at the end of the first century AD and removed slowly in the fourth century.

Spas

So far three major spas are detected. The Cluny baths are still standing upright in large parts and serve as part of the Musée National du Moyen Âge (Hôtel de Cluny ). This building occupied a whole insula and consisted of the actual bathroom and a courtyard south of it. It is one of the best preserved Roman buildings north of the Alps. Little remains of the former facilities. The walls were probably covered with marble and partially painted. The floors were well- marbled and also had mosaics. After all, they found a mosaic floor showing a cupids on a dolphin.

The largest bath complex was at today's College de France and took a two insulae. It is so far excavated only partially and dated to the end of the first post-Christian century. In the same insula is also found Roman dwellings, which were apparently later built over the bath. Although considerable remains have been found, but too little is preserved in order to reconstruct the former plan. Noteworthy are two round spaces in the center of the bath, which probably contained swimming pool. Also from this facility only a few remnants of the former facilities are maintained. There were capitals and marble fragments. A third thermal facility could eventually be observed south of the forum.

For water supply of the city there was a aqueduct that reached them from the south. This was 26 km long. He was mostly underground and tried to adapt to the geographical conditions, so that he did not go in a straight line from the source point to the city, but wriggled through the countryside. Three sources have been used. Only in Bievre Valley he was above ground and overcame this valley with a bridge structure.

Residential buildings

At different points of the city remains of the residential development could be observed. Because of the poor preservation conditions but little can be testified to their character. After all, the city seems at first with wooden buildings, which were later replaced by those made of stone, to have been built. In some houses there were cellars, hypocaust and important remains of wall paintings.

The city was certainly a local center and provided the environment with craft products. However, of the craft in the city is not well known. After all, there were two potteries. From grave stelae Schiffer, stonemasons and blacksmiths are known.

Pillars of Nautae Parisiaci

A special monument is the cornerstone of Nautae Parisiaci, the Schiffergilde whose fragments were found among Notre Dame. On this column, there are depictions of Celtic and Roman deities (eg, Mars, Mercury, Venus) find. The monument is by inscriptions of Emperor Tiberius ( 14-37 AD ) dated and thus represents the oldest datable sculpture in France represents the column is obtained only in four segments. The composition of this is not certain. The inscription with the date is:

Temple

Apart from the forum temple could previously be found within the city no other religious buildings. Outside the city proper, located west, but two sanctuaries were identified during excavations. It is a Gallo-Roman temple complex which was perhaps dedicated to Mars, and a temple of Mercury in today's Sacré -Coeur in Montmartre. A large bath complex, and outside the city, which was recently found possibly served as a water sanctuary.

Necropolis

Outside the city, in the south, is an important necropolis found. There were burials, burials with loungers where the bodies were laid, burials in wooden coffins and such in sarcophagi. A remarkable finding was the funeral of a child in a sarcophagus, which was sealed with stucco. The stucco had run into the sarcophagus and left a vivid impression of the face of the child. Richer tombs were decorated with stone stelae and monuments, many of them found themselves installed in buildings of late antiquity.

Another cemetery was located south-east on the other side of the Seine (which here bends sharply to the south) and dated to the late antiquity and the early Middle Ages.

Late Antiquity

Despite the importance and size of the city it seems to have had no city walls. As the political situation in Gaul became more and more uncertain in the middle of the third century AD, shrank the late antique city and drew mostly back to the Ile de la Cité. Parts of the former city were used as cemeteries, but appear to the left of the Seine -lying parts of the city never to have been completely abandoned. The historian Ammianus Marcellinus speaks of Lutetia innererer suburb ( suburbia ), suggesting different neighborhoods. Parts of the city have been used as a quarry. Around 300 appeared for the first time on the name Paris. The town remained politically important: since 355 resided in Lutetia of Caesar ( Under Emperor ) Julian, the 360 there to Augustus (Upper Kaiser) was proclaimed. In his Misopogon he gives a brief description of the town:

The place was also 365-366 residence for the German campaigns of Valentinian I. Located on the Ile de la Cité was the remains of a palace, probably the most mentioned by Julian citadel, which was also used in the Middle Ages, and a basilica be discovered. Both buildings are constructed to the following parts of spolia and dated to the 4th century. The palace was about 1 hectare. The basilica, which probably had three ships, an area of ​​70 × took a 35 m. In the 4th century the city was on the island and a city wall, which was still in the early Middle Ages.

Little can be said for early Christianity in the city. Under the Notre- Dame cathedral are the remains of the Merovingian church, the Basilique Saint- Etienne. For a long time it was assumed that there is a Romanesque church must have been among this building. However, excavations could not confirm this. Here stood until the third century rich residential buildings. As the first bishop (and martyr ) is mentioned in later sources Dionysius of Paris. The first documented secured bishop was Victorinus, who officiated by 346.