Roman cities in Portugal

The territory of modern-day Portugal was Romanized following the events of the Second Punic War (3rd century BCE), through the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Romans founded cities and Romanized some previously existing settlements. Generally, cities with names ending in -briga are believed to have predated the Romanization of the territory, although there are exceptions. For instance, Augustobriga, near Cáceres, Spain, is named after Augustus, suggesting that some -briga names might have been given to cities during Roman rule.[1]

Out of the 32 mansiones in Lusitania mentioned in ancient Itinerarium sources, only about half have been identified.[2]

## Administrative divisions[edit]

Augustus' provincial division of Hispania

During the era of Augustus, the Iberian Peninsula was divided into the provinces of Lusitania, Baetica, and Tarraconensis.[3] These provinces were further subdivided into conventūs.[4] The province of Lusitania was divided into the conventūs of Augusta Emerita (modern-day Mérida, in Spain), Pax Julia (Beja, Portugal), and Scalabis (Santarém, Portugal).[4] However, Roman cities held more significance than conventūs in the Peninsula.[3]

The primary types of Roman cities were the coloniae (Roman settlements established by order of the Roman government) and the municipia (settlements that typically existed before Romanization).[3] In the Iberian Peninsula, the terms municipia and civitātes are used interchangeably.[3]

In 73/74 CE, the lex Flavia municipalis enacted by Vespasian granted all urban centres in modern-day Portugal Latin rights, and over time, the distinction between urban centres (including municipia and coloniae) lessened following this law.[3] Everyday administration was carried out by aediles, qaestores and duumviri, who communicated with the imperial government.[3]

Villae were settlements engaged in producing agricultural goods for local markets, encompassing multiple buildings such as residential houses, barns, and gardens.[4] In Lusitania, most villae were situated around a few cities (Olisipo, Ebora Liberalitas Julia, and Augusta Emerita) or dispersed along the southern coast.[4]

## Map of Roman cities and towns in Portugal[edit]

Aeminium

Aquae Flaviae

Arabriga

Arandis

Aretium

Aviarium

Baesuris

Balsa

Elbocoris

Bracara Augusta

Brigantia

Caetobriga

Calipolis

Castra Leuca

Cilpes

Aravorum

Calabriga

Cobelcorum

Centum Cellas

Collipo

Conímbriga

Dipo

Ebora

Eburobrittium

Egiptania

Equabona

Guimaranis

Ipses

Lacobriga

Lamecum

Lancobriga

Lorica

Malateca

Metallum Vipascense

Miróbriga

Mondobriga

Moron

Myrtilis

Sellium

Olisipo

Ossonoba

Pax Julia

Portus Alacer

Portus Cale

Portus Hannibalis

Salacia

Scalabis

Sirpe

Sinus

Talabara

Talabriga

Tongobriga

Tritium

Tubucci Aurantes

Veniatia

Villa Euracini

Vipasca

Vissaium

Ammaia

Roman cities in Portugal (Portugal)

## List of Roman cities and towns in Portugal[edit]

Latin name (variant(s))  | Type | English Name (native language(s))

|
|

Aeminium | Municipium | Coimbra
Aquae Flaviae | Municipium | Chaves
Ammaia | Villa | São Salvador da Aramenha, Marvão
Arabriga |  | Alenquer
Arandis |  | Garvão, a parish of Ourique
Aretium |  | Alvega
Aviarium, Averius[5] |  | Aveiro
Baesuris, Esuri  |  | Castro Marim
Balsa |  | west of Tavira
Elbocoris |  | Bobadela, Oliveira do Hospital
Bracara Augusta |  | Braga
Brigantia |  | Bragança
Caeciliana | Villa | (between Caetobriga and Malateca)
Caetobriga |  | Setúbal
Calipolis |  | Vila Viçosa
Castra Leuca |  | Castelo Branco
Cilpes |  | Silves
Aravorum | Civitas | Marialva Castle, near Mêda
Calabriga | Civitas | Monte do Castelo, Almendra
Cobelcorum | Civitas | Almofala, Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo
Centum Cellas | Villa | Colmeal da Torre, a parish of Belmonte
Collipo |  | São Sebastião do Freixo - Golpilheira, Batalha
Conimbriga | Municipium | Condeixa-a-Nova, south of Coimbra (the inhabitants of Conimbriga fled to nearby Aeminium, the ancient name of Coimbra, in 468)
Conistorgis |  | (location unknown in the Algarve or Baixo-Alentejo)
Dipo  |  | Elvas
Ebora, Ebora Cerealis, Liberalitas Julia  | Municipium | Évora
Eburobritium, Eburobrittium | Civitas | Óbidos
Egitandiorum, Egiptania, Civitas Igaeditanorum | Municipium | Idanha-a-Velha
Equabona |  | Coina, a parish of Barreiro
Guimaranis, Vimaranis  |  | Guimarães
Ipses |  | Alvor
Lacobriga, Laccobriga  | Municipium | Lagos
Lamecum |  | Lamego
Lancobriga |  | Fiães, a parish of Santa Maria da Feira
Lorica  |  | Loriga, a parish of Seia
Malateca |  | Marateca, a parish of Palmela
Metallum Vipascense |  | Mina de Aljustrel, central Alentejo
Mirobriga Celticorum |  | Santiago do Cacém
Mondobriga |  | Alter do Chão
Moron |  | near Santarém
Myrtilis Iulia  |  | Mértola
Sellium, Nabantia, Nabancia, Selleum  |  | Tomar
Olisipo, Olisipo Felicitas Iulia, Felicitas Julia Olissipo, Ulyssipolis, Ulisseia  | Municipium | Lisbon (Lisboa)
Ossonoba |  | Faro
Pacensis, Pax Iulia, Pax Augusta  | Colonia, Civitas | Beja
Portus Alacer |  | Portalegre
Portus Cale |  | Porto
Portus Hannibalis |  | Portimão
Urbs Imperatoria Salacia, Bevipo  |  | Alcácer do Sal
Scalabis, Scalabis Preasidium Iulium, Scallabi Castrum, Præsidium Iulium, Scallabis Praesidium Iulium, Scallabis Iulia  | Colonia | Santarém
Sirpe |  | Serpa
Sinus  |  | Sines
Talabara |  | Alpedrinha, a parish of Fundão
Talabriga |  | Marnel, near Águeda
Tongobriga |  | Freixo, Marco de Canaveses
Tritium  |  | Covilhã
Tubucci Aurantes |  | Abrantes
Veniatia |  | Vinhais
Euracini | Villa | Póvoa de Varzim
Vipasca |  | Aljustrel
Vissaium |  | Viseu

## References[edit]

1. ^ ALBERTOS FIRMAT, M. L (1990). "Los topónimos en -briga en Hispania". Los Topónimos en -briga en Hispania. 7: 131–146. ISSN 0213-2095.
2. ^ Mantas, Vasco Gil (2018). As cidades romanas de Portugal: problemática histórica e arqueológica. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra. ISBN 978-989-26-1566-0.
3. ^ a b c d e f Bowes, Kimberly Diane; Kulikowski, Michael (2005). Hispania in Late Antiquity: Current Perspectives. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-14391-3.
4. ^ a b c d Firnigl, Anett (2013-12-01). "The settling factors of Roman villas in southern Lusitania". Acta Universitatis Sapientiae, Agriculture and Environment. 5 (1): 40–55. doi:10.2478/ausae-2014-0003.
5. ^ Infopédia. "Aveiro | Definição ou significado de Aveiro no Dicionário Infopédia de Toponímia". Infopédia - Dicionários Porto Editora (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-20.

## External links[edit]

* As cidades romanas na Península Ibérica