Noviodunum (Switzerland)
Noviodunum or Colonia Iulia Equestris was a
Origin of the name
Noviodunum is a name of
The name Colonia Iulia Equestris is more descriptive. A colonia was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city. Iulia refers to either Julius Caesar or Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus.[2] The first settlers in the Colonia were army veterans, especially cavalrymen or equester, which led to the name Equestris.[1]
History
Foundation
Colonia Iulia Equestris was most likely founded by Julius Caesar in 46-44 BC.[1] It was established on land taken from the Helvetii as a Colonia for cavalry veterans. The original functions of the Colonia were to provide land for veterans and military bases in conquered territory. Noviodunum was part of a loose network of settlements that radiated out from Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France) and helped to control the Rhone Valley. It served, along with other Roman colonies in the area, to control the Helvetii who were settled in the area against their will after their defeat at the Battle of Bibracte in 58 BC.
The early Colonia
The first colonists received land lots, which had been divided into uniform units, known as centurions. Traces of the ordered system have been found in recent studies. Under Emperor Augustus, the colony experienced a boom. A rectangular grid pattern divided the area of the wall-less city. A monumental center, housing everything needed for the economic, religious and social life of the colony, was established. Only portions of this first forum have been discovered. At its east end was a two-story basilica, whose ground floor was divided, by a centrally located row of wooden columns, into two naves. Within the basilica, there were, probably, public baths or thermae.[1]
Under Tiberius, the forum was expanded and redesigned into a familiar pattern for the provinces. The sacred area was surrounded on three sides by colonnades, which were built on half-sunken cryptoporticus. In the center would have been the main temple, though the remains of that building have not been discovered. A new basilica was built. It now consisted of a nave with two vestibules, the nave was enclosed by a colonnade, which formed a gallery. Two outbuildings, including most likely the seat of the Curia, flanked the building. A market building (macellum) with a central courtyard around which were the sales rooms, and the baths (tepidarium with geometric shapes and mosaics) were renovated. The forum witnessed further transformations, particularly the establishment of another large building. During the same building phase a large mosaic on the central part of the north portico was built.[1]
The
The residential quarters consisted of modest homes, in addition to some
The city remained unwalled throughout its history. However, from the location of cemeteries, it appears that the city did not expand. Cremation graves were discovered in the north of the square of Perdtemps and in Clémenty.
Iulia Equestris was a colony in Roman law with close ties to
Decline
After a long period of peace and prosperity, signs of crisis and general insecurity were increasing in the early 3rd c As a result of
Rediscovery
In the 18th century, there were sporadic discoveries of Roman items from the Colonia. Due to the research of local scholars, especially Théophile Wellauer, in the 19th century these discoveries became frequent and regular. In 1841, the municipality set up a museum to store, catalogue, research and display the items that had been found. In 1875, Johann Jakob Müller published in Zurich the first overall map of the Colonia. In 1974, the significant discovery of the basilica in the forum, gave the research additional momentum. In 1979, a new museum dedicated to the Roman Colonia was built near the basilica.[1]
Colonia site
The territory of the Colonia stretched between the
Trade
The Colonia, which was located along roads with Lyon, the capital of the Gauls,
The agricultural estates on the outskirts of the Colonia are expected to had been profitable, but the lack of archaeological findings about the type of management, the size of farms and density of the farmers, mean that very little is known about the early farms. Later, a number of villas, large landed estate with luxurious mansions, were built around the town. The villas brought city comforts and Roman lifestyle on the rural areas. One example of this form of Romanization, the villa of Commugny with its peristyle, baths, mosaics and high quality wall paintings was built in the years between 35 and 45 AD.[1]