Olisipo
Encyclopedia
Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo (in Latin
: Olisippo or Ulyssippo ; in Greek
: Ολισσιπο, Olissipo, or Ολισσιπόνα, Olissipóna) was the ancient name of modern day Lisbon
while part of the Roman Empire
.
During the Punic wars
, after the defeat of Hannibal
the Romans decided to deprive Carthage in its most valuable possession, Hispania
. After the defeat of the Carthaginians by Scipio Africanus
in Eastern Hispania, the pacification of the West was led by Consul
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
.
He obtained the alliance of Olisipo (which sent men to fight alongside the Roman Legions against the northwestern Celtic tribes) by integrating it into the Empire in 138 BC.
In 31 BC to 27 BC the city becomes a Municipium
Civium Romanorum
. Local authorities were granted self-rule over a territory that extended 50 kilometres (31.1 mi), exempt from taxes, its citizens (belonging to the Galeria tribe) were given the privileges of Roman citizenship
, and it was integrated within the Roman province of Lusitania
(whose capital was Emerita Augusta
). Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus also fortified the city, building city walls, due to Lusitanian
raids and rebellions.
Among the majority of Latin
speakers lived a large minority of Greek
traders and slaves.
Lisbon's name was written Ulyssippo in Latin by the geographer Pomponius Mela
. The city population is estimated to be around 30000 at the time.
Earthquakes were documented in 60 BC, several from 47 to 44 BC, several in 33 AD and a strong quake in 382 AD, but exact amount of damage to the city is unknown.
(63 BC to 14 AD) the Romans built a great Theater (with further rehabilitation in 57AD, ordered by Caius Heius Primus).
The galleries underneath the current Rua da Prata date from 20-35 AD, being rebuilt in 330 AD.
The Cassian Baths were built in 44 AD.
Several temples were built in the city, dedicated to Jupiter
, Concordia
, Livia
, Diana
or Minerva
(on the castle hill), Cybele
(near current Largo da Madalena), Tethys
(current São Nicolau church) and Idae Phrygiae (an uncommon cult from Asia Minor
), to the Imperial Cult
and to Vestal Virgins (in Chelas).
A large necropolis
from the I-IV century AD existed under Praça da Figueira
and it is know that a large Forum (probably in currentLargo dos Lóis) and an aqueduct were built.
A circus and hippodrome was built around the III-IV century AD.
Buildings such as insulae (multi-storied apartment buildings) existed in the area between the modern Castle hill and Downtown.
The city wall was strengthened in the IV to V century AD, and around the city there were also bridges (in Sacavem
and Alcântara) and villae.
, a sort of fish sauce highly prized by the elites of the Empire and exported in Amphora
e to Rome and other cities. Wine, salt
and its famously fast horse
s were also exported.
The city came to be very prosperous through suppression of piracy
and technological advances, which allowed a boom in the trade with the newly Roman Provinces of Britannia
(particularly Cornwall
) and the Rhine, and through the introduction of Roman culture to the tribes living by the river Tagus
in the interior of Hispania
.
The city was connected by a broad road to Western Hispania's two other large cities, Bracara Augusta in the province of Tarraconensis (today's Portuguese Braga
), and Emerita Augusta
, the capital of Lusitania
(now Mérida
in Spain).
council dominated by two families, the Julii and the Cassiae. The Caecilli also held some power. Petitions are recorded addressed to the Governor of the province in Emerita and to the Emperor Tiberius
, such as one requesting help dealing with "sea monsters" allegedly responsible for shipwrecks.
Around 80 BCE, the Roman Quintus Sertorius
led a rebellion against the dictator
Sulla. During this period, he organized the tribes of Lusitania
(and Hispania
) and was on the verge of forming an independent province in the Sertorian War
when he died.
The city was administered by two duumviri and two aedilis.
Between 140 and 150 Lucius Statius Quadratus, a governor, was in Olisipo. In 185 Sextus Tigidius Perennis
, governor of Lusitania, visited the region. Between 200 and 209 Junius Celanius, a governor, also came to Olisipo.
Lucidius
was the native roman governor
of the city in 468, having helped the Suebi
under Remismund
to take it.
was St. Potamius (c. 356), and there were several martyr
s killed during the persecutions like the Diocletianic Persecution; Maxima
, Verissimus and Julia virgin are the most significant names. The legend states that the three were sons of a roman senator, martyred in Lisbon in the IV century, under the roman governor Ageian or Tarquinius
in the time of the emperor Diocletian
. A temple was then built in the Campolide
area, whose ruins still existed in the Middle Ages.
In the middle of the IV century the Olisipo diocesis was formed.
Also, there the legend of Ginés de la Jara
(São Gens), here presented as one of the first martyr bishops of Lisbon, worshiped in the Nossa Senhora do Monte chapel.
At the end of the Roman domain Olisipo was one of the first Christian cities.
viarium of the roman road
to Bracara Augusta and the three roads to Emerita Augusta
.
Olisipo controlled a vast region, limited by the Alcabrichel and Ota
rivers in the north.
The territory includes the following roman archaeological finds, known settlements or placenames:
and the Germanic Vandals
, who controlled the region from 409 to 429.
The city was taken by the Visigoths
under Wallia
in 419.
, who established the Suebic Kingdom of Galicia
(modern Galicia and northern Portugal), with capital in Bracara Augusta (Braga
), from 409 to 585, also controlled the region of Lisbon for long periods of time.
In 457, while Framta
was still ruling, Maldras
led a large raid on Lusitania
. They sacked Lisbon
by pretending to come in peace and, once admitted by the citizens, plundering the city.
In 468 the city of Lisbon was occupied by the Suebi under Remismund
with the help of a native Roman governor named Lucidius
.
Roman domain over the city ended.
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: Olisippo or Ulyssippo ; in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
: Ολισσιπο, Olissipo, or Ολισσιπόνα, Olissipóna) was the ancient name of modern day Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
while part of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
.
During the Punic wars
Punic Wars
The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 B.C.E. to 146 B.C.E. At the time, they were probably the largest wars that had ever taken place...
, after the defeat of Hannibal
Hannibal Barca
Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca Hannibal's date of death is most commonly given as 183 BC, but there is a possibility it could have taken place in 182 BC. was a Carthaginian military commander and tactician. He is generally considered one of the greatest military commanders in history...
the Romans decided to deprive Carthage in its most valuable possession, Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
. After the defeat of the Carthaginians by Scipio Africanus
Scipio Africanus
Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus , also known as Scipio Africanus and Scipio the Elder, was a general in the Second Punic War and statesman of the Roman Republic...
in Eastern Hispania, the pacification of the West was led by Consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus
Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus was a Roman politician and general of the 2nd century BC. He was the son of the consul Marcus Junius Brutus and brother of the praetor Marcus Junius Brutus; he himself was appointed consul in 138 BC...
.
He obtained the alliance of Olisipo (which sent men to fight alongside the Roman Legions against the northwestern Celtic tribes) by integrating it into the Empire in 138 BC.
In 31 BC to 27 BC the city becomes a Municipium
Municipium
Municipium , the prototype of English municipality, was the Latin term for a town or city. Etymologically the municipium was a social contract between municipes, the "duty holders," or citizens of the town. The duties, or munera, were a communal obligation assumed by the municipes in exchange for...
Civium Romanorum
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
. Local authorities were granted self-rule over a territory that extended 50 kilometres (31.1 mi), exempt from taxes, its citizens (belonging to the Galeria tribe) were given the privileges of Roman citizenship
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
, and it was integrated within the Roman province of Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
(whose capital was Emerita Augusta
Emerita Augusta
The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain. Mainly of Emerita Augusta, ancient capital of Lusitania . It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993....
). Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus also fortified the city, building city walls, due to Lusitanian
Lusitanians
The Lusitanians were an Indo-European people living in the Western Iberian Peninsula long before it became the Roman province of Lusitania . They spoke the Lusitanian language which might have been Celtic. The modern Portuguese people see the Lusitanians as their ancestors...
raids and rebellions.
Among the majority of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
speakers lived a large minority of Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
traders and slaves.
Lisbon's name was written Ulyssippo in Latin by the geographer Pomponius Mela
Pomponius Mela
Pomponius Mela, who wrote around AD 43, was the earliest Roman geographer. He was born in Tingentera and died c. AD 45.His short work occupies less than one hundred pages of ordinary print. It is laconic in style and deficient in method, but of pure Latinity, and occasionally relieved by pleasing...
. The city population is estimated to be around 30000 at the time.
Earthquakes were documented in 60 BC, several from 47 to 44 BC, several in 33 AD and a strong quake in 382 AD, but exact amount of damage to the city is unknown.
Buildings
During the time of AugustusAugustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
(63 BC to 14 AD) the Romans built a great Theater (with further rehabilitation in 57AD, ordered by Caius Heius Primus).
The galleries underneath the current Rua da Prata date from 20-35 AD, being rebuilt in 330 AD.
The Cassian Baths were built in 44 AD.
Several temples were built in the city, dedicated to Jupiter
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
, Concordia
Concordia (mythology)
In Roman religion, Concord was the goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony. Her Greek version is Harmonia, and the Harmonians and some Discordians equate her with Aneris. Her opposite is Discordia ....
, Livia
Livia
Livia Drusilla, , after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14 also known as Julia Augusta, was a Roman empress as the third wife of the Emperor Augustus and his adviser...
, Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
or Minerva
Minerva
Minerva was the Roman goddess whom Romans from the 2nd century BC onwards equated with the Greek goddess Athena. She was the virgin goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic...
(on the castle hill), Cybele
Cybele
Cybele , was a Phrygian form of the Earth Mother or Great Mother. As with Greek Gaia , her Minoan equivalent Rhea and some aspects of Demeter, Cybele embodies the fertile Earth...
(near current Largo da Madalena), Tethys
Tethys (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Tethys , daughter of Uranus and Gaia was an archaic Titaness and aquatic sea goddess, invoked in classical Greek poetry but not venerated in cult. Tethys was both sister and wife of Oceanus...
(current São Nicolau church) and Idae Phrygiae (an uncommon cult from Asia Minor
Asia Minor
Asia Minor is a geographical location at the westernmost protrusion of Asia, also called Anatolia, and corresponds to the western two thirds of the Asian part of Turkey...
), to the Imperial Cult
Imperial cult
An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors , are worshipped as messiahs, demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejorative sense...
and to Vestal Virgins (in Chelas).
A large necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
from the I-IV century AD existed under Praça da Figueira
Praça da Figueira
The Praça da Figueira is a large square in the centre of Lisbon, in Portugal. It is part of the Baixa Pombalina, the area of the city reurbanised after the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake....
and it is know that a large Forum (probably in currentLargo dos Lóis) and an aqueduct were built.
A circus and hippodrome was built around the III-IV century AD.
Buildings such as insulae (multi-storied apartment buildings) existed in the area between the modern Castle hill and Downtown.
The city wall was strengthened in the IV to V century AD, and around the city there were also bridges (in Sacavem
Sacavém
Sacavém is a Portuguese civil parish , in the municipality of Loures, just a few kilometers northeast of the Portuguese capital, Lisbon. The parish covers an area of , with a population of 17,659 inhabitants...
and Alcântara) and villae.
Economy
Economically, Olisipo was known for its garumGarum
Garum, similar to liquamen, was a type of fermented fish sauce condiment that was an essential flavour in Ancient Roman cooking, the supreme condiment....
, a sort of fish sauce highly prized by the elites of the Empire and exported in Amphora
Amphora
An amphora is a type of vase-shaped, usually ceramic container with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body...
e to Rome and other cities. Wine, salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and its famously fast horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s were also exported.
The city came to be very prosperous through suppression of piracy
Piracy
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence at sea. The term can include acts committed on land, in the air, or in other major bodies of water or on a shore. It does not normally include crimes committed against persons traveling on the same vessel as the perpetrator...
and technological advances, which allowed a boom in the trade with the newly Roman Provinces of Britannia
Britannia
Britannia is an ancient term for Great Britain, and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. However, by the...
(particularly Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
) and the Rhine, and through the introduction of Roman culture to the tribes living by the river Tagus
Tagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
in the interior of Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
.
The city was connected by a broad road to Western Hispania's two other large cities, Bracara Augusta in the province of Tarraconensis (today's Portuguese Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
), and Emerita Augusta
Emerita Augusta
The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain. Mainly of Emerita Augusta, ancient capital of Lusitania . It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993....
, the capital of Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
(now Mérida
Mérida, Spain
Mérida is the capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura, western central Spain. It has a population of 57,127 . The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993.- Climate :...
in Spain).
Government
The city was ruled by an oligarchicalOligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
council dominated by two families, the Julii and the Cassiae. The Caecilli also held some power. Petitions are recorded addressed to the Governor of the province in Emerita and to the Emperor Tiberius
Tiberius
Tiberius , was Roman Emperor from 14 AD to 37 AD. Tiberius was by birth a Claudian, son of Tiberius Claudius Nero and Livia Drusilla. His mother divorced Nero and married Augustus in 39 BC, making him a step-son of Octavian...
, such as one requesting help dealing with "sea monsters" allegedly responsible for shipwrecks.
Around 80 BCE, the Roman Quintus Sertorius
Quintus Sertorius
Quintus Sertorius was a Roman statesman and general, born in Nursia, in Sabine territory. His brilliance as a military commander was shown most clearly in his battles against Rome for control of Hispania...
led a rebellion against the dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
Sulla. During this period, he organized the tribes of Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
(and Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
) and was on the verge of forming an independent province in the Sertorian War
Sertorian War
The Sertorian War was a conflict of the Roman civil wars in which a coalition of Iberians and Romans fought against the representatives of the regime established by Sulla. It takes its name from Quintus Sertorius the main leader of the opposition to Sulla. The war lasted from 80 BC to 72 BC. The...
when he died.
The city was administered by two duumviri and two aedilis.
- Lucius Iulius Maelo CaudicusLucius Iulius Maelo CaudicusLucius Iulius Maelo Caudicus, born in 10 B.C., in the Olisipo region of Granja dos Serrões. The name Caudicus indicates an indigenous origin, who came to importance as the the duumviri of Olisipo, and later, the flamen of the cult of Augustus....
was one of the dumviri in the I century AD. - Lucius Iulius Iustus (son of Lucius Iulius Reburrus) was one of the city aedils in the I or II century AD.
Between 140 and 150 Lucius Statius Quadratus, a governor, was in Olisipo. In 185 Sextus Tigidius Perennis
Tigidius Perennis
Sextus Tigidius Perennis was a prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, during the reigns of the emperors Marcus Aurelius and Commodus. Under the latter, Perennis was the man who exercised the chief responsibilities of government in the Roman Empire...
, governor of Lusitania, visited the region. Between 200 and 209 Junius Celanius, a governor, also came to Olisipo.
Lucidius
Lucidius
Saint Lucidius is a Roman Catholic saint.He was bishop of Verona, Italy in the 4th century. He is revered for his holiness and learning. He was a member of the Benedictines and famous for his life of prayer and study.His feast day is April 26....
was the native roman governor
Roman governor
A Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief administrator of Roman law throughout one or more of the many provinces constituting the Roman Empire...
of the city in 468, having helped the Suebi
Suebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
under Remismund
Remismund
Remismund was the Suevic King of Galicia from c. 464 until his death.According to Isidore of Seville, Remismund was a son of Maldras. Remismund's early career was spent as an ambassador between Galicia and Gaul, which trip he made several times...
to take it.
Religion
Olisipo, like most great cities in the Western Empire, was a centre for the dissemination of Christianity. Its first attested BishopPatriarch of Lisbon
The Patriarch of Lisbon is an honorary title possessed by the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Lisbon.The first patriarch of Lisbon was D. Tomás de Almeida, who was appointed in 1716 by Pope Clement XI...
was St. Potamius (c. 356), and there were several martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s killed during the persecutions like the Diocletianic Persecution; Maxima
Maxima of Rome
Maxima of Rome was a slave and friend of Saint Ansanus of Siena. She was martyred by being beaten to death in the persecutions of Diocletian, circa 304. Locally recognized as saint, her feast day is September 2.-Martyrology:-References:...
, Verissimus and Julia virgin are the most significant names. The legend states that the three were sons of a roman senator, martyred in Lisbon in the IV century, under the roman governor Ageian or Tarquinius
Tarquinius
Tarquinius is the name of an illustrious Roman family of Etruscan origin, two of whose members, according to legend, reigned as king in Rome:* Lucius Tarquinius Priscus* Lucius Tarquinius Superbus...
in the time of the emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
. A temple was then built in the Campolide
Campolide
Campolide is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Lisbon. It was created on February 7, 1959.Campolide was the site of a major battle on 5 September 1833, when the forces of Dom Miguel attacked those of Dom Pedro, as Pedro attempted to wrest back control of Portugal from his...
area, whose ruins still existed in the Middle Ages.
In the middle of the IV century the Olisipo diocesis was formed.
Also, there the legend of Ginés de la Jara
Ginés de la Jara
Saint Ginés de la Jara is a semi-legendary saint of Spain. He is associated with the region surrounding Cartagena, of which he is co-patron...
(São Gens), here presented as one of the first martyr bishops of Lisbon, worshiped in the Nossa Senhora do Monte chapel.
At the end of the Roman domain Olisipo was one of the first Christian cities.
The surrounding region
The city was a caputCaput
The Latin word caput, meaning literally "head" and by metonymy "top", has been borrowed in a variety of English words, including capital, captain, and decapitate...
viarium of the roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
to Bracara Augusta and the three roads to Emerita Augusta
Emerita Augusta
The Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida is one of the largest and most extensive archaeological sites in Spain. Mainly of Emerita Augusta, ancient capital of Lusitania . It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993....
.
Olisipo controlled a vast region, limited by the Alcabrichel and Ota
Ota (Alenquer)
Ota is a Portuguese parish, located in the municipality of Alenquer. It has a population of 1,198 inhabitants and a total area of 46.36 km².-Ota airport:...
rivers in the north.
The territory includes the following roman archaeological finds, known settlements or placenames:
In the current Sintra municipality
- Archaeological Site of Alto da VigiaArchaeological Site of Alto da VigiaThe oldest accounts of a Roman sanctuary to the Sun, Moon and Imperial cult, by the mouth of the river of Colares dates back to the 16th century. It was a circular temenos, an open air religious space....
(Praia das Maçãs, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Archaeological Site of ColarideArchaeological Site of ColarideThe archaeological site of Colaride is a Roman necropolis, associated with a natural cave. Surface finds indicate a possible villa but only a roman quarry dating from the I-III centuries AD is confirmed.-External links:...
(Alto de Colaride, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de OdrinhasArchaeological Museum of São Miguel de OdrinhasThe Archaeological Museum of São Miguel de Odrinhas gathers together around the hermitage of São Miguel a considerable number of epigraphic stones found amongst the Roman ruins present at the place and surrounding region.-External links:*...
(Odrinhas, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman dam of BelasRoman dam of BelasThe Roman dam of Belas may have served the city of Olisipo or a local roman villa .Some 10 km from the city center, the aqueduct starts with a roman build brick dam in the Carenque river....
(BelasBelasDiellas is a village in the Mala Prespa, Albania, District Pustec, Korçë District....
, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman bridge at CatribanaRoman bridge at CatribanaRoman bridge, located in the village of Catribana , crossing over the Samarra river. The bridge is composed of a single arch and parapet, with several restorations and changes over the centuries. Probably it was part of a secondary roman road that connected the several villa of the Olisipo region...
(Catribana, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman bridge at Albarraque (Rio de MouroRio de MouroRio de Mouro is a town and civil parish in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal. It's located at a distance of 15 km from the capital, Lisbon. In 2001, the population in the parish was 46.022....
, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman bridge at Várzea de Baixo (Colares (Sintra)Colares (Sintra)Colares is a civil parish along the coast of the municipality of Sintra. In 2001, it had a resident population of 7472 inhabitants dispersed in an area of 33.37 km².-History:...
) - Roman bridge at Cheleiros (Cheleiros, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of Santo André de AlmoçagemeRoman villa of Santo André de AlmoçagemeIn Santo André de Almoçageme, Sintra, is located the westernmost villa of the Roman Empire with occupation from the second to the sixth centuries AD....
(AlmoçagemeAlmoçagemeAlmoçageme is a village on the Portuguese municipality of Sintra and in the Freguesia of Colares.The name Almoçageme is obviously Arab in origin – the Iberian peninsula is packed with Muslim toponyms that are a legacy of the five hundred years the Moors stayed over...
, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of Amoreira (São João das LampasSão João das LampasSão João das Lampas is a Portuguese civil parish, located in the municipality of Sintra....
, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of Barros do Casal Silvério (Montelavar, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of Granja dos Serrões (Pêro Pinheiro, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of Corrais do Chão (SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of São Marcos (São Marcos, Sintra)
- Roman site of Vila Velha (SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - VicusVicusVicus may refer to:*Vicus , plural vici, a neighborhood or local administrative unit of ancient Rome**Vicus Tuscus in Rome**Vicus Jugarius, leading into the Roman Forum** Gensis in Moesia Superior...
of Faião (Terrugem, possible location for Chretina) - Roman mine of Monte Suimo (Serra da Carregueira, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Fountain of ArmésFountain of ArmésThe Fountain of Armés , alternatively called the Fountain of the Moors , is a 1st century fountain built by Lucius Iulius Maelo Caudicus, a Olisipo flamen, to honour the Roman Emperor Augustus, in the village of Armés, civil parish of Tarregum in Sintra....
(Terrugem, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Roman villa of Lugar do Mercador (Mucifal, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Promontorium Lunae (Cabo da RocaCabo da RocaCabo da Roca is a cape which forms the westernmost extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe...
, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
) - Mons Lunae (Serra de Sintra)
In the current Cascais municipality
- Roman villa of Alto da CidreiraRoman villa of Alto da CidreiraAlto da Cidreira is a roman Villa in Alcabideche, Cascais. Among the remains found are mosaics, a bath complex and an olive oil cellar.-External links:*...
(Alto da Cidreira, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
) - Roman villa of VilaresRoman villa of VilaresThe Roman ruins of Vilares is an archaeological excavation in the civil parish of Alcabideche, municipality of Cascais, discovered in the early part of the 21st century on a site designated for residential development...
(Murches, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
) - Roman villa of Casais Velhos (AreiaAreiaAreia may refer to:*Areia *Areia, Paraíba, a city in Brazil*Areias, Mato Grosso do Sul, alternate name*Aria , or Greek Areía, the Greek name form of a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire in today's Afghanistan*Athena, as an epithet...
, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
) - Roman villa of Outeiro de PolimaRoman villa of Outeiro de PolimaRoman villa dating from the I to VI centuries AD. In the archaeological campaigns, a large barn and a solar quadrant were found...
or Freiria (São Domingos de RanaSão Domingos de RanaSão Domingos de Rana is a civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, part of the Greater Lisbon subregion. In 2001, its population was 43991 and in an area of 20.36 km².-References:NotesSources...
, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
) - Archaeological Site of Espigão das Ruivas (Guincho Velho, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
) - Roman villa of Miroiço (Manique de Baixo, CascaisCascaisCascais is a coastal town in Cascais Municipality in Portugal, 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, with about 35,000 residents. It is a cosmopolitan suburb of the Portuguese capital and one of the richest municipalities in Portugal. The former fishing village gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal...
)
In the current Torres Vedras municipality
- Roman baths of Cucos (another possible location for Chretina) (Cucos, Torres VedrasTorres VedrasTorres Vedras is a city and a municipality in the district of Lisbon, Portugal, about 50 km north of Lisbon. It belongs to the Oeste subregion and the Centro region.The municipality covers an area of 405.89 km² distributed over 20 freguesias...
) - Roman villa of Freiria (Torres VedrasTorres VedrasTorres Vedras is a city and a municipality in the district of Lisbon, Portugal, about 50 km north of Lisbon. It belongs to the Oeste subregion and the Centro region.The municipality covers an area of 405.89 km² distributed over 20 freguesias...
)
In the current Loures municipality
- Roman villa of AlmoinhasRoman villa of AlmoinhasRoman villa in current day Loures, near Lisbon, with remains of plumbing, drains, necropolis, inscriptions and currency. The occupation is dated from the I to V centuries AD....
(LouresLouresLoures Municipality is a municipality to the north of Lisbon. Created on 26 July 1886 by a royal decree, the municipality currently occupies an area of 169 km² and has about 200,000 inhabitants . It borders the municipalities of Odivelas, Sintra, Mafra, Arruda dos Vinhos, Vila Franca de Xira...
) - Roman villa of FrielasRoman villa of FrielasRoman villa in current day Frielas, Loures, near Lisbon. The occupation is dated from the I to VII centuries AD....
(FrielasFrielas- Introduction :Frielas is a parish in the municipality of Loures, District of Lisbon , Portugal....
, LouresLouresLoures Municipality is a municipality to the north of Lisbon. Created on 26 July 1886 by a royal decree, the municipality currently occupies an area of 169 km² and has about 200,000 inhabitants . It borders the municipalities of Odivelas, Sintra, Mafra, Arruda dos Vinhos, Vila Franca de Xira...
) - Roman bridge at FrielasFrielas- Introduction :Frielas is a parish in the municipality of Loures, District of Lisbon , Portugal....
Alans
Lisbon suffered invasions from the Sarmatian AlansAlans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
and the Germanic Vandals
Vandals
The Vandals were an East Germanic tribe that entered the late Roman Empire during the 5th century. The Vandals under king Genseric entered Africa in 429 and by 439 established a kingdom which included the Roman Africa province, besides the islands of Sicily, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics....
, who controlled the region from 409 to 429.
The city was taken by the Visigoths
Visigothic Kingdom
The Visigothic Kingdom was a kingdom which occupied southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula from the 5th to 8th century AD. One of the Germanic successor states to the Western Roman Empire, it was originally created by the settlement of the Visigoths under King Wallia in the province of...
under Wallia
Wallia
Wallia was king of the Visigoths from 415 to 419, earning a reputation as a great warrior and prudent ruler. He was elected to the throne after Athaulf and then Sigeric were assassinated in 415....
in 419.
Suebi
The Germanic SuebiSuebi
The Suebi or Suevi were a group of Germanic peoples who were first mentioned by Julius Caesar in connection with Ariovistus' campaign, c...
, who established the Suebic Kingdom of Galicia
Suebic Kingdom of Galicia
The Suebic Kingdom of Galicia was the first independent barbarian Christian kingdom of Western Europe and the first to separate from the Roman Empire, as well as the first one to mint coins. Based in Gallaecia, it was established in 410 and lasted as independent state until 584, after a century of...
(modern Galicia and northern Portugal), with capital in Bracara Augusta (Braga
Braga
Braga , a city in the Braga Municipality in northwestern Portugal, is the capital of the Braga District, the oldest archdiocese and the third major city of the country. Braga is the oldest Portuguese city and one of the oldest Christian cities in the World...
), from 409 to 585, also controlled the region of Lisbon for long periods of time.
In 457, while Framta
Framta
Framta, Framtan, or Framtane was one of the kings of the Suevi in Galicia in 457....
was still ruling, Maldras
Maldras
Maldras was the Suevic King of Galicia from 456 until his death. After the execution of Rechiar by the victorious Visigoths, the Suevi are said to have established Maldras on the throne...
led a large raid on Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
. They sacked Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
by pretending to come in peace and, once admitted by the citizens, plundering the city.
In 468 the city of Lisbon was occupied by the Suebi under Remismund
Remismund
Remismund was the Suevic King of Galicia from c. 464 until his death.According to Isidore of Seville, Remismund was a son of Maldras. Remismund's early career was spent as an ambassador between Galicia and Gaul, which trip he made several times...
with the help of a native Roman governor named Lucidius
Lucidius
Saint Lucidius is a Roman Catholic saint.He was bishop of Verona, Italy in the 4th century. He is revered for his holiness and learning. He was a member of the Benedictines and famous for his life of prayer and study.His feast day is April 26....
.
Roman domain over the city ended.