page_title: Bilbilis (Augusta Bilbilis)
section_title: The development of the city
hierarchical_section_title: Bilbilis (Augusta Bilbilis) / History / The development of the city
caption_attribution_description: Español: Museo de Calatayud - Friso del Pavo Real - Restos de pintura - Primera mitad del siglo I ddC - Bílbilis, Barrio de las termas - Insula I, Domus 3. stancia 29
context_page_description: Augusta Bilbilis was a city founded by the Romans in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis. It was the birthplace of famous poet Martial c. 40 AD. The modern town of Calatayud was founded near this Roman site.
  Recent excavations have uncovered many of the impressive remains visible today which dominate the surrounding area and are testament to the city's rich past.
context_section_description: With the pacification of Hispania and the death of Julius Caesar, Augustus embarked on a series of administrative reforms including the Conventus of Bilbilis. The main road from Emerita Augusta to Caesaraugusta passed near and benefitted Bilbilis. The city was given the status of Municipium becoming Augusta Bilbilis and thus enjoyed the many privileges under Roman law, including bestowing Roman citizenship on all its inhabitants. Monumentalisation of civic and urban spaces characterise the Augustan period. 
  Coins were also minted in the city with "Augusta Bilbilis" on the reverse along with the governor's name. There were 10 minted under Augustus, four under Tiberius and one under Caligula. The most intriguing coin is one naming Lucius Aelius Sejanus as consul on which COS (consul) was stamped inside a garland of oak leaves (the corona civica) under Tiberius on the reverse. 
  The town must have flourished with Sejanus as benefactor, but was ultimately hurt with his demise when he was proved to be a traitor. All statues and monuments were subject to "damnatio memoriae" along with the coinage. Most of the coins were of the "as" or semis variety which were filed or stamped to erase his name from memory. Some very rare coins have his name still legible. Dr. Paul L. Maier puts forth a thought-provoking history of how Sejanus played a role in the life of Jesus in his book Pontius Pilate. It seems Sejanus was in a powerful position as co-emperor to appoint Pilate to Judaea as Tiberius was in retirement on the Island of Capri. After Sejanus' fall, his family and supporters were hunted down and eliminated for years to come. This raises the question of why Pilate, a hard and tough governor, caved in under Jewish request to hand over Jesus to be crucified. "You are no friend of Caesar" was all it took. Pilate knew his head was on the block, and he was recalled to Rome two years later to answer charges but Tiberius died as Pilate took the long winter route.
  The famous and eminent poet Martial was born in Bilbilis in 38–41 AD and romanticised his provincial upbringing. He often praised his own country in his poems, for example the sulphurous springs of Aquae Bilbilitanorum situated approximately 24 km west on the Roman main road which are still used as spas (Alhama de Aragón). One of his finest poems celebrates a visit by his friend and fellow citizen Licinianus to Bilbilis. He moved to Rome when he was twenty-four years old; he stayed there more than thirty-four years and then came back to Bilbilis for three years. Finally, he went back to Rome where he published his last book (10th) and died in the year 104 AD.
  The city's heyday was the 1st century. It declined rapidly in the 2nd century AD and by the 3rd century it was half-deserted.
caption: Fresco from domus 3, insula I, 1st c. BC (Catalayud Museum)
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