page_title: Camulodunum
section_title: Colonia Victricensis in the second and third centuries
hierarchical_section_title: Camulodunum / Colonia Victricensis in the second and third centuries
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of Roman Colonia Victricensis (modern Colchester) with surrounding sites
context_page_description: Camulodunum, the Ancient Roman name for what is now Colchester in Essex, was an important town in Roman Britain, and the first capital of the province. It is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain. Originally the site of the Brythonic-Celtic oppidum of Camulodunon, capital of the Trinovantes and later the Catuvellauni tribes, it was first mentioned by name on coinage minted by the chieftain Tasciovanus sometime between 20 and 10 BC. The Roman town began life as a Roman Legionary base constructed in the AD 40s on the site of the Brythonic-Celtic fortress following its conquest by the Emperor Claudius. After the early town was destroyed during the Iceni rebellion in AD 60/61, it was rebuilt, reaching its zenith in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. During this time it was known by its official name Colonia Claudia Victricensis, often shortened to Colonia Victricensis, and as Camulodunum, a Latinised version of its original Brythonic name. The town was home to a large classical temple, two theatres, several Romano-British temples, Britain's only known chariot circus, Britain's first town walls, several large cemeteries and over 50 known mosaics and tessellated pavements.
context_section_description: Following the destruction of the Colonia and Suetonius Paulinus’ crushing of the revolt the town was rebuilt on a larger scale and flourished, growing larger in size than its pre-Boudican levels (to 108 acres/45 ha) despite its loss of status to Londinium, reaching its peak in the Second and 3rd centuries. The town's official name was Colonia Claudia Victricensis (City of Claudius’ Victory), but it was known colloquially by contemporaries (such as on the monument of Gnaeus Munatius Aurelius Bassus in Rome - see below) as Camulodunum or simply Colonia.
  The colonia became a large industrial centre, and was the largest, and for a short time the only, place in the province of Britannia where samian ware was produced, along with glasswork and metalwork, and a coin mint. Roman brick making and wine growing also took place in the area. Colonia Victricensis contained many large townhouses, with dozens of mosaics and tessellated pavements found, along with hypocausts and sophisticated waterpipes and drains.
  The colonia is mentioned by name several times by contemporaries, including in Pliny's Natural History, Ptolemy's Geography, Tacitus' Annales, The Antonine Itinerary and the Ravenna Cosmography. The 2nd century tomb inscription for Gn. Munatius Bassus in Rome, which describes the name of the town and its Roman citizenship, reads:
  GN.MVNATIVS.MF.PAL
  AVRELIVS.BASSVS
  PROCAVG
  PRAEF.FABR.PRAEF.COH.III
  SAGITTARIORVM.PRAEF.COH.ITERVM.II
  ASTVRVM.CENSITOR.CIVIVM
  ROMANORVM.COLONIAE.VICTRI
  CENSIS.QVAE.EST.IN.BRITTANNIA
  CAMALODVNI.CVRATOR
  VIAE.NOMENTANAE.PATRONVS.EIVSDEM
  MVNICIPI.FLAMEN.PERPETVS
  DVVM.VIR.ALI.POTESTATE
  AEDILIS.DICTATOR.IIII.
  (Translated: Gnaeus Munatius Aurelius Bassus, son of Marcus of the Palantine Tribe, Procurator of the Emperor, Prefect of the Armourers, Prefect of the Third Cohort of Archers, Prefect again of the Second Cohort of Asturians, Census Officer of the Roman Citizens of Colonia Victricensis, which is in Britain at Camulodunum, Overseer of the Nomentum Road, Patron again of the same municipality, Priest for life, Aedile with magisterial power, Dictator four times.)
caption: The Roman Colonia Victricensis in its wider landscape
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