Learn and talk about Lindum Colonia, Ancient Roman forts in England, Archaeological sites in Lincolnshire, Coloniae (Roman), Former populated places in Lincolnshire Roman Imperial Lindum Colonia, was the Roman name for the settlement which is now the City of Lincoln in Lincolnshire . It was founded as a Roman Legionary Fortress during the reign of the Emperor Nero (58-68) or possibly later. [1] Evidence from Roman tombstones suggests that Lincoln was first garrisoned by the Ninth Legion , Hispana which probably moved from Lincoln to found the fortress at York around c.71 A.D. Lindum was then garrisoned by the Second Legion Aduitrix, which then went on to Chester in 77-8 A.D. [2] Probably under the reign of Domitian and most likely after 86 A.D., the fortress became a Colonia , a settlement for retired soldiers sanctioned by the Emperor. [3] The Colonia now developed and a second enclosure, often referred to as the ‘‘Lower Colonia’’ was added between the Upper Colonia and the River Witham .

Evidence has been uncovered for the Forum , baths, temples, buildings and shops of the Colonia which was enclosed by walls. The walls of the Upper Colonia started to be built in the earlier part of the 2nd century A.D., [4] while the Lower Colonia was walled in either the late 2nd or early 3rd centuries. The Roman settlement also spread to the south of the river Witham in the area known as the Wigford. In the early 3rd century A.D. with the re-organisation of the Roman Empire, a case can be made that Lindum Colonia had become the provincial capital of Britannia Secunda and possibly a Bishop from Lincoln was present at the Council of Arles in 314. [5] In the 4th century A.D. Lincoln continued to develop and there is increasing evidence for Christianity , but in the 5th century, following the departure of the Romans, Lindum declined and was largely deserted. Contents Name[ edit ] The name is a Latinized form of a native Brittonic name which has been reconstructed as *Lindon ( lit. "pool" or "lake"; cf. modern Welsh llyn ).

[6] The primary evidence that modern Lincoln was referred to as Lindum comes from Ptolemy’s Geography which was compiled in about 150 AD, where Lindum is referred to as a polis or town within the tribal area of the Corieltauvi . In the Antonine Itinerary , a road book of the mid-2nd century A.D., Lindum is mentioned three times as Lindo in the Iter or routes numbered V, VI and VIII. Then, in the Ravenna Cosmography , a listing of towns in the Roman Empire compiled in the 7th century AD., Lincoln is referred to as Lindum Colonia. [7] As the Roman colonia for veteran soldiers at Lincoln is thought to have been established during the reign of the Roman Emperoer Domitian (81-96), it has been suggested that the full name of the Colonia would have been Colonia Domitiana Lindensium, but, as yet, there have been no Roman inscriptions found that confirm this. [8] Construction[ edit ] Tombstone of Gauis Valerius, a standard bearer of the Ninth Legion.

Found on the South Common, Lincoln The Romans conquered this part of Britain in AD 48 and shortly afterwards built a legionary fortress , possibly south of the River Witham . This was soon replaced, around the year 60, by a second fort for the Ninth Legion , high on a hill overlooking the natural lake formed by the widening of the River Witham (the modern day Brayford Pool ) and at the northern end of the Fosse Way Roman road . That pool is very likely to have given Lincoln its name. [9] Development[ edit ] Roman north wall of Lindum Colonia The Ninth Legion , Hispana was probably moved from Lincoln to found the fortress at York around 71 A.D. Then, after a probable short occupation by the Second Legion, who had moved to Chester by 77-78A.D. [10] the Legionary fort would have been left on a care and maintenance basis. The exact date that it was converted into a colonia is unknown, but a generally favoured date is 86 A.D.

[11] This was an important settlement for retired legionaries, established by the emperor Domitian within the walls and using the street grid of the hilltop fortress, with the addition of an extension of about equal area, down the hillside to the waterside below. The town became a major flourishing settlement, accessible from the sea both through the River Trent and through the River Witham. Public buildings, such as the forum with lifesize equestrian statues, basilica , and the public baths , were erected in the 2nd century. The hilltop was largely filled with private homes, but the slopes became the town's commercial centre. They gained stone walls, like the upper region (including the Newport Arch ), around 200. There was also an industrial suburb over the river which had pottery production facilities. The town had the best developed sewerage system in the province and a fine octagonal public fountain and part of its aqueduct have been partly uncovered. There were temples dedicated to Apollo and Mercury .

On the basis of Lindum's size and the patently corrupt list of British bishops who attended the 314 Council of Arles , the city is sometimes considered to have been the capital of the province of Flavia Caesariensis which was formed during the late-3rd century Diocletian Reforms . However, it is now thought more likely that Lincoln would have been the administrative capital of Britannia Secunda and that York was the capital of Flavia Caesariensis. [12] Decline[ edit ] The city and its waterways eventually fell into decline, and, by the end of the 5th century, it was virtually deserted. However, the church of St Paul continued as a place of worship until 450 and its churchyard was in use into the 6th century. When Saint Paulinus visited in 629, it was apparently under the control of a Praefectus Civitatis called Blecca. [13] Planning, infrastructure, trade and religion[ edit ] The Roman aqueduct or water supply[ edit ] Roman Wall at East Bight by the Newport where there was a water storage tank Roman Lincoln had a very sophisticated water supply.

It was fed by the ‘‘Roaring Meg’’ spring to the North East of the city and then ran parallel with the Nettleham Road towards the N.E corner of the Upper Colonia. The ceramic pipes were encased in concrete that provided a waterproof seal and allowed the water to pass through the pipes under pressure. The course of the aqueduct had been well known from the start of the 18th century. William Stukeley had shown the line of the aqueduct on his plan of Lincoln in 1722. The Lincoln antiquary Thomas Sympson had written in the mid 18th century "There must have been some contrivance for raising the water a good deal above its natural level before it would run to Lindum; the spring being evidently lower than the Town: and indeed there are some traces of a Tower, or some such building at the end of the Aquaeduct by the Spring, which one may suppose would have had a reservoir on its Top." In 1782 the artist Samuel Hieronymus Grimm drew sections of the sheathed pipe and also where it emerged from the ground at the spring.

[14] Over the years further lengths of the aqueduct have been uncovered and the base for a watertank fed by the aqueduct discovered just inside the Roman Wall to the east of the Newport Arch . This is just to the north of Cottesford Place, where excavations in the 1960s revealed a probable Roma Bathhouse, which could have been supplied with water from this source. [15] Another pipeline, encased in concrete was found in 1857 by the Greestone Stairs, to the east of the wall, and this pipeline had presumably branched off from the aqueduct and supplied water to the Lower Colonia. [16] Thompson calculated that it would be necessary to raise the water about 70 feet at the source at the ‘‘Roaring Meg’’ for there to be sufficient pressure for the water to reach the tank at the East Bight by the Newport Arch . This may imply that there was some form of water tower and the Romans may either have used some form of pump to raise the water, or a revolving bucket and chain system.

[17] Before 2007 it was questioned whether the Roman aqueduct at Lincoln had ever worked as there was no evidence of limescale in any of the lengths of pipe that had been uncovered. Construction on a housing estate close to the Nettleham showed that there was limescale , indicating that the aqueduct had been in use. [18] This length of the aqueduct had ceramic pipes, joined with collared joints , but other lengths of the aqueduct had pipes which were about 7.5 inches in diameter, narrowing to 4 inches and when laid, the narrow or spigot end of the pipe fitted into the broad or socket end of the next pipe. [19] Pottery production[ edit ] Lincoln was an important centre for pottery production. The earliest discovery of a pottery kiln was on the site of the Technical College (now Lincoln College) on Monks Road. [20] This kiln produced Mortaria stamped with the maker's name VITALIS. who was probably working around 90-115 AD.

[21] A further discovery was made in 1947 when Graham Webster excavated a kiln site producing gray ware storage jars at Swanpool, to the S.W. of Lincoln. [22] This was followed in 1950 by the excavation of further mortaria kilns found on the Lincoln Racecourse by Phillip Corder. Kilns producing mortaria by a potter called CATTO and also colour painted and rosette decorated pottery are known from South Carlton, to the north of Lincoln. [23] In the 3rd and 4th centuries, Lincolnshire produced a coarse ware ceramic known as Dales ware , which was exported across the north of Roman Britain. [24] Roman sculpture and tombstones[ edit ] RIB 250 [25] Tombstone of Volusia Faustina and Aurelius Senecio. Found in 1859 in the wall of the Lower Colonia and now in the British Museum. RIB 258 [26] Tombstone of Titus Valerius Pudens of Second Legion, Adiutrix Found at No 2 Monson Street in 1849. Now in British Museum.

RIB 262 [27] Tombstone of Sacer, son of Bruscus, a citizen of the Senones, set into the church tower of St Mary le Wigford , Lincoln RIB 256 [28] Tombstone of Lucius Sempronius Flavinus of the Ninth Legion, a Spaniard. From no 17, Lindum Road, Lincoln Tombstone of a Boy holding a pet Hare, formerly in Lincoln Cathedral Library. RIB 263 [29] Tombstone of Claudia Crysis,who lived to the age of 90. RIB 251 [30] Found in 1785, just to the west of the Newport Arch . Tombstone of Flavius Helius a Greek by race, lived 40 years. Flavia Ingenua set this up for her husband. Sculpture of Cupid and Psyche, Found in excavations on the Old Cinema Grand Electric site in Hungate Lincoln in 1985 ^ "Jones" (2002). Roman Lincoln: Conquest, Colony and Capital, pg 34. ^ "Jones" (2002).34.

^ Whitwell J.B. (1970), Roman Lincolnshire, History of Lincolnshire, Vol 2. pg27 ^ "Jones" (2002).119. ^ Delamarre, Xavier, Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise, Errance, 2003 (2nd ed.), p. 203. ^ Rivet A.L.F. & Smith C. (1979), The Place-Names of Roman Britain, Batsford, pg.393. ^ "Jones", (2002),pg. 51-2 Further reading[ edit ] Baker F. T.(1985) A Lifetime with Lincolnshire Archaeology: Looking back over 60 years. The Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. Colyer C. et al (ed. Jones M.J. (1999), The Defences of the Lower City: Excavations at the Park and West Parade 1970-2 and the discussion of other sites excavated up to 1994. CBA Research Report 114. Collingwood R. G. and Wright R.P.

rev edition Tomlin R.S.O, (1995), Inscriptions of Roman Britain, Alan Sutton, Stround. ISBN 075090917X Darling M. and Precious B. (2014), A Corpus of Roman Pottery from Lincoln [2] Oxbow Books ISBN 978-1-78297-054-5 Jones M.J. et al, (1980), The Defences of the Upper Roman Enclosure. Council for British Archaeology/Lincoln Archaeological Trust. ISBN 0906780004 Jones M.J., (2002), Roman Lincoln: Conquest, Colony and Capital, Tempus, Stroud. ISBN 9780752414553 Richmond, Sir I. A. (1946) The Roman City of Lincoln and the Four Colonia of Roman Britain, Archaeological Journal Vol. 103, 25-68. Steane K. et al (2016), The Archaeology of the Lower City and Adjacent Suburbs, Oxbow.

ISBN 9781782978527 Thompson F H.(1954), The Roman Aqueduct at Lincoln, Archaeological Journal, Vol. 111, pp. 106–128. Thompson F H. and Whitwell J.B. (1973), The Gates of Roman Lincoln, Archaeologia Vol. 104, 126-207. Trollope Rev E. and A. Trollope (1860) Roman Inscriptions and sepulchral remains at Lincoln, Archaeological Journal, 1860, pp 1–21. Webster G. , (1949), The Legionary Fortress at Lincoln, Journal of Roman Studies 39 (1949), 57-78. Whitwell J.B. (1970), Roman Lincolnshire, History of Lincolnshire, Vol 2. Lincoln City and County Museum (c. 1995). A Walk about Roman Lincoln. Lincoln: Lincoln City Council.

COLONIA LINDENSIVM Ermine Street: N (10) to Owmby (Lincolnshire) Itinera V/VIII: NW (14) to Marton (Lincolnshire) SSE (17) to Sleaford (Lincolnshire) Ermine Street: N (5) to Scampton Lindum - The Dark Pool The Roman name for Lincoln is well attested in the classical geographies. Ptolemy of the early second century says "Next to these [the Cornovii] are the Coritani, among whom are the towns: Lindum 18*40 56�, Ratae 18*00 55�." The second entry in Ptolemy's list is Ratae Coritanorum (Leicester, Leicestershire) which was the civitas capital of the Coritani tribe. The name is also recorded in the Ravenna Cosmology of the seventh century, appearing here as Lindum Colonia (R&C#104), between the entries for Venta Icenorum (Caistor St. Edmund, Norfolk) and Bannovalum (Horncastle, Lincolnshire).

Lincoln is also listed in three of the fifteen routes recorded for Britain in the Antonine Itinerary of the late second century, in all cases the name appearing in its dative form Lindo. In Iter V "The route from London to Carlisle on the Wall", it is listed 24 miles from Causennae (Ancaster, Lincolnshire) and 14 miles from Segelocum (Littleborough, Nottinghamshire). Lincoln is the northern terminus of Iter VI, entitled "the route from London to Lincoln - one-hundred and fifty six thousand paces", where it is listed at the end of the itinerary, 12 miles from Crococalana (Brough, Nottinghamshire). The last entry for Lincoln is found in Iter VIII "the route from York to London", again listed 14 miles from Segelocum but this time 14 miles from Crococalana. The Meaning of the Roman Name The majority of Roman activity was centered on a 200 foot (60 metre) hilltop at the end of a limestone ridge overlooking a pool in the River Witham from the north.

This was a strategic location, where the Jurassic Way crossed the River Witham, and was the ideal spot for the fortress of the Ninth Hispanic Legion. The earliest reference to the place-name is from a dedicatory inscription to Fortuna found at Mainz in Germany and dated to the end of Domitian's reign. This inscription records the name as LINDO , which is the dative form of Lindum. It is very likely that the name Lindum is a Romanised version of the original British, the exact meaning of which is uncertain. The fore-part of the name lin undoubtedly refers to the pool in the river Witham below the modern castle, which word is recognizable in both modern Welsh (llyn; 'lake'), and Gaelic (linne; 'pool'). The Romanised ending -dum, leaves us with some difficulties, however, as the Romans were in the habit of making the local place-names more easily pronounceable to their civilized tongues by giving them this 'catch-all' ending. The name (Welsh/Gaelic) for the area could have been Lindo, Lindon, Lindun or even Lindunon, all of which would have different meanings making the etymology uncertain.

When we look at the possible endings of the name in the various old languages of Britain, we see that there are two general possibilities; Referring to a settlement or fortification on the hill overlooking the pool; Gaelic; dun 'fort', 'castle'. Welsh; din 'hillfort'; dinas 'citadel'; dyn 'enclosure'. Old English; dun 'high place', (note Irish dun, m. a fortified hill), and tun 'town'. In reference to the colour or opacity of the pool itself; Gaelic; dubh 'black'; donn 'brown'. Welsh; du, ddu 'black', 'dark'. The scarcity of Iron-Age remains recovered from the hill top at Lincoln make it unlikely that a pre-Roman native iron-age encampment existed here, and point to it being a virgin site when the Romans first arrived in the area. This being the case, the first group of endings listed above, although attractive, may be discounted. It is probable, on the face of it, that the ancient name (Welsh/Gaelic) for Lincoln was something along the lines of Lin-du, meaning 'The Dark Pool'.

There are many reasons why this widening in the Witham would be called 'The Dark Pool' by the ancient Britons; it is possible that the waters of the Witham were tinged dark-brown by the peaty soil through which it flowed, it could allude to the depth of the river-pool, or the fact that in the mornings it is overshadowed by the hills to the east. A colony of veteran soldiers was established at the end of the first century, and Lindum was then renamed Colonia Domitiana Lindensium. Following the assassination of the deranged emperor Domitian in September 96AD, and the condemnation of his memory by the Senate, the colony became known simply as Lindum Colonia, which over the ages has been contracted to its modern form, Lincoln. The Legionary Fortress The fortress defences were aligned east-west and consisted of a single ditch and rampart which enclosed an area of around 41 acres (16.6 hectares). The rampart consisted of a double row of turves with the space between the two walls filled with the outcast from the ditch.

The rampart was surmounted by a timber palisade and walk-way, and timber was probably used to strengthen the front and back of the turf walls. There were four gates set at the cardinal points in the walls, the north and south gates being slightly off-set to the east; the fortress therefore faced west into the then troublesome region of the Peak District in Derbyshire and North Staffordshire. The legionary fortress had originally been established as the base of Legio IX Hispana c. A.D. 70, but by the end of the decade they had been replaced at Lindum by Legio II Adiutrix . The fortress was abandoned with its defences intact c. A.D. 79, when the agressive policies of the governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola had moved the scene of action far to the north in Caledonia. Aside from the fortress of the Ninth at Lincoln, there is a large Roman 'vexillation' or campaign fortress at Newton on Trent about 10 miles due west.

Legionary and Auxiliary Units at Lincoln T P I H S E "Gaius Valerius, son of Gaius, of the Maecian voting tribe, a soldier of the Ninth Legion, standard-bearer in the century of Hospes, thirty-five years of age with fourteen years service. This inscription was set up in accordance with his will. He lies here." (Burn 6; RIB 257; tombstone) Even though the fortress at Lincoln was built by the men of the Ninth Hispanic Legion, the only evidence on stone attesting their presence is the tombstone of Gaius Valerius (vide RIB 257 supra), who was a signifer or standard-bearer in the legion. The Second Legion Adiutrix who are known to have occupied the Lincoln fortress for a short period, are represented on two tombstones, and there is another tombstone of a veteran soldier from the Sixth Legion. It appears that the Fourteenth Legion was stationed at Lincoln for some time, as the tombstones of five former soldiers from this legion have been unearthed here.

A tombstone of particular interest is that of a Decurion from an auxiliary cavalry unit ( vide RIB 266 infra ), which may indicate that his unit was stationed at Lincoln or perhaps nearby. G SAVFEIO A F FAB HER MILITI LEGIO VIIII ANNOR XXXX STIP XXII H S E "To Gaius Saufeius, son of Aulus, of the Fabian voting tribe, from Heraclea,¹ a soldier in the Fourteenth Legion, who lived forty years and served twenty-two. He lies here." (Burn 5; RIB 255; tombstone; on display in British Museum) Heraclea was (and still is) a popular place-name, there being several known; for instance, Heraclea Acarnaniae near Actium in western Aetolia, Heraclea Bospori/Pontica on the shores of the Euxine (Black) Sea in northern Turkey, Heraclea Lynci of Pelagonia in northern Macedonia, Heraclea Minoa in Sicily, Heraclea Pisatidis near Olympia in western Arcadia and Heraclea Tracinia in central Aetolia.

It may be argued that Gaius Saufeius could have hailed from any of these places, though it is almost certain that he was a native of Heraclea Lucaniae in southern Italy, since he was later to serve in the Roman Legions, which at the time allowed only citizen recruits. ... EX DEC ALAE II AST VIXIT ANNIS LXX "... former Decurion¹ of the Second Wing of Asturians,² who lived for seventy years" (RIB 266; tombstone) Decurio - a minor cavalry officer in command of a turma or squadron of between thirty and forty mounted auxiliary soldiers. Recruited from among the Astures tribe from Hispania Tarraconensis. Their capital city was Asturica Augusta, now Astorga in northern Spain. Interestingly, this region is still known as Asturia. It must be pointed out that tombstones are not very good indicators for the presence of a military unit.

This is because the highly-trained soldiers in a legion, particularly the centurions and other non-commissioned officers, were very much in demand, and were often posted to other legions or auxiliary units in order to train recruits, oversee building operations, or to act in some other advisory capacity. There is no way to tell if the legions mentioned on the tombstones shown above were actually present at the Lincoln fortress, because the individuals involved may have been temporarily posted here from another unit. There is a further complication caused by the establishment of the colonia, which would have accepted veteran soldiers from all of the British legions, thus the epitaphs may belong to veteran colonists, again negating the need for their respective units to be actually stationed here at any time. Colonia Domitiana Lindensium A Colonia was established during the reign of the notorious emperor Domitian in the late 90s for demobilized veterans, who occupied the evacuated fortress, the site of the old praetorium being used for the new, timber-built forum and basilica. The colonists almost immediately strengthened and embellished the old fortress with a stone cladding four feet (1.2 metres) thick along the entire outer wall of rampart.

The gates were also clad in stone at this time. The work was not very well realized however, as no foundations had been used, and part of the wall overlay the legionary ditch, which had been hastily in-filled. As a result of this shoddy workmanship, the newly-built colonia walls soon began to lean outwards. All four gateways were re-built on a monumental scale in c.220-30AD. A major part of the west gate from this period survives to this day, incorporated into the defences of the later Norman castle and forming its principal north-western entrance. It is thought that the earlier 'jerry-built' stone outer walls of the colonia were re-visited at the same time the monumental gateways were constructed, some-parts being strengthened and refurbished, other parts being completely rebuilt. The Adjoining Civil Settlement A settlement consisting mainly of native Coritanian Britons and skilled artisans from further afield, had been established to the south of the fortress since the late first century, forming a canabae between the south wall of the fortress and the River Witham.

The civil settlement continued after the legionary fortress had been abandoned, and since the founding of the colonia had spread downhill thoughout the second century. In the early third century (c.200AD) the adjoining civil settlement was enclosed by a low rampart and ditch, which extended south from the south-east and south-west corners of the fortress almost down to the river. At first these defences were backed by a simple wooden palisade or fence, set about ten feet behind the rampart, which was later augmented by the addition of a narrow wall atop the bank. With the additional area thus enclosed, the size of the colonia was more than doubled to about 100 acres (40 hectares). In addition to the colonia in the old fortress and the walled town to the south, there were extensive suburbs outside the north, east and west gates of the old fortress, and outside the gates set roughly central in the east and west walls of the lower town. A small settlement on the south side of the River Witham extended along either side of Ermine Street for over half a mile (1 kilometre). This later developed into a major industrial centre.

Some Roman Tombstones from Lincoln D M FL HELIVS NATIONE GRECVS VIXIT ANNOS XXXX FL INGENVA CONIVGI POSVIT "To the spirits of the departed and Flavius Helius, of Greek nationality, who lived forty years, Flavia Ingenua his wife placed this (memorial)." (RIB 251; tombstone) DIS MANIBVS NOMINI SACRI BRVSCI FILI CIVIS SENONI ET CARSSO VNAE CONIVGIS EIVS ET QVINTI F "To the spirits of the departed and the sacred name of Bruscius, a son and citizen of the Senones,¹ and to Carssos one of his wives, and to Quintus his brother" (RIB 262; tombstone) The Senones were a Gaulish tribe from central Gallia Lugdunensis, their capital city was Agedincum Senonum, now known as Sens on the Yonne river in the Senonais region of central France. It was this tribe, under their leader Brennus (of Vae victis!

"Woe to the conquered!" fame), who invaded Italy and sacked Rome in 387 B.C. (or 390, vide Polybius). D M CLAVDIAE CRYSIDI VIXIT AN LXXXX HEREDES P C "To the spirits of the departed and Claudia Crysidis, (who) lived for ninety years, her descendants placed this as arranged.¹" (RIB 263; tombstone) I have expanded the final P C in the inscription to Posuit Condidit, as it appeared to me that the old dear may have lived to such a venerable age perhaps because she had planned it that way, and this epitaph therefore seemed appropriate.

The Gods of Roman Lincoln PARCIS DEABVS ET NVMINIBVS AVG G ANTISTIVS FRONTINVS CVRATOR TERTIVM ARAM D S D "To the Fates, the Goddesses and the Divine Spirits of the Emperors, Gaius Antistius Frontinus, overseer¹ for the third time, dedicated this altar at his own expense." (RIB 247; altarstone) The title curator can also be translated as manager, legal guardian, superintendent, administrator, etc. The text gives no clue as to what guild or institution Frontinus actually managed for a celebrated third term. For some obscure reason the gods are not very well represented at Lincoln, there being only three known altars dedicated to various deities, and two other inscriptions of a quasi-religious nature. All of these texts are reproduced on this page, the most interesting altarstone being RIB 247 shown above. Inscription The last part of this text defies translation. I don't know what this means either. Or Apollo, the Greek god of archery, flocks, herds, music and prophesy, often identified with the sun.

Suspected Classical Temples at Lincoln One site just off Lincoln High Street has produced column bases and finely-worked large stones together with an inscription mentioning the god Mercury (vide RIB 270 supra); It is possible that these artefacts came from a classical temple dedicated to this messenger god. Also at the Bailgate site on the west side of the main north-south street beside the basilica and forum, a monumental building with a facade possessing six 20 ft. tall columns across the front (hexastyle), is thought to represent a classical temple perhaps dedicated to the Imperial cult. Click here for the RBO Temples and Shrines Index Fourth Century Decline As the colonia and town developed through the third into the fourth century, the majority of the population had gravitated into the suburbs. It is suggested that this was due primarily to the large area taken up by the administrative and public areas of the town such as temples, fora and basilica, in addition to the large, sumptuous town-houses of the local nobility and land-owning classes.

With the degeneration of the road system in the fourth century, and the increasing dependence on the River Witham to conduct commercial trade, the population was concentrated along both banks of the river. In the late fourth century, it is of interest that in certain areas of the walled town and fortress, ruined buildings were levelled and then covered with a thick layer of "Dark Earth", presumably for the use of agriculture or gardens. Although the town suffered a partial decline in the fifth century, occupation continued through the Saxon period and the Norman castle built into the south-west corner of the old legionary fortress provided the security needed for the town to survive through the middle ages to the present time.

Roman Milestones from Lincoln IMP CAES P LIC VALERIANO PIOFEL AVG P M TR P P P R P L "For Imperator Caesar Publius Licinius Valerianus Pius Felix Augustus,¹ Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestatis, Pater Patriae.² (and) the Public Works of Lincoln.³" (RIB 2240; dated 253-9AD) The emperor Valerian, who began his reign in October 253AD after the murder of his benefactor the emperor Trebonianus Gallus. He was captured by the treachery of the Persian king Sapur at Edessa in 260AD and remained in captivity until his death an unknown number of years later. After death of old age as a slave, his skin was reputedly taken from his body, dyed bright vermillion and set on display in a prominent Persian temple as a warning to the Romans. His three official titles and powers; "High priest, [holder of] Tribunician Power, Father of the Fatherland." The expansion is R[es] P[ublicae] L[indensium].

A couple of Roman milestones or honorific pillars have been recovered from the Lincoln environs, and the texts of both are displayed here. One of these honorific pillars has been used twice, the primary text being completely erased before the secondary was inscribed, the surviving text is extremely interesting, however (RIB 2241 infra). IMP CAES MARCO PIAVONIO VICTORINO P F INV AVG PONT MAX TR P P P A L S M P XIIII "For Imperator Caesar Marcus Piavonius Victorinus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus,¹ Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestatis, Pater Patriae.² From Lindum to Segelocum,³ fourteen thousand paces." (Burn 209; RIB 2241; secondary text; dated 269-71AD) Victorinus, fourth emperor of the short-lived Gallic Empire, who ruled between A.D. 269 and 271. He was killed after propositioning the wife of one of his generals.

Not in the least pretentious, this emperor has after his own nine names, the same titles and powers as his (legitimate) predecessor Valerian. See the page for Littleborough in Nottinghamshire. See: The Towns of Roman Britain by John Wacher (2nd Ed., BCA, London, 1995) pp.132-150 & fig.57; Chronicle of the Roman Emperors by Chris Scarre (Thames & Hudson, London, 1995); Chronology of the Ancient World by E.J. Bickerman (Thames & Hudson, London, 1980); The Romans in Britain - An Anthology of Inscriptions by A.R. Burn (Blackwell, Oxford, 1969); Temples in Roman Britain by M.J.T. Lewis (Cambridge 1966); The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965). Air Reconnaissance of Southern Britain by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S.

xliii (1953) pp.81-97; Atlas of the Greek and Roman World in Antiquity by Nicholas G.L. Hammond (Bristol Classical Press); All English translations, including any inherent mistakes, are my own. This page was last modified: 27/1/2016 Lindum Colonia : definition of Lindum Colonia and synonyms of Lindum Colonia (English) 6 External links Fort and name The Romans conquered this part of Britain in AD 48 and shortly afterwards built a legionary fortress , possibly south of the River Witham . This was soon replaced, around AD 60, by a second fort for the Ninth Legion , high on a hill overlooking the natural lake formed by the widening of the River Witham (the modern day Brayford Pool ) and at the northern end of the Fosse Way Roman road . That pool is very likely to have given Lincoln its name. The etymology of the name is derived from the phrase 'colonial settlement of lindum'; the British Celtic word lindo meaning 'the pool' combined with the Latin colonia.

Lindo+colonia = Lincoln [1] Town development Roman north wall of Lindum Colonia Around AD 80, the fort was converted to a colonia after the legion moved on to Eboracum ( York ) in the year 71. This was an important settlement for retired legionaries, established by the Emperor Domitian within the walls and using the street grid of the hilltop fortress, with the addition of an extension of about equal area, down the hillside to the waterside below. The town became a major flourishing settlement, accessible from the sea both through the River Trent and through the River Witham. Public buildings, such as the forum (with lifesize equestrians statues) and basilica and the public baths , were erected in the 2nd century. The hilltop was largely filled with private homes, but the slopes became the town's commercial centre. They gained stone walls, like the upper region (including the Newport Arch ), around AD 200. There was also an industrial suburb over the river which had pottery production facilities. The town had the best developed sewerage system in the province and a fine octagonal public fountain and part of its aqueduct have been partly uncovered.

There were temples dedicated to Apollo and Mercury . Lindum became the provincial capital of Flavia Caesariensis when the province of Britannia Inferior was subdivided in the early 4th century and it sent a bishop to the Council of Arles in AD 314. The original St Paul-in-the-Bail Church, Lincoln may have been late Roman. [2] Decline The city and its waterways eventually fell into decline, and, by the end of the 5th century it was virtually deserted. However, the church of St Paul continued as a place of worship until 450 and its churchyard was in use into the 6th century. When Saint Paulinus visited in 629, it was apparently under the control of a Praefectus Civitatis called Blecca. [3] The name Lindum Colonia even survived, being shortened in Old English to become 'Lincoln': see Lincoln, Lincolnshire#History . Notes Lincoln City and County Museum (c. 1995). A Walk about Roman Lincoln. Lincoln: Lincoln City Council. References ^ ^ An overview of the archaeology of Lincoln, on which its history is reconstructed is in A.

Vince, ed., Pre-Viking Lindsey, 1993. ^ Bede, History of the English Church and People, book 2, chapter 16. Latin : "16. Praedicabat autem Paulinus uerbum etiam prouinciae Lindissi, quae est prima ad meridianam Humbre fluminis ripam, pertingens usque ad mare, praefectumque Lindocolinae ciuitatis, cui nomen erat Blaecca, primum cum domu sua conuertit ad Dominum." English : "16. Paulinus also preached the Word to the province of Lindsey, which is the first on the south side of the river H umber, stretching as far as the sea; and he first converted to the Lord the reeve of the city of Lincoln, whose name was Blaecca, with his whole house." External links Pastscape - Detailed Result: LINDUM COLONIA DESCRIPTION + / - The site of the Roman colony at Lincoln; located on site of the legionary fortress when it was left in the late 1st century AD; the Severan walls followed the line of the fortress's defences.

Developed into a thriving town. The Legio II Adiutrix probably left Lincoln in 77, and shortly afterwards the Colonia ws founded, primarily for soldiers of the 9th Legion. The original timber defences of the legionary fortress were removed and replaced in stone, and the enclosed area extended southwards to the River Witham. This, the 'lower town' may have originally been the fort's canabae, although limited excavation has found little evidence of structures dating to the pre-Colonia occupation period. Excavations have located the forum, a possible temple associated with the forum, and public baths, the Roman waterfront, and several minor buildings. Excavations at St Paul-in-the Baile have found church-like buildings dating to the end of Roman rule or the early sub-Roman period, and a forerunner to an excavated church on the same site of Saxon date. Almost all of the sites occupied in the 3rd century were still occupied in the 4th century, but this had reduced by half by the end of the 4th century. This is a reduction in both scale and quality.

As is the case in other late Roman cities, there are deposits of late 4th century Dark Earth, and the colonia was not reoccupied by the early Saxons. The discovery of the early church may indicate the establishment of a See, and it is possible that in the sub-Roman period, Lincoln became an ecclesiatical centre after being largely abandoned by its inhabitants. The walls and gates were partly incorporated into the Mediaeval defences. BBC - Legacies - Immigration and Emigration - England - Lincolnshire - Lincolnshire's Roman roads - Article Page 4 Roman Upper East Gate, Lincoln © Courtesy of the City of Lincoln Council During its time as a colonia, Lindum grew into a prosperous, wealthy town and became a provincial capital. Archaeologists estimate that its population reached between 6,000 and 8,000, which according to historian Hugh Davies is quite large for a Roman town in Britain. Surrounded by walls which had been strengthened and enlarged since its fortress days, the town had a market place, shops, public baths and a town hall. In addition archaeological excavations have shown that Lincoln’s drinking water was supplied in earthenware pipes under pressure from one and a half miles away.

Roman Lindum peaked in prosperity in the early 4th Century. Roman concrete which appears to have carried water into the Roman town. © Courtesy of Dr Hugh Davies For many places, Roman or otherwise, their existence would be debatable without the existence of good access routes to them, which goes someway to explaining the over crowding we experience in some areas, like London. In his book, Roman Towns in Britain, Guy de la Bédoyère describes the importance of roads to the development of towns, “The road itself became a sustaining component of the town’s future as a civilian settlement”. For Lincoln, or Lindum as the Romans came to know it this was certainly true. What it would have become, had it not become a pit-stop for soldiers who can say, but there can be no doubt as to the importance for Lincoln of the Romans and their roads.

Question: Lindum Colonia was the Roman name for which English city?
Answer: Lincoln