Leszek Mrozewicz Flavian Urbanisation of Africa Studia Europaea Gnesnensia 7, 201-232 2013 LESZEK Mrozewicz, Flavian Urbanisation of Africa Studia Europaea Gnesnensia 7/2013 ISSN 2082–5951 Leszek Mrozewicz (Gniezno) FLAVIAN URBANIsatIon of AFRICA Abstract The article is concerned with urbanisation processes in Roman Africa, initiated by the Flavian dynasty (69–96). Emperor Vespasian and his successors focused their at- tention primarily on Africa Proconsularis. The new cities they created — colonies and municipia — were to perform an important strategic role, i.e. protect the territories of Africa Proconsularis against the southern tribes. With the great private latifundia and imperial domains, the province played a significant role in supplying the city of Rome with grain. Also, from the point of view of the state, the undertakings meant internal consolidation of the province. Key words Imperium Romanum, Africa, Flavians, urbanisation, Romanization, colonies, mu- nicipia 201 Studia Europaea Gnesnensia 7/2013 · people and places Throughout the last half-century of studies of the Roman North Africa1, it has become an established notion in science that the reign of the Flavian dynasty was a decisive turning point in its history2, and rightly so. This break- through embraced all areas of life, while the nature of the transformation is best reflected by the view that it was only thanks to the Flavians that Africa became fully Roman3. What is more, this is accompanied by the well-founded thesis that without the achievements of the Flavians, the great prosperity of the Flavian provinces in the 2nd–3rd centuries would not have been possible: their successors reaped what the Flavians had sowed4. Without going into too much detail, one should also recognise the rationality of the postulate to set apart the Flavian period in the history of Roman Africa as an era in its own right5. The above remarks apply to the urbanisation activities as well, i.e. to found- ing new towns and stimulating development of the existing ones. As we know, Northern Africa became an object of Roman colonisation, both initiated by the authority as well as spontaneous ones, as early as 2nd cent. BC, but Julius Cesar and 1Provinces Africa Proconsularis, Mauretania Caesariensis, Mauretania Tingitana; Numidia was established only by Septimius Severus, by separating the western part of Proconsularis, i.e. the former (dating back to Caesar) Africa Nova. 2T. Kotula, A propos d’une inscription reconstituée de Bulla Regia (Hammam-Darradji). Quelques municipes « mysterieux » de l’Afrique Proconsulaire, MEFRA LXXIX 1967, p. 207– –220, esp. p. 218–219; idem, Afryka Północna w starożytności, Wrocław 1972, p. 149–154; M. Leglay, Les Flaviens et l’Afrique, MEFRA LXXX 1968, p. 201–246. 3M. Leglay, Les Flaviens, p. 246: “sur tous les plans de la vie de l’Afrique et des Africains, au point de vue de la administration, comme au point de vue de la défense et de la colonisation du pays, comme aussi pour la romanisation de ses habitants, la dynastie fondée par Vespasien a joué un rôle primordial et décisif. Punico-romaine jusqu’à César, romano-punique ensuite, l’Afrique du Nord ne devint vraiment romaine que sous les Flaviens… ”; cf. H. Bengtson, Die Flavier, München 1979, p. 129 (taking into account the review by W. Eck, Gnomon 53, 1981, p. 343–347). 4See ibidem, p. 234: “Les Antonins on récolté en Afrique ce que les Flaviens avaient semé”; the phrase has become a classic, see T. Kotula, Afryka Północna, p. 154: “we shall have to repeat the words of a French historian: « In Africa, the Antonies were to reap the crop of the grain sowed by the Flavians »”; H. Bengtson, Die Flavier, p. 128: “Die Flavier sind es gewesen, die die Grundlagen für den Wohlstand der nordafrikanischen Provinzen geschaffen haben, wenn auch erst die Kaiser des 2. Jahrhunderts n. Chr., die Antonine, hier geerntet haben, was die Flavier gesät hatten”; Y. Le Bohec, Histoire de l’Afrique romaine 146 avant J.-C. — 439 après J.-C., Paris 2005, p. 65: “C’est au siècle suivant qu’ils en tirèrent les bénéfices « Les Antonins, a écrit M. Le Glay, on récolté en Afrique ce que les Flaviens avaient semé »”; cf. paraphrase on p. 73 “Les Africains […] ont récolté sous les Antonins ce qu’ils avaient semé sous les Flaviens”. 5T. Kotula, Inscription de Bulla Regia, p. 218; M. Leglay, Les Flaviens, p. 234. 202 LESZEK Mrozewicz, Flavian Urbanisation of Africa Octavian Augustus were particularly active in that field, founding and establish- ing several dozen colonies and municipia6. They found Africa indispensable in order to satisfy the needs of the soldiers and offset the tensions among the Roman plebs. Later however, from Augustus to Vespasian, no new municipium or colony appeared in Africa Proconsularis. Noteworthy developments took place only in the west, in the newly established (42 AD) provinces of Mauretania Caesariensis and Tingitana, where Claudius should be credited with several colonies and mu- nicipia, with optimo iure municipal rights granted to Volubilis7. The crisis of the your of four emperors did not spare Africa either8. In the middle of 68, Clodius Macer, the legate of the Legio III Augusta (stationed at the time in Ammaedara), renounced his allegiance to Nero on receiving the 6W. Barthel, Zur Geschichte der römischen Städte in Africa, diss. Greifswald 1904, p. 8–49; S. Gsell, Histoire ancienne de l’Afrique du Nord VIII, Paris 1928, p. 170–182; T.R.S. Broughton, The Romanization of Africa Proconsularis, Baltimore–London 1929, p. 49–68; F. Vittinghoff, Römische Kolonisation und Bürgerrechtspolitik unter Caesar und Augustus, Wiesbaden 1952, p. 81–85, 110–118 (with Mauretania), see the map at the end of the work showing the deductio of Caesar and Augustus; L. Teutsch, Das Städtewesen in Nordafrika, Berlin 1962, esp. p. 120–126 (Caesar), 229–233 (Augustus); J. Gascou, La politique municipale de l’Empire romain en Afrique proconsulaire de Trajan à Septime-Sévère, Rome 1972, p. 21–27 (quoted henceforth as Gascou I); a very good, concise outline of the state of urbanisation in the pre-Flavian times: C.R. Whit- taker, Roman Africa: Augustus to Vespasian, CAH2 XI, 1996, p. 603–610. 7Cf. L. Chatelain, Inscriptions Latines du Maroc, Paris 1942 (= ILM), 56: Ti. Claud(io) Caes(ari) Aug(usto) / divi fil(io) Ger(manico) p(ontifici) m(aximo) trib(unicia) pot(estate) / (quarta) co(n)s(uli tertium), (consuli) desig(nato quartum) imp(eratori octavum) / p(atri) p(atriae) Munic(ipium) Volub(itanorum) im/petrata c(ivitate) R(omana) et conubio / et oneribus remissis / d(ecreto) d(ecurionum) d(edit) / M. Fadius Celer Flavianus / Maximus proc(urator) Aug(usti) proleg(ato) / dedicavit; 116: M. Val(erio) Bostaris / f(ilio) Gal(eria tribu) Severo / aed(ili) sufeti IIvir(o) / flamini primo/5 in municipio suo / praef(ecto) auxilior(um) adversus Aedemo/nem oppressum bello / huic ordo municipii Volub(itanorum) ob me/rita erga rem pub(licam) et legatio/10nem bene gestam qua ab divo / Claudio civitatem Ro/manam et conubium cum pere/grinis mulieribus immunitatem / annor(um decem), incolas, bona civium bel/15lo interfectorum quorum here/des non extabant, suis impetra/vit / Fabia Bira Izelatae f(ilia) uxor indulge/ntissimo viro honore usa impensam / remisit / et d(e) s(ua) p(ecunia) d(edit) d(e)dic(avit); 57: Divo Claudio / Volubitani civitate / Romana ab eo donati; o Volubilis (Ksar Pharaoun, Maroko): RE IX A1 (1961), p. 864–873 (M. Euzennat); PECS, p. 988–989; ASM, p. 860–863; DNP 12/2 (2002), p. 318–319; R. Thouvenot, Volubilis, Paris 1949; Ch. Saumagne, Volubilis, municipe latin, Revue historique de droit français et étranger 30, 1952, p. 388–401; J. Gascou, Municipia civium Romanorum, Latomus 30, 1971, p. 133–141 esp. 136–141; M. Risse (ed.), Volubilis. Eine römische Stadt in Marokko von der Frühzeit bis in die islamische Periode, Mainz 2001. 8Y. Le Bohec, Histoire de l’Afrique romaine, p. 62–63. 203 Studia Europaea Gnesnensia 7/2013 · people and places news about the events in Gaul and Spain9. In order to strengthen his forces, he created another legion — Legio I Macriana liberatrix10. Although the move was local in nature, Macer found supporters in Sicily11; he also blocked the supply of grain from Proconsularis12, which led to famine in Rome during the last weeks of Nero’s reign and perhaps contributed to his eventual downfall13. When Clodius Macer took identical action when Galba, of whom he disapproved, ascended to power, it caused the emperor to lose popularity among the people of Rome14. In early spring 68, Clodius Macer was killed on Galba’s orders15. However, this was no the end of the ‘African’ turmoil: Galba appointed one procurator, Lucceius Albinus, to oversee both Mauritanian provinces, Tingitana and Caesariensis16, thanks to which the latter gained command of a small army, comprising 19 co- horts and 5 alae17. After Galba’s downfall, Lucceius Albinus recognised the au- thority of Oton who, following ius Latii, executed administrative incorporation of the Maurorum civitates, i.e. the municipalities of Mauretania to Bettica18. 9P. Romanelli, Storia delle province romane dell’Africa, Roma 1959, p. 279–282 (on p. 279 note 1: listing of sources); M. Leglay, Les Flaviens, p. 206–207; Y. Le Bohec, La Troisième Légion d’Auguste, Paris 1989, p. 349–352; A. Kunisz, L’insurrection de Clodius Macer en Afrique du Nord en 68 de notre ère, Wrocław 1994, on dating see p. 37–48, esp. 43, 45–46; complete listing and appraisal of sources (Tacitus, Plutarch, Suetonius): p. 9–15; course of the rebellion: p. 143–161; T.E.J. Wiedemann, From Nero to Vespasian, CAH2 X, 1996, p. 259; C.R. Whittaker, Roman Africa, p. 599. 10RE XII 2 (1925), p.