The Castra Peregrina ("camp of the strangers") was a

castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...

(a military barracks) in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

situated on the

Caelian Hill The Caelian Hill (; la, Collis Caelius; it, Celio ) is one of the famous seven hills of Rome. Geography The Caelian Hill is a sort of long promontory about long, to wide, and tall in the park near the Temple of Claudius. The hill ov ...

. It was occupied by various military units during the later part of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

Location and archaeology

The barracks are situated on the Caelian Hill between the

Temple of Claudius The Temple of Claudius ( Latin: ''Templum Divi Claudii''), also variously known as the ''Temple of the Divus Claudius'', the ''Temple of the Divine Claudius'', the ''Temple of the Deified Claudius'', or in an abbreviated form as the ''Claudium'', ...

and Nero's

Macellum Magnum A macellum (plural: ''macella''; ''makellon'') is an ancient Roman indoor market building that sold mostly provisions (especially meat and fish). The building normally sat alongside the forum and basilica, providing a place in which a market cou ...

. It is centrally located on a hill known for its housing of wealthy Romans. The fourth-century Regionaries list the ''Castra Peregrina'' in ''regio II''. The remains of the camp were discovered during digging for the foundations of a convent and hospital and partially excavated from 1904 to 1909.Richardson jr., L: ''A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome'', JHU Press, 1992, p. 78 It can now be found just south-east of the well preserved church

Santo Stefano al Monte Celio The Basilica of St. Stephen in the Round on the Celian Hill ( it, Basilica di Santo Stefano al Monte Celio, la, Basilica S. Stephani in Caelio Monte) is an ancient basilica and titular church in Rome, Italy. Commonly named Santo Stefano Rotondo, ...

. Within the ''castra'' was a shrine (''templum'') of Jupiter Redux erected in honour of Severus and Mammaea by a ''centurio frumentarius''. A carving of the construction of the barracks was found at Ostia; on a column in the Square of the Corporations. In the initial excavation of the barracks, stone ships were also found; these were made by soldiers thanking the gods for protecting them from shipwrecks (see Fontana della Navicella) and provides further evidence of the spread of the barracks' ''frumentarii'' across the provinces.

Function

It has been claimed by some authors, as the name suggests, that the barracks housed a garrison of '' peregrini'', non-citizens and free subjects of the empire. Others, however, dispute this claim and have proposed that the barracks housed roman citizens; if so, the name would not imply the lack of citizenship but rather refer to the fact that they were detached away from the legions for special services in Rome and elsewhere. They consisted of a majority of ''

frumentarii The ''Frumentarii'' were an ancient Roman military organization used as an intelligence agency. They began their history as a courier service and developed into an imperial spying agency. Their organization would also carry out assassinations. ...

'' and inscriptions suggest that the ''Castra Peregrina'' acted as a central base for the distribution of these men throughout the unarmed provinces (''inermes''). The ''frumentarii'', who were likely based, and not only housed, at the ''Castra Peregrina'', were initially involved in the provision supply service of Rome, but were later employed as military couriers and members of the secret service.

History

Richardson suggests that the brickwork demonstrates an Augustan origin with a second century A.D. rebuilding, probably under Severus, and another rebuilding in third century A.D. However the earliest mention of the ''princeps peregrinorum'' (camp-commandant) in Rome was during the reign of Trajan. It is also mentioned by Ammianus Marcellinus, showing that it was in use as late as the fourth century A.D.Thayer, Bill (2008-02-10): �
Ammian: The History
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Retrieved 2014-08-01

References

{{Reflist Military of ancient Rome

Location and archaeology

Function

History

See also

References