Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian

Roman province The Roman provinces (Latin: ''provincia'', pl. ''provinciae'') were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was rule ...

located where modern

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

(south of the Douro river) and a portion of western

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

(the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people (an

Indo-European people The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch ...

). Its capital was ''

Emerita Augusta Emerita may refer to: * ''Emerita'' (crustacean), a genus of crustaceans * Emerita Augusta, an ancient city of Spain * Saint Emerita, 3rd-century martyr; see Digna and Emerita * Emerita, the feminine form of the adjective "emeritus ''Emeritus' ...

'' (currently

Mérida, Spain Mérida () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Province of Badajoz, and capital of the autonomous community of Extremadura. Located in the western-central part of the Iberian Peninsula at 217 metres above sea level, the city is crosse ...

), and it was initially part of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...

province of Hispania Ulterior, before becoming a province of its own in 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 Mediterr ...

. Romans first came to the territory around the mid-2nd century BC. A war with Lusitanian tribes followed, from 155 to 139 BC. In 27 BC, the province was created. Lusitania was and is often used as an alternative name for Portugal.

Origin of the name

The etymology of the name of the Lusitani (who gave the Roman province its name) remains unclear. Popular etymology connected the name to a supposed Roman demigod Lusus, whereas some early-modern scholars suggested that ''Lus'' was a form of the Celtic Lugus followed by another (unattested) root ''*tan-'', supposed to mean "tribe", while others derived the name from ''Lucis'', an ancient people mentioned in Avienius' ''Ora Maritima'' (4th century AD) and from ''tan'' (

-stan The suffix -stan ( fa, ـستان, translit=''stân'' after a vowel; ''estân'' or ''istân'' after a consonant), has the meaning of "a place abounding in" or "a place where anything abounds" in the Persian language. It appears in the names of ...

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

), or from ''tain'', meaning "a region" or implying "a country of waters", a root word that formerly meant a prince or sovereign governor of a region. Ancient Romans, such as

Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...

('' Natural History''
3.5
and

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

(116 – 27 BC, cited by Pliny), speculated that the name ''Lusitania'' had Roman origins, as when Pliny says "lusum enim Liberi Patris aut lyssam cum eo bacchantium nomen dedisse Lusitaniae et Pana praefectum eius universae" Lusus'' associated with Bacchus and the '' usitania takes its name from the '' Lusus'' associated with Bacchus and the '' Lyssa">usitania takes its name from the '' Lusus'' associated with Bacchus and the '' Pan is its governor">Lyssa'' of his Bacchantes, and Pan (mythology)">Pan is its governor ''Lusus'' is usually translated as "game" or "play", while ''lyssa'' is a borrowing from the

Greek λυσσα, "frenzy" or "rage", and sometimes

Rage Rage may refer to: * Rage (emotion), an intense form of anger Games * Rage (collectible card game), a collectible card game * Rage (trick-taking card game), a commercial variant of the card game Oh Hell * ''Rage'' (video game), a 2011 first-per ...

personified; for later poets, Lusus and Lyssa become flesh-and-blood companions (even children) of Dionysus">Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; grc, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, festivity, and theatre. The Romans ...

. Luís de Camões' epic ''Os Lusíadas'' (1572), which portrays Lusus as the founder of Lusitania, extends these ideas, which have no connection with modern etymology. In his work, Geographica, ''Geography'', the classical geographer

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...

(died ca. 24 AD) suggests a change had occurred in the use of the name "Lusitanian". He mentions a group who had once been called "Lusitanians" living north of the Douro river but were called in his day "Callacans".

Lusitanians

The Lusitani, who were Indo-European speakers, established themselves in the region in the 6th century BC, but

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

s and

archeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts ...

s are still undecided about their

ethnogenesis Ethnogenesis (; ) is "the formation and development of an ethnic group". This can originate by group self-identification or by outside identification. The term ''ethnogenesis'' was originally a mid-19th century neologism that was later introdu ...

. Some modern authors consider them to be an indigenous people who were Celticized culturally and possibly also through intermarriage. The archeologist Scarlat Lambrino defended the position that the Lusitanians were a tribal group of Celtic origin related to the Lusones (a tribe that inhabited the east of

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

). Some have claimed that both tribes came from the Swiss mountains. Others argue that the evidence points to the Lusitanians being a native Iberian tribe, resulting from intermarriage between different local tribes. The first area colonized by the Lusitani was probably the Douro valley and the region of

Beira Alta Beira Alta may refer to: * Beira Alta Province, a province in the north of Portugal * Beira Alta (region) Beira Alta was one of the 13 regions of continental Portugal identified by geographer Amorim Girão, in a study published between 1927 and 193 ...

(present day Portugal); in Beira, they stayed until they defeated the

Celtici ] The Celtici (in Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish, and Galician languages, ) were a Celtic tribe or group of tribes of the Iberian peninsula, inhabiting three definite areas: in what today are the regions of Alentejo and the Algarve i ...

and other tribes, then they expanded to cover a territory that reached Estremadura Province (historical), Estremadura before the arrival of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

War against Rome

The Lusitani are mentioned for the first time in

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...

who describes them as fighting for the

Carthaginian The term Carthaginian ( la, Carthaginiensis ) usually refers to a citizen of Ancient Carthage. It can also refer to: * Carthaginian (ship), a three-masted schooner built in 1921 * Insurgent privateers; nineteenth-century South American privateers, ...

s in 218 BCE; they are reported as fighting against Rome in 194 BC, sometimes allied with Celtiberian tribes. In 179 BC, the ''

praetor Praetor ( , ), also pretor, was the title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected '' magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to discharge vario ...

'' Lucius Postumius Albinus celebrated a triumph over the Lusitani, but in 155 BC, on the command of Punicus (Πουνίκου, perhaps a Carthaginian) first and

Caesarus Caesarus (known as ''Césaro'' in Portuguese and Spanish) was a chieftain of the Lusitanians, a proto-Celtic tribe from western Hispania. He followed and later replaced Punicus as their major military leader during the Lusitanian War. Biography ...

(Καίσαρος) after, the Lusitani reached

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. Here they were defeated by the ''praetor'' Lucius Mummius. From 152 BC onwards, the Roman Republic had difficulties in recruiting soldiers for the wars in Hispania, deemed particularly brutal. In 150 BC,

Servius Sulpicius Galba Servius Sulpicius Galba may refer to: * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 108 BC) * Servius Sulpicius Galba (praetor 54 BC), assassin of Julius Caesar * Galba, born Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman emperor fro ...

organised a false armistice. While the Lusitani celebrated this new alliance, he massacred them, selling the survivors as slaves; this caused a new rebellion led by

Viriathus Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese and Spanish; died 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian people that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of western Hispania (as the Romans called it) or we ...

, who was after many attempts killed by traitors paid by the Romans in 139 BC, after having led a successful guerrilla campaign against Rome and their local allies. Two years after, in 137 BC Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus led a successful campaign against the Lusitani, reaching as far north as the Minho river. Romans scored other victories with ''

proconsul A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority. In the Roman Republic, military command, or ' ...

'' Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus and

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...

(elected in 113 BC), but still the Lusitani resisted with a long guerilla war; they later joined

Sertorius Quintus Sertorius (c. 126 – 73 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who led a large-scale rebellion against the Roman Senate on the Iberian peninsula. He had been a prominent member of the populist faction of Cinna and Marius. During the l ...

' (a renegade Roman General) troops (around 80 BC) and

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

conducted a successful campaign against them in 61-60 BC, but they were not finally defeated until the reign of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pri ...

(around 28–24 BC).

Roman province

Division under Augustus (25–20 BC)

With Lusitania (and Asturia and Gallaecia), Rome had completed the conquest of the

Iberian peninsula The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...

, which was then divided by

(25–20 BC or 16-13 BC) into the eastern and northern

Hispania Tarraconensis Hispania Tarraconensis was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania. It encompassed much of the northern, eastern and central territories of modern Spain along with modern northern Portugal. Southern Spain, the region now called Andalusia was the ...

, the southwestern ''

Hispania Baetica Hispania Baetica, often abbreviated Baetica, was one of three Roman provinces in Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula). Baetica was bordered to the west by Lusitania, and to the northeast by Hispania Tarraconensis. Baetica remained one of the basic ...

'' and the western ''

Provincia Lusitana A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

''. Originally, Lusitania included the territories of Asturia and Gallaecia, but these were later ceded to the jurisdiction of the new ''

Provincia Tarraconensis A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...

'' and the former remained as ''Provincia Lusitania et Vettones''. Its northern border was along the Douro river, while on its eastern side its border passed through '' Salmantica'' ( Salamanca) and '' Caesarobriga'' ( Talavera de la Reina) to the ''

Anas ''Anas'' is a genus of dabbling ducks. It includes the pintails, most teals, and the mallard and its close relatives. It formerly included additional species but following the publication of a molecular phylogenetic study in 2009 the genus wa ...

'' (

Guadiana The Guadiana River (, also , , ), or Odiana, is an international river defining a long stretch of the Portugal-Spain border, separating Extremadura and Andalusia (Spain) from Alentejo and Algarve (Portugal). The river's basin extends from the e ...

) river. Between 28 and 24 BC Augustus' military campaigns pacified all Hispania under Roman rule, with the foundation of Roman cities like Asturica Augusta ( Astorga) and

Bracara Augusta Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...

( Braga) to the north, and to the south

( Mérida) (settled with the

emeriti ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

of the Legio V Alaudae and Legio X Gemina legions). Between the time of

and

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

, the province was divided into three

conventus iuridicus In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either consi ...

, territorial units presided by capital cities with a court of justice and joint Roman/indigenous people assemblies (conventus), that counseled the Governor: *

Conventus Emeritensis In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either consi ...

, with capital in

( Mérida, Spain) *

Conventus Scalabitanus In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces (Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either consi ...

, with capital in Scalabis Iulia ( Santarém, Portugal) *

Conventus Pacensis In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a ''conventus iuridicus'' was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces ( Dalmatia, Hispania, Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either cons ...

, with capital in

Pax Iulia ''Pax Iulia'' (also known as ''Colonia Civitas Pacensis'') was a city in the Roman province of Lusitania (today situated in the Portuguese municipality of Beja). History The region was inhabited during 400 BC by Celtic tribes, but there are ind ...

( Beja, Portugal) The ''conventus'' ruled of a total of 46 populis, 5 being

Roman colonies Colonies in antiquity were post-Iron Age city-states founded from a mother-city (its "metropolis"), not from a territory-at-large. Bonds between a colony and its metropolis remained often close, and took specific forms during the period of classic ...

(

( Mérida, Spain),

( Beja),

Scalabis Scallabis (also ''Scallabi Castrum'', ''Præsidium Iulium'', ''Scallabis Praesidium Iulium'' or ''Colonia Scallabis Iulia'') was the Roman name of Santarém, Portugal. History The first documented human occupation dates from the 8th century BC. ...

( Santarém),

Norba Caesarina Norba, an ancient town of Latium (''Adjectum''), Italy. It is situated 1 mile northwest of the modern town of Norma, on the western edge of the Volscian Mountains or Monti Lepini. The town is perched above a precipitous cliff with a splendid vie ...

and Metellinum).

Felicitas Iulia Olisipo Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo (in Latin: ''Olisippo'' or ''Ulyssippo'' ; in Greek: ''Ὀλισσιπών'', ''Olissipṓn'', or ''Ὀλισσιπόνα'', ''Olissipóna'') was the ancient name of modern-day Lisbon while part of ...

(

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

, which was a

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (c. 449 BC), to the ''Corpus Juris Civilis'' (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor J ...

municipality) and 3 other towns had the old Latin status ( Ebora (

Évora Évora ( , ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of 1307.08 km2. It is the historic capital of the Alentejo and serves as the seat of the Évora District. Due to its well-preserved old to ...

Myrtilis Iulia ''Myrtilis Iulia'' was the Roman name given to present day Mértola, Portugal. During Classical Antiquity, Mértola was inhabited by Phoenicians, Carthaginians and finally the Romans, who called it ''Myrtilis Iulia''. The region was inhabited at ...

( Mértola) and Salacia (

Alcácer do Sal Alcácer do Sal () is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. The population in 2011 was 13,046, in an area of 1499.87 km2. History Earliest settlement There has been human settlement in the area for more than 40,000 ye ...

). The other 37 were of '' stipendiarii'' class, among which Aeminium (Coimbra), Balsa (Tavira), or

Mirobriga Mirobriga may refer to: * The ancient Celtic name of the modern town of Ciudad Rodrigo, Spain * Miróbriga Miróbriga (''Mirobriga Celticorum'') is an ancient Roman town located near the village and civil parish of Santiago do Cacém, in the m ...

(Santiago do Cacém). Other cities include Ossonoba ( Faro), Cetobriga ( Tróia, Setúbal), Collippo (

Leiria Leiria (; cel-x-proto, ɸlāryo) is a city and municipality in the Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat of its own distr ...

) or Arabriga ( Alenquer).

Division under Diocletian

Under

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

, Lusitania kept its borders and was ruled by a ''

praeses ''Praeses'' (Latin ''praesides'') is a Latin word meaning "placed before" or "at the head". In antiquity, notably under the Roman Dominate, it was used to refer to Roman governors; it continues to see some use for various modern positions. ...

'', later by a '' consularis''; finally, in 298 AD, it was united with the other provinces to form the ''

Diocesis Hispaniarum Term Diocese may refer to: * Roman diocese, administrative unit from the period of late Roman Empire. * Diocese, ecclesiastical unit of various Christian churches. See also * Archbishop (disambiguation) * Bishop (disambiguation) * Vicar (disambig ...

'' ("

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

of the Hispanias").

Governors

* Quintus Acutius Faienanus, '' legatus Augusti pro praetore'' between 19 and 1 BC. * Quintus Articuleius Regulus, between 2 BC and AD 14. *

Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus Gaius Ummidius Durmius Quadratus (c. 12 BC – c. 60 AD) was a Roman senator of the Principate. He was the first member of the Ummidii to reach the office of consul in his family, or a ''homo novus''. Quadratus is also known for his tenure as gove ...

, c. 37 *

Lucius Calventius Vetus Carminius Lucius Calventius Vetus Carminius was a Roman senator who flourished during the Principate. He was suffect consul in AD 51, replacing Servius Cornelius Scipio Salvidienus Orfitus. Carminius is known entirely from inscriptions. In his monograph on ...

, ''legatus Augusti pro praetore'' 44-45 * Marcus Salvius Otho Caesar Augustus Governor 58-68 *

Gaius Catellius Celer Gaius Catellius Celer (also known as Lucius Pompeius Vopiscus Gaius Catellius Celer) was a Roman senator who flourished during the Flavian dynasty. He served as suffect consul for the ''nundinium'' September-October 77 with Marcus Arruntius Aquila ...

75/76-77/78Unless otherwise noted, the governors from 75 to the end of Hadrian's reign are taken from Werner Eck, "Jahres- und Provinzialfasten der senatorischen Statthalter von 69/70 bis 138/139", '' Chiron'', 12 (1982), pp. 281-362; 13 (1983), pp. 147-237. * ?

Gaius Calpurnius Flaccus Gaius Calpurnius Flaccus was a Roman senator of the second century. He was attested suffect consul with Lucius Trebius Germanus as his colleague on 15 December of an undetermined year between 122 and 127. Both Flaccus and Germanus are primarily k ...

119/120-120/121 *

Gaius Oppius Sabinus Julius Nepos Manius Vibius Sollemnis Severus Gaius Oppius Sabinus Julius Nepos Manius Vibius Sollemnis Severus was a Roman Empire, Roman Roman senate, senator, who was active during the reign of Hadrian. He was suffect Roman consul, consul in an undetermined ''nundinium'' between AD 130 and 1 ...

(under Hadrian) * Lucius Roscius Maecius Celer Postumus Mamilianus Vergilius Staberianus (under Hadrian) *

Gaius Javolenus Calvinus Gaius Javolenus Calvinus was a Roman senator of the 2nd century AD who occupied a number of offices in the imperial service, as well as serving as suffect consul between 140 and 143. An inscription found in Grottaferrata in Campania provides his f ...

(between 138 and 140)Géza Alföldy, ''Konsulat und Senatorenstand unter der Antoninen'' (Bonn: Rudolf Habelt Verlag, 1977), p. 256 *

Aulus Avillius Urinatius Quadratus Aulus (abbreviated A.) is one of the small group of common forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome. The name was traditionally connected with Latin ''aula'', ''olla'', "palace", but this is most likely a false etymology. ''Aulus'' in fact p ...

c.151-c.154 * ?

Cornelius Repentinus Cornelius Repentinus was a Roman Senator who was active in the 2nd century AD. He held a number of positions during the reigns of emperors Marcus Aurelius, Commodus and Didius Julianus, which included suffect consul and Urban prefect of Rome. Re ...

c. 185 - c. 188Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare'', p. 290 * Publius Septimius Geta c. 188 - c. 191Paul Leunissen, ''Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander'' (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 1989), p. 289 *

Gaius Caesonius Macer Rufinianus Gaius Caesonius Macer Rufinianus (c. AD 157 – c. AD 237) was a Roman military officer and senator who was appointed suffect consul in around AD 197 or 198. He was the first member of ''gens'' Caesonia to hold a consulship. Biography Caesonius ...

193/194 - 197 * Gaius Junius Faustinus l idusPostumianus c. 197 - c. 200 * Decimus Jun us? ...Coelianus between 198 and 209 * Sextus Furnius Julianus c. 211 * Rutilius Pudens Crispinus around 225 - 227. *

Vettius Agorius Praetextatus Vettius Agorius Praetextatus (ca. 315 – 384) was a wealthy pagan aristocrat in the 4th-century Roman Empire, and a high priest in the cults of numerous gods. He served as the praetorian prefect at the court of Emperor Valentinian II in 384 until ...

(4th century)

''Coloniae'' and ''Municipia''

* ''Colonia Metellinum'' (

Medellín Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...

, Badajoz) * ''Colonia

'' ( Cáceres) * ''Colonia Augusta Emerita'' ( Mérida), provincial capital. * ''Colonia Civitas Pacensis'' ( Beja, Portugal) * ''Colonia

Praesidium Iulium'' ( Santarém, Portugal) * ''Municipium Caesarobriga'' ( Talavera de la Reina,

Toledo Toledo most commonly refers to: * Toledo, Spain, a city in Spain * Province of Toledo, Spain * Toledo, Ohio, a city in the United States Toledo may also refer to: Places Belize * Toledo District * Toledo Settlement Bolivia * Toledo, Orur ...

) * ''Municipium Augustobriga'' (

Talavera la Vieja Talavera may refer to: Battles * Battle of Talavera de la Reina, Spain, an 1809 battle of the Peninsular War * Battle of Talavera de la Reina (1936), during the Spanish Civil War People * Talavera (surname), list of people with this name * Tala ...

, Cáceres) * ''Municipium Aeminium'' (

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...

, Portugal) * ''Municipium

Conímbriga Conímbriga is one of the largest Roman settlements excavated in Portugal, and was classified as a National Monument in 1910. Located in the civil parish of Condeixa-a-Velha e Condeixa-a-Nova, in the municipality of Condeixa-a-Nova, it is situate ...

'' (

Condeixa-a-Nova Condeixa-a-Nova (), also known as just Condeixa, is a town and a municipality in the district of Coimbra, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,078, in an area of 138.67 km². It is located 15 km south of Coimbra, and is part of the Re ...

, Portugal) * ''Municipium Salmantica'' ( Salamanca) * ''Municipium Caurium'' ( Coria, Cáceres) * ''Municipium Turgalium'' ( Trujillo, Cáceres) * ''Municipium Capara'' (

Cáparra The Roman city of Cáparra is located in the north of Extremadura (Spain) in the valley of the River Alagón. In Roman times it was in the province of Lusitania within the Conventus Iuridicus Emeritensis, whose capital was Colonia Augusta Emerit ...

, Cáceres) * ''Municipium

Olisipo Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo (in Latin: ''Olisippo'' or ''Ulyssippo'' ; in Greek: ''Ὀλισσιπών'', ''Olissipṓn'', or ''Ὀλισσιπόνα'', ''Olissipóna'') was the ancient name of modern-day Lisbon while part of ...

'' ( Lisboa, Portugal) * ''Municipium Egitandiorum'' (

Idanha-a-Velha Idanha-a-Velha (Idanha "the old") is a village in the civil parish (''freguesia'') of Monsanto e Idanha-a-Velha, in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova (Idanha "the new"), central eastern Portugal, and the site of ancient Egitânia, a former bishop ...

, Portugal) * ''Municipium

Regina Turdulorum Regina (Latin for "queen") may refer to: Places Canada * Regina, Saskatchewan, the capital city of the province ** Regina (electoral district) ** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Regina France * Régina, French Guiana, a commune United States * Re ...

'' (

Casas de Reina Casas de Reina is a municipality located in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. According to the 2005 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Instit ...

, Badajoz) * ''Municipium

Lacobriga ''Lacobriga'' (Laccobriga or Lacóbriga (Lacobrica in Latin)) was an ancient town of Celtic origin, usually identified as the predecessor of the current city of Lagos in Portugal. The nearby Archaeological Site of Monte Molião is also known as L ...

'' (

Lagos, Portugal Lagos (; literally "lakes"; cel-x-proto, Lacobriga) is a city and municipality at the mouth of Bensafrim River and along the Atlantic Ocean, in the Barlavento region of the Algarve, in southern Portugal. The population of the municipality in 201 ...

)

Notable Lusitanians

Gaius Appuleius Diocles Gaius Appuleius Diocles (104after 146 AD) was a Roman charioteer. His existence and career are attested by two highly detailed contemporary inscriptions, used by modern historians to help reconstruct the likely conduct and techniques of chariot ...

Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384) was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death. He presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list of sacred scripture. He spoke out against major heresies ( ...

Legacy of the name

As with the Roman names of many European countries, ''Lusitania'' was and is often used as an alternative name for Portugal, especially in formal or literary and poetic contexts. The 16th-century colony that would eventually become Brazil was initially founded as "

New Lusitania The Captaincy of Pernambuco or New Lusitania ( pt, Nova Lusitânia) was a hereditary land grant and administrative subdivision of northern Portuguese Brazil during the colonial period from the early sixteenth century until Brazilian independence. A ...

". In common use are such terms as

Lusophone Lusophones ( pt, Lusófonos) are ethnic group, peoples that speak Portuguese language, Portuguese as a native language, native or as common second language and nations where Portuguese features prominently in society. Comprising an estimated 270 m ...

, meaning Portuguese-speaking, and Lusitanic, referring to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries—once Portugal's colonies and presently independent countries still sharing some common heritage. Prior to his

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

in 1807,

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

proposed the establishment of a French-backed puppet

Kingdom of Northern Lusitania The Kingdom of Northern Lusitania (Portuguese: ''Reino da Lusitânia Setentrional'') was a kingdom proposed by Napoleon in 1807 for the king of Etruria, Charles Louis, located in the North of Portugal. In 1807 Portugal refused Napoleon's demand ...

as one of the successor states to Portugal under the assumption that such a campaign would result in an easy French victory. The province was also the namesake of the North Atlantic Ocean liner RMS ''Lusitania'' infamous for being torpedoed by a German

U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...

in 1915. The ship's owners, the

Cunard Line Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...

, commonly named their vessels after Roman provinces with the ''Lusitania'' so being called after the Roman Iberian province to the north of the

Strait of Gibraltar The Strait of Gibraltar ( ar, مضيق جبل طارق, Maḍīq Jabal Ṭāriq; es, Estrecho de Gibraltar, Archaic: Pillars of Hercules), also known as the Straits of Gibraltar, is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Medi ...

while her sister ship RMS ''Mauretania'' was named after the Roman North African province on the south side of the strait.

References

An etymological lexicon of Proto-Celtic

External links

Lusitania, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20190708130808/https://www.southernstar.ie/News/Crewmans-strange-foreboding-of-disaster-24042015.htm Southern Star Article: Crewman's strange foreboding of disaster {{coord, 38.7689, N, 7.2181, W, source:wikidata, display=title .L Roman provinces in Hispania Provinces of the Roman Empire History of Portugal by polity Ancient Portugal Medieval Portugal States and territories established in the 1st century BC States and territories disestablished in the 9th century 1st-century BC establishments in the Roman Republic 9th-century disestablishments in Portugal 1st millennium in Portugal