Puteoli - Foundation and colony

Foundation and colony

Protohistoric material from the Puteoli area is preserved in the Museo Nazionale in Florence, the British Museum and the Ethnological Museum in Cambridge. More material was excavated in 1984. The settlement enters the historical period through Hieronymus. Writing at the end of the fourth century AD, he informs us that Puteoli was founded by people from the Greek island of Samos, near the Turkish coast: "The Samians founded Dicaearchia, which is now called Puteoli" (Samii Dicaearchiam condiderunt, quam nunc Puteolos vocant; Chronicon, Migne 27,377-378). He assigns the event to 530 BC. There must be a link with conflicts between Samians and the tyrant Polykrates, as described by Herodotus in his Histories (III,39-60). The name of the new city was appropriate: the Greek Dikaiarcheia stands for "just rule" or " rule by the just", aristocratic oligarchs perhaps. In the words of Festus: Dicaearchia vocabatur, quae nunc Puteoli, quod ea civitas quondam iustissime regebatur.

Samos, home of the Puteolans. Photo: Wikimedia, Kramer96.

There were old ties of friendship between the Samians and Cumae, and Strabo states that "in earlier times Dicaearchia was only a port-town of the Cumaeans, situated on the brow of a hill" (Geography V,4,6). The harbour was needed as part of the defense against the Etruscans. In 421 BC Cumae and Dicaearchia were taken by the Samnites, an Oscan-speaking people living in the Interior of Italy. Perhaps they called the town Fistlus, in Greek Fistelia. The name is found on many coins. It is linguistically related to words like fistula, "pipe", and may have been chosen because of the presence of wells. Puteoli would be the Latin translation.

Between 340 and 330 BC the city came under Roman rule. In 214 BC the city was besieged by Hannibal, but could not be taken. In 194 BC a Roman colony was established: 300 settlers were sent to the town (Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita XXXIV,45).

The sending of settlers and the status of colonia have led to quite a debate amongst scholars. Often reference is made to an inscription recording the lex parieti faciendo, a contract for the construction of a wall near the Temple of Serapis, dated to 105 BC (ab colonia deducta anno XC). As local magistrates it mentions duoviri and a consilium of duovirales.

The lex parieti faciendo.
Archaeological Museum, Naples. Photo: Flickr, Dan Diffendale.

[columna I]

AB COLONIA DEDUCTA ANNO XC
N(umerio) FVFIDIO N(umeri) F(ilio) M(arco) PVLLIO DVOVIR(eis)
P(ublio) RVTILIO CN(aeo) MALLIO CO(n)S(ulibus)
OPERVM LEX II
LEX PARIETI FACIENDO IN AREA QVAE EST ANTE
AEDEM SERAPI TRANS VIAM QVI REDEMERIT
PRAEDES DATO PRAEDIAQVE SVBSIGNATO
DVVMVIRVM ARBITRATV
IN AREA TRANS VIAM PARIES QVI EST PROPTER
VIAM IN EO PARIETE MEDIO OSTIEI LVMEN
APERITO LATVM P(edes) VI ALTVM P(edes) VII FACITO EX EO
PARIETE ANTAS DVAS AD MARE VORSVM PROICITO
LONGAS P(edes) II CRASSAS P(EDEM) I ((quadrantem)) INSVPER ID LIMEN
ROBVSTVM LONG(um) P(edes) VIII LATVM P(edem) I ((quadrantem)) ALTVM P(edis) ((dodrantem))
INPONITO INSVPER ID ET ANTAS MVTVLOS ROBVSTOS
II CRASSOS ((bessem)) ALTOS P(edem) I PROICITO EXTRA PARIETE(m)
IN VTRAMQ(ue) PARTEM P(edes) IV INSVPER SIMAS PICTAS
FERRO OFFIGITO INSVPER MVTVLOS TRABICVLAS
ABIEGINEAS II CRASSAS QVOQVE VERSVS S(emissem) INPONITO [column I]

In the nineteeth year from the foundation of the colony, in the magistracy of Numerius Fufidius, son of Numerius, and Marcus Pullius, as Board of Two, and the consulship of Publius Rutilius and Gnaeus Mallius.

Second contract relating to Works.

Contract for making a wall in the vacant building-space which lies in front of the temple of Serapis across the road. The contracter shall provide bondsmen and register their estates as securities at the will and pleasure of the members of the Board of Two. In the middle of the party-wall which is near the road and which is in the vacant space across the road, he shall open a gap for a doorway. He shall make it 6 ft. wide, 7 ft. high. From the said wall on the side which faces towards the sea he shall cause to jut out two side-pillars 2 ft. long and 1 ft. and 1/4 thick. Above the doorway he shall place a lintel of hard oakwood, 8 ft. long, 1 ft. and 1/4 wide, 3/4 ft. deep. On the top of it and the side-pillars he shall cause to jut out from the wall, on the outside, 4 ft. on both sides, oaken top-beams 2 ft. and 2/3 thick and 1 ft. wide. On top he shall fasten up, with iron, chased ogee-mouldings. Above the top-beams he shall place, and along them fasten with iron, 2 cross-beams made of fir-wood and 1/2 ft. thick each way.

[columna II]

FERROQVE FIGITO INASSERATO ASSERIBVS ABIEGNIEIS
SECTILIBVS CRASSEIS QVOQVE VERSVS ((trientem)) DISPONITO NI PLVS ((dodrantem))
OPERCVLAQVE ABIEGNEA INPONITO EX TIGNO PEDARIO
FACITO ANTEPAGMENTA ABIEGNEA LATA ((dodrantem)) CRASSA ((semunciam))
CVMATIVMQVE INPONITO FERROQVE PLANO FIGITO
PORTVLA(m)QVE TEGITO TEGVLARVM ORDINIBVS SENEIS
QVOQVE VERSVS TEGVLAS PRIMORES OMNES IN ANTE
PAGMENTO FERRO FIGITO MARGINEMQVE INPONITO
EISDEM FORES CLATRATAS II CVM POSTIBVS AESCVLNIEIS
FACITO STATVITO OCLVDITO PICATOQVE ITA VTEI AD AEDEM
HONORVS FACTA SVNT EISDEM MACERIA EXTREMA PARIES
QVI EST EVM PARIETEM CVM MARGINE ALTVM FACITO P(edes) X
EISDEM OSTIVM INTROITV IN AREA QVOD NVNC EST ET
FENESTRAS QVAE IN PARIETE PROPTER EAM AREAM SVNT
PARIETE{m} OPSTRVITO ET PARIETI QVI NVNC EST PROPTER
VIAM MARGINEM PERPETVOM INPONITO EOSQ(ue) PARIETES
MARGINESQVE OMNES QVAE LITA NON ERVNT CALCE
HARENATO LITA POLITAQVE ET CALCE VDA DEALBATA RECTE
FACITO QVOD OPVS STRVCTILE FIET IN TE[r]RA CALCIS
RESTINCTAI PARTEM QVARTAM INDIT. NIVE MAIOREM
CAEMENTA(m) STRVITO QVAM QVAE CAEMENTA ARDA
PENDAT P(ondo) XV NIVE ANGOLARIA(m) ALTIOREM ((trientem semunciam)) FACITO [column II]

He shall rafter them over with rafters hewn from fir-logs and made 1/3 ft. thick each way; he shall arrange them not more than 3/4 ft. apart. And he shall place in position wainscot-panelling of fir-wood; he shall make them out of foot-wide blocks. He shall place in position frontal fittings of fir-wood 3/4 ft. wide and 1/2 an inch thick, and a waved moulding, and shall fasten same with flat clamps of iron. He shall also roof the small door with a roof having six rows of tiles on each side. He shall fasten all the lowest tiles on either side to the corresponding frontal fitting with iron, and he shall place a coping on top. The same person shall also make two latticed folding-doors having posts of winter-oak and shall put up and close and pitch them in the same way as was done to the doors at Honour's temple. In regard to the wall which forms the outermost enclosure, he shall further reconstruct the said wall 10 ft. high including coping. He shall also block up the doorway which now forms an entrance into the vacant building-space and also wall up the windows which are in the wall along the said vacant space; and on the wall which is at present along the road he shall put an uninterrupted coping. And all those walls and copings which will be found uncoated he shall cause to be well coated with a plaster of lime-mortar mixed with sand and varnished and whitewashed with wet lime. Material requiring preparation that he will use in this structure he shall make of clay mixed with one fourth part of slaked lime. And the rough tiles which he shall lay shall not be larger than such rough tile as turns the scale at 15 lbs. weight when dry, nor make the corner-tiles more than 4 1/2 inches high.

[columna III]

LOCVMQVE PVRVM PRO EO OPERE REDDITO
EIDEM SACELLA ARAS SIGNAQVE QVAE IN
CAMPO SVNT QVAE DEMONSTRATA ERVNT
EA OMNIA TOLLITO DEFERTO COMPONITO
STATVITOQVE VBEI LOCVS DEMONSTRATVS
ERIT DVVMVIRVM ARBITRATV
HOC OPVS OMNE FACITO ARBITRATV DVOVIR(um)
ET DVOVIRALIVM QVI IN CONSILIO ESSE
SOLENT PVTEOLEIS DVM NI MINVS VIGINTI
ADSIENT CVM EA RES CONSVLETVR QVOD
EORVM VIGINTI IVRATI PROBAVERINT PROBVM
ESTO QVOD IEIS INPROBARINT INPROBVM ESTO
DIES OPERIS K(alendis) NOVEMBR(ibus) PRIMEIS DIES PEQVN(iae)
PARS DIMIDIA DABITVR VBEI PRAEDIA SATIS
SVBSIGNATA ERVNT ALTERA PARS DIMIDIA SOLVETVR
OPERE EFFECTO PROBATOQVE C(aius) BLOSSIVS Q(uinti) F(ilius)
((sestertiis)) MD IDEM PRAES(tat?) Q(uintus) FVFICIVS Q(uinti) F(ilius)
CN(aeus) TETTEIVS Q(uinti) F(ilius) C(aius) CRANIVS C(ai) F(ilius) TI(berius) CRASSICIVS [column III]

And he shall clear the site according to the requirements of the work. Likewise the chapels, altars and statues which are on the building-ground and which shall be pointed out to him he shall remove transfer arrange and set up in a place which shall be pointed out to him, at the will and pleasure of the magisterial Board of Two. He shall complete the whole of this work at the will and pleasure of the members and ex-members of the Board of Two who customarily sit in council at Puteoli, provided that not less than twenty members are present when the proposal shall be under discussion. Whatever may be approved by twenty of them on oath shall be legally valid; whatever they may not approve shall be legally invalid. Day for beginning of the work: the first day of November next. Day of payment: one half of the sum shall be handed over when the estates have been registered to satisfation as securities; the other half shall be paid off when the work is completed and approved.

Gaius Blossius son of Quintus; he contracts for 1500 sesterces; is likewise security. Quintus Fuficius son of Quintus; Gnaeus Tettius son of Quintus; Gaius Granius son of Gaius; Tiberius Crassicius.

The lex parieti faciendo.
EDR161096.[1] Translation E.H. Warmington.

In 78 BC unrest in the city is reported, and Sulla is said to have drawn up a law for the city. Had he also sent colonists? In 63 BC Cicero says that "Puteoli, which is now independent and enjoys its liberty and has its own jurisdiction, will be occupied entirely by a new people and foreign forces" (Puteolos vero qui nunc in sua potestate sunt, suo iure libertateque utuntur, totos novo populo atque adventiciis copiis occupabunt; De Lege Agraria II,31,86).

The name Colonia Iulia Augusta Puteoli is documented for an Augustan phase, when the territory of the colony may have been extended (cf. Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia III,9,61). Tacitus states that the town was given the ius coloniae by Nero, in 63 AD: "the old town of Puteoli obtained from Nero the privileges of a colony with an additional name" (in Italia vetus oppidum Puteoli ius coloniae et cognomentum a Nerone apiscuntur; Annales XIV,27). This did not entail the sending of colonists, veteran soldiers, at least not on a large scale. The new full name of the colony was Colonia Neronensis Claudia Augusta Puteoli. It is documented in an inscription (CIL X, 5369), and in a graffito found in an inn in Pompeii.

Coloniae Clau(diae)
Nerone(n)si Putiolan(a)e
feliciter
Scripsit C. Iulius Speratus
Sperate va(le)

For the Colonia Claudia
Neronensis Puteoli,
cheers.
C. Iulius Speratus wrote this.
Farewell Speratus.

CIL IV, 2152. Pompeii.
From building VII.12.35.
Image: Benefiel 2004, fig. 1.

From the words of Tacitus has been deduced that there were two legal entities in Puteoli: the old Greek-Samnite colony and the later Roman colony. Nero's measure would then have pertained to the former. It has also been argued that Nero renewed the colonial status, making the city an honorary colony.

Under Vespasian the city became Colonia Flavia Augusta; the Emperor was grateful that the city had chosen his side during his struggle with Vitellius (Tacitus, Historiae III,57).

The new name of the colony on a lead water pipe.
EDR179401. Photo: EDR.

[1] For inscriptions the abbreviation EDR refers to EAGLE, the online Electronic Archive of Greek and Latin Epigraphy.

[columna I] AB COLONIA DEDUCTA ANNO XC N(umerio) FVFIDIO N(umeri) F(ilio) M(arco) PVLLIO DVOVIR(eis) P(ublio) RVTILIO CN(aeo) MALLIO CO(n)S(ulibus) OPERVM LEX II LEX PARIETI FACIENDO IN AREA QVAE EST ANTE AEDEM SERAPI TRANS VIAM QVI REDEMERIT PRAEDES DATO PRAEDIAQVE SVBSIGNATO DVVMVIRVM ARBITRATV IN AREA TRANS VIAM PARIES QVI EST PROPTER VIAM IN EO PARIETE MEDIO OSTIEI LVMEN APERITO LATVM P(edes) VI ALTVM P(edes) VII FACITO EX EO PARIETE ANTAS DVAS AD MARE VORSVM PROICITO LONGAS P(edes) II CRASSAS P(EDEM) I ((quadrantem)) INSVPER ID LIMEN ROBVSTVM LONG(um) P(edes) VIII LATVM P(edem) I ((quadrantem)) ALTVM P(edis) ((dodrantem)) INPONITO INSVPER ID ET ANTAS MVTVLOS ROBVSTOS II CRASSOS ((bessem)) ALTOS P(edem) I PROICITO EXTRA PARIETE(m) IN VTRAMQ(ue) PARTEM P(edes) IV INSVPER SIMAS PICTAS FERRO OFFIGITO INSVPER MVTVLOS TRABICVLAS ABIEGINEAS II CRASSAS QVOQVE VERSVS S(emissem) INPONITO	[column I] In the nineteeth year from the foundation of the colony, in the magistracy of Numerius Fufidius, son of Numerius, and Marcus Pullius, as Board of Two, and the consulship of Publius Rutilius and Gnaeus Mallius. Second contract relating to Works. Contract for making a wall in the vacant building-space which lies in front of the temple of Serapis across the road. The contracter shall provide bondsmen and register their estates as securities at the will and pleasure of the members of the Board of Two. In the middle of the party-wall which is near the road and which is in the vacant space across the road, he shall open a gap for a doorway. He shall make it 6 ft. wide, 7 ft. high. From the said wall on the side which faces towards the sea he shall cause to jut out two side-pillars 2 ft. long and 1 ft. and 1/4 thick. Above the doorway he shall place a lintel of hard oakwood, 8 ft. long, 1 ft. and 1/4 wide, 3/4 ft. deep. On the top of it and the side-pillars he shall cause to jut out from the wall, on the outside, 4 ft. on both sides, oaken top-beams 2 ft. and 2/3 thick and 1 ft. wide. On top he shall fasten up, with iron, chased ogee-mouldings. Above the top-beams he shall place, and along them fasten with iron, 2 cross-beams made of fir-wood and 1/2 ft. thick each way.
[columna II] FERROQVE FIGITO INASSERATO ASSERIBVS ABIEGNIEIS SECTILIBVS CRASSEIS QVOQVE VERSVS ((trientem)) DISPONITO NI PLVS ((dodrantem)) OPERCVLAQVE ABIEGNEA INPONITO EX TIGNO PEDARIO FACITO ANTEPAGMENTA ABIEGNEA LATA ((dodrantem)) CRASSA ((semunciam)) CVMATIVMQVE INPONITO FERROQVE PLANO FIGITO PORTVLA(m)QVE TEGITO TEGVLARVM ORDINIBVS SENEIS QVOQVE VERSVS TEGVLAS PRIMORES OMNES IN ANTE PAGMENTO FERRO FIGITO MARGINEMQVE INPONITO EISDEM FORES CLATRATAS II CVM POSTIBVS AESCVLNIEIS FACITO STATVITO OCLVDITO PICATOQVE ITA VTEI AD AEDEM HONORVS FACTA SVNT EISDEM MACERIA EXTREMA PARIES QVI EST EVM PARIETEM CVM MARGINE ALTVM FACITO P(edes) X EISDEM OSTIVM INTROITV IN AREA QVOD NVNC EST ET FENESTRAS QVAE IN PARIETE PROPTER EAM AREAM SVNT PARIETE{m} OPSTRVITO ET PARIETI QVI NVNC EST PROPTER VIAM MARGINEM PERPETVOM INPONITO EOSQ(ue) PARIETES MARGINESQVE OMNES QVAE LITA NON ERVNT CALCE HARENATO LITA POLITAQVE ET CALCE VDA DEALBATA RECTE FACITO QVOD OPVS STRVCTILE FIET IN TE[r]RA CALCIS RESTINCTAI PARTEM QVARTAM INDIT. NIVE MAIOREM CAEMENTA(m) STRVITO QVAM QVAE CAEMENTA ARDA PENDAT P(ondo) XV NIVE ANGOLARIA(m) ALTIOREM ((trientem semunciam)) FACITO	[column II] He shall rafter them over with rafters hewn from fir-logs and made 1/3 ft. thick each way; he shall arrange them not more than 3/4 ft. apart. And he shall place in position wainscot-panelling of fir-wood; he shall make them out of foot-wide blocks. He shall place in position frontal fittings of fir-wood 3/4 ft. wide and 1/2 an inch thick, and a waved moulding, and shall fasten same with flat clamps of iron. He shall also roof the small door with a roof having six rows of tiles on each side. He shall fasten all the lowest tiles on either side to the corresponding frontal fitting with iron, and he shall place a coping on top. The same person shall also make two latticed folding-doors having posts of winter-oak and shall put up and close and pitch them in the same way as was done to the doors at Honour's temple. In regard to the wall which forms the outermost enclosure, he shall further reconstruct the said wall 10 ft. high including coping. He shall also block up the doorway which now forms an entrance into the vacant building-space and also wall up the windows which are in the wall along the said vacant space; and on the wall which is at present along the road he shall put an uninterrupted coping. And all those walls and copings which will be found uncoated he shall cause to be well coated with a plaster of lime-mortar mixed with sand and varnished and whitewashed with wet lime. Material requiring preparation that he will use in this structure he shall make of clay mixed with one fourth part of slaked lime. And the rough tiles which he shall lay shall not be larger than such rough tile as turns the scale at 15 lbs. weight when dry, nor make the corner-tiles more than 4 1/2 inches high.
[columna III] LOCVMQVE PVRVM PRO EO OPERE REDDITO EIDEM SACELLA ARAS SIGNAQVE QVAE IN CAMPO SVNT QVAE DEMONSTRATA ERVNT EA OMNIA TOLLITO DEFERTO COMPONITO STATVITOQVE VBEI LOCVS DEMONSTRATVS ERIT DVVMVIRVM ARBITRATV HOC OPVS OMNE FACITO ARBITRATV DVOVIR(um) ET DVOVIRALIVM QVI IN CONSILIO ESSE SOLENT PVTEOLEIS DVM NI MINVS VIGINTI ADSIENT CVM EA RES CONSVLETVR QVOD EORVM VIGINTI IVRATI PROBAVERINT PROBVM ESTO QVOD IEIS INPROBARINT INPROBVM ESTO DIES OPERIS K(alendis) NOVEMBR(ibus) PRIMEIS DIES PEQVN(iae) PARS DIMIDIA DABITVR VBEI PRAEDIA SATIS SVBSIGNATA ERVNT ALTERA PARS DIMIDIA SOLVETVR OPERE EFFECTO PROBATOQVE C(aius) BLOSSIVS Q(uinti) F(ilius) ((sestertiis)) MD IDEM PRAES(tat?) Q(uintus) FVFICIVS Q(uinti) F(ilius) CN(aeus) TETTEIVS Q(uinti) F(ilius) C(aius) CRANIVS C(ai) F(ilius) TI(berius) CRASSICIVS	[column III] And he shall clear the site according to the requirements of the work. Likewise the chapels, altars and statues which are on the building-ground and which shall be pointed out to him he shall remove transfer arrange and set up in a place which shall be pointed out to him, at the will and pleasure of the magisterial Board of Two. He shall complete the whole of this work at the will and pleasure of the members and ex-members of the Board of Two who customarily sit in council at Puteoli, provided that not less than twenty members are present when the proposal shall be under discussion. Whatever may be approved by twenty of them on oath shall be legally valid; whatever they may not approve shall be legally invalid. Day for beginning of the work: the first day of November next. Day of payment: one half of the sum shall be handed over when the estates have been registered to satisfation as securities; the other half shall be paid off when the work is completed and approved. Gaius Blossius son of Quintus; he contracts for 1500 sesterces; is likewise security. Quintus Fuficius son of Quintus; Gnaeus Tettius son of Quintus; Gaius Granius son of Gaius; Tiberius Crassicius.
The lex parieti faciendo. EDR161096.[1] Translation E.H. Warmington.