Roman Colchester
Colchester's Roman Town Walls
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 Shown within England
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| Alternate name | Camulodunon, Colonia Claudia Victricensis, Colonia Victricensis |
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| Location | Colchester, Essex, England |
| Region | Britannia |
| Coordinates | 51°53′31″N 0°53′53″E / 51.89194°N 0.89806°ECoordinates: 51°53′31″N 0°53′53″E / 51.89194°N 0.89806°E |
| Type | Colonia |
| History | |
| Founded | Late 1st century BC |
| Periods | British Iron Age to Roman Empire |
| Site notes | |
| OS grid reference: TL995255 | |
Camulodunum (/ˌkæmjʊloʊˈdjuːnəm/ or /ˌkæmʊloʊˈduːnəm/;Latin: CAMVLODVNVM), the Ancient Roman name for what is now Colchester in Essex, was an important town in Roman Britain, and the first capital of the province. It is claimed to be the oldest town in Britain. Originally the site of the Brythonic-Celtic oppidum of Camulodunon (meaning "The Stronghold of Camulos"), capital of the Trinovantes and later the Catuvellauni tribes, it was first mentioned by name on coinage minted by the chieftain Tasciovanus sometime between 20 and 10 BC. The Roman town began life as a Roman Legionary base constructed in the AD 40s on the site of the Brythonic-Celtic fortress following its conquest by the Emperor Claudius. After the early town was destroyed during the Iceni rebellion in 60/1 AD, it was rebuilt, reaching its zenith in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. During this time it was known by its official name Colonia Claudia Victricensis (COLONIA CLAVDIA VICTRICENSIS), often shortened to Colonia Victricensis, and as Camulodunum, a Latinised version of its original Brythonic name. The town was home to a large classical Temple, two theatres (including Britain's largest), several Romano-British temples, Britain's only known chariot circus, Britain's first town walls, several large cemeteries and over 50 known mosaics and tessellated pavements. It may have reached a population of 30,000 at its height. It wasn't until the late 18th century that historians realised that Colchester's physical Brythonic (British Celtic) and Roman remains were the city mentioned in ancient literature as "Camulodunum".
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