Scalabis
Encyclopedia
Scallabis was the Roman
name of Santarém, Portugal
.
river.
The Romans arrived at this region in 138 BC, and peacefully settled on the city, then going by the name of Scallabis, and limited to the fortified area currently known as Alcáçova de Santarém.
A latter designation was "Scallabis Praesidium Iulium", given by Julius Caesar
in 61 BC, with the installation of a military camp next to the previous fortifications.
Most of the citizens were then inscribed in the Sergia roman gentes
.
The city became one of the most important administrative centers of the Lusitania
province in the I century AD, as head of a Conventus iuridicus
, the Conventus Scallabitanus that included cities such as Olisipo
, Seilium and Conimbriga
. It was connect by important roads to Olisipo
, Bracara Augusta and was the place of a Tagus river crossing.
With the Alan
and Vandal invasions, the city became known as "Sancta Irene", the root of the current name "Santarém".
with a podium
of about 15 by 15 meters, and part of the cella
, dating from the I century BC (probably a Capitolium).
A theatre and baths from that period were also identified.
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
name of Santarém, Portugal
Santarém, Portugal
Santarém is a city in the Santarém Municipality in Portugal. The city itself has a population of 28,760 and the entire municipality has 64,124 inhabitants.It is the capital of Santarém District....
.
History
The first documented human occupation dates from the VIII century BC. There is also evidence of trade with the Phoenicians, due to it's location as a commercial outpost on the TagusTagus
The Tagus is the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula. It is long, in Spain, along the border between Portugal and Spain and in Portugal, where it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Lisbon. It drains an area of . The Tagus is highly utilized for most of its course...
river.
The Romans arrived at this region in 138 BC, and peacefully settled on the city, then going by the name of Scallabis, and limited to the fortified area currently known as Alcáçova de Santarém.
A latter designation was "Scallabis Praesidium Iulium", given by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in 61 BC, with the installation of a military camp next to the previous fortifications.
Most of the citizens were then inscribed in the Sergia roman gentes
Gentes
Gentes may refer to:* Gens , in Ancient Rome, a family of those sharing the same nomen and a common ancestor* Gens , in animal behavior, a host-specific lineage of a brood parasite species...
.
The city became one of the most important administrative centers of the Lusitania
Lusitania
Lusitania or Hispania Lusitania was an ancient Roman province including approximately all of modern Portugal south of the Douro river and part of modern Spain . It was named after the Lusitani or Lusitanian people...
province in the I century AD, as head of a Conventus iuridicus
Conventus iuridicus
In Ancient Rome territorial organization, a conventus iuridicus was the capital city of a subdivision of some provinces with functions of seat of a district court of justice and maybe others.-External links:...
, the Conventus Scallabitanus that included cities such as Olisipo
Olisipo
Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo was the ancient name of modern day Lisbon while part of the Roman Empire....
, Seilium and Conimbriga
Conímbriga
Conímbriga is one of the largest Roman settlements in Portugal, and is classified as a National Monument. Conímbriga lies 16 km from Coimbra and less than 2 km from Condeixa-a-Nova. The site also has a museum that displays objects found by archaeologists during their excavations,...
. It was connect by important roads to Olisipo
Olisipo
Municipium Cives Romanorum Felicitas Julia Olisipo was the ancient name of modern day Lisbon while part of the Roman Empire....
, Bracara Augusta and was the place of a Tagus river crossing.
With the Alan
Alans
The Alans, or the Alani, occasionally termed Alauni or Halani, were a group of Sarmatian tribes, nomadic pastoralists of the 1st millennium AD who spoke an Eastern Iranian language which derived from Scytho-Sarmatian and which in turn evolved into modern Ossetian.-Name:The various forms of Alan —...
and Vandal invasions, the city became known as "Sancta Irene", the root of the current name "Santarém".
Archeology
Archaeological work in the Alcáçova de Santarém area has identified a Roman templeRoman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
with a podium
Podium
A podium is a platform that is used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many...
of about 15 by 15 meters, and part of the cella
Cella
A cella or naos , is the inner chamber of a temple in classical architecture, or a shop facing the street in domestic Roman architecture...
, dating from the I century BC (probably a Capitolium).
A theatre and baths from that period were also identified.