Colonia
1. Greek
In Greece, colonies were sometimes founded by vanquished peoples, who left their homes to
escape subjection at the hand of a foreign enemy; sometimes as a sequel to civil disorders;
sometimes to get rid of surplus population, and thereby to avoid internal convulsions. But in
most cases the object was to establish and facilitate relations of trade with foreign
countries. If a Greek city was sending out a colony, an oracle (before all others that of
Delphi) was almost invariably consulted. Sometimes certain classes of citizens were called
upon to take part in the enterprises; sometimes one son was chosen by lot from every house
where there were several sons; and strangers expressing a desire to join were admitted. A
person of distinction was selected to guide the emigrants and make the necessary
arrangements. It was usual to honour these founders of colonies, after their death, as
heroes. Some of the sacred fire was taken from the public hearth in the Prytaneum, and the
fire on the public hearth of the new city was kindled thereat. And, just as each individual
had his private shrines, so the new community maintained the worship of its chief domestic
deities, the colony sending embassies and votive gifts to their principal festivals.
The relation between colony and mother-city was viewed as one of mutual affection. Any
differences that arose were made up, if possible, by peaceful means, war being deemed
excusable only in cases of extreme necessity. The charter of foundation contained general
provisions for the arrangement of the affairs of the colony, and also some special
enactments. The constitution of the mother-city was usually adopted by the colony, but the
new city remained politically independent. If the colony sent out a fresh colony on its own
account, the mother-city was generally consulted, or was at least requested to furnish a
leader. The
κληροῦχοι formed a special class of Greek
colonists. (See
Cleruchia.) The trade factories
set up in foreign countries (in Egypt, for instance) were somewhat different from the
ordinary colonies, the members retaining the right of domicile in their own
fatherland.
2. Roman
It was an old custom in Italy to send out colonies for the purpose of securing new
conquests. The Romans, accordingly, having no standing army, used to plant bodies of their
own citizens in conquered towns as a kind of garrison. These bodies would consist partly of
Roman citizens, usually to the number of three hundred; partly of members of the Latin
confederacy, in larger numbers. The third part of the conquered territory was handed over to
the settlers. The
coloniae civium Romanorum (colonies of Roman citizens) were
specially intended to secure the two sea-coasts of Italy, and were hence called
coloniae maritimae. The
coloniae Latinae, of which there was
a far greater number, served the same purpose for the mainland.
The duty of leading the colonists and founding the settlement was intrusted to a commission
usually consisting of three members, and elected by the people. These men continued to stand
in the relation of patrons (
patroni) to the colony after its foundation.
The colonists entered the conquered city in military array, preceded by banners, and the
foundation was celebrated with special solemnities. The
coloniae were
free from taxes, and had their own constitution, a copy of the Roman, electing from their own
body their Senate and other officers of State. To this constitution the original inhabitants
had to submit. The
coloniae civium Romanorum retained the Roman citizenship,
and were free from military service, their position as outposts being regarded as an
equivalent. The members of the
coloniae Latinae served among the
socii, and possessed the so-called
ius Latinum. (See
Latinitas.) This secured to them the right of
acquiring property (
commercium) and settlement in Rome, and under
certain conditions the power of becoming Roman citizens; though in course of time these
rights underwent many limitations.
From the time of the Gracchi the colonies lost their military character. Colonization came
to be regarded as a means of providing for the poorest class of the Roman populace. After the
time of Sulla it was adopted as a way of granting land to veteran soldiers. The right of
founding colonies was taken away from the people by Caesar, and passed into the hands of the
emperors, who used it (mainly in the provinces) for the exclusive purpose of establishing
military settlements, partly with the old idea of securing conquered territory. It was only
in exceptional cases that the provincial colonies enjoyed the immunity from taxation which
was granted to those in Italy.
Bibliography
See W.
Roscher, Kolonien, Kolonialpolitik, und Auswanderung
(1885); Grote,
Hist. of Greece, chapters xxii.-xxvii.; the article
“Colonia” by Caillemer in Daremberg and Saglio's
Dictionnaire des Antiquités; Zumpt, Ueber den
Unterschied der Benennungen, Municipium, Colonia, Praefectura (1840);
Mommsen, Die Stadtrechte von Malaca und Salpensa (1855); Mar
quardt,
Handbuch, vol. iv.
(1873).
