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Ancient & modern names of Roman cities, towns or villages in Western Europe

Outside of Italy, the connection between Ancient Roman settlements and modern cities is rarely obvious from their present names. There are exceptions like London, which the Romans called Londinium, or the German city of Bonn, which was Roman Bonna. It would, howver, be impossible to guess than Roman Isca Dumnoniorum is the same place as modern Exeter, or that Durolipons is in fact Cambridge. Yet these cities were also founded by the Romans, as were hundreds of them in Western Europe. Here is a list of Roman cities and settlements by country, with their modern designations.

The Romans founded the first cities in England (Colchester), the Netherlands (Maastricht or Nijmegen), Belgium (Tongeren or Tournai), Germany (Trier), and Switzerland (Chur). These are marked by an * in the list below.

Contents


England

Almost all British cities with names ending in "-c(h)ester" have Roman origins. Chester/cester is the anglicised version of the Latin "castrum", meaning fortification/town.

  • Aquae Sulis => Bath, Somerset
  • Bannaventa => Norton (village), Northamptonshire
  • Calleva Atrebatum => Silchester (village), Hampshire
  • Camulodunum (or Colonia Claudia Victricensis) => Colchester*
  • Causennae => Ancaster (village), Lincolnshire
  • Corinium => Cirencester, Gloucestershire
  • Corstopitum (or Coria) => Corbridge, Northumberland
  • Deva (or Deva Victrix) => Chester, Cheshire
  • Dubris => Dover, Kent
  • Durnovaria => Dorchester, Dorset
  • Durobrivae => Water Newton (village), Cambridgeshire
  • Durolipons => Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
  • Durovernon => Canterbury, Kent
  • Eboracum => York, North Yorkshire
  • Glevum => Gloucester, Gloucestershire
  • Isca Dumnoniorum => Exeter, Devon
  • Isurium Brigantum => Aldborough (village), North Yorkshire
  • Lactodorum => Towcester (village), Northamptonshire
  • Letocetum => Wall (village), Staffordshire
  • Lindum => Lincoln
  • Lindinis => Ilchester (village), Somerset
  • Londinium => London
  • Manduessedum => Mancetter (village), Warwickshire
  • Mediolanum => Whitchurch (village), Shropshire
  • Noviomagus Reginorum => Chichester, West Sussex
  • Ratae Coritanorum => Leicester, Leicestershire
  • Tripontium => Newton and Biggin (village), Warwickshire
  • Venta Belgarum => Winchester, Hampshire
  • Venta Icenorum => Caistor St Edmund (village), Norfolk
  • Verulamium => near St Albans, Hertfordshire
  • Viroconium Cornoviorum => Wroxeter (village), Shropshire

Netherlands

  • Albaniana => Alphen aan den Rijn, South Holland
  • Coriovallum => Heerlen, Limburg
  • Lugdunum Batavorum => Katwijk (Leiden, South Holland)
  • Mosa Trajectum (or Trajectum ad Mosam) => Maastricht*, Limburg
  • Oppidum Batavorum (or Ulpia Noviomagus Batavorum) => Nijmegen*, Gelderland
  • Trajectum ad Rhenum => Utrecht, Utrecht

Belgium

  • Atuatuca Tungrorum => Tongeren/Tongres*, Limburg
  • Camasiacum => Kemzeke (Stekene), East-Flanders
  • Castri locus => Mons, Hainaut
  • Ceuniacum => Ciney, Namur
  • Cortoriacum => Kortrijk/Courtrai, West Flanders
  • Geminiacum => Gembloux, Namur
  • Geminiacum => Gimnée (Doische), Namur
  • Hoius Vicus => Huy, Liège
  • Liniacum => Lanaye (Visé), Liège
  • Liniacum => Lennik, Flemish Brabant
  • Mauriciacum => Moerzeke (Hamme), East-Flanders
  • Vicus Leodicus (or Leodicum, Leudicus, Leodium) => Liege/Luik/Lüttich, Liège
  • Oppidum Atuaticorum (or Namurcum) => Namur/Namen, Namur
  • Orolaunum => Arlon/Aarlen/Arel, Luxembourg
  • Rothnacum => Ronse/Renaix, East-Flanders
  • Superiacum => Souvret (Courcelles), Hainaut
  • Stirpiacum => Strépy (La Louvière), Hainaut
  • Tornacum => Tournai/Doornik*, Hainaut
  • Umbracum => Ombret (Amay), Liège
  • Viroviacum => Wervik, West Flanders
  • Vuenteka super fluvium Therma => Denderwindeke (Ninove), East-Flanders

Germany

  • Aquae Mattiacae => Wiesbaden, Hesse
  • Aquisgranium => Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Augusta Treverorum => Trier*, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Augusta Vindelicorum => Augsburg, Bavaria
  • Aurelia Aquensi => Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg
  • Bonna => Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Castellum apud Confluentes => Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Castra Batavorum => Passau, Bavaria
  • Castra Vetera => Xanten, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Colonia Ulpia Traiana => Xanten, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Drusus => Bingen-am-Rhein, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Mattium => Marburg, Hesse
  • Moguntiacum => Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Novaesium => Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Noviomagus => Neumagen-Dhron (village), Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Oppidum Ubiorum (then Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium) => Cologne/Köln, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Radasbona (then Castra Regina) => Regensburg, Bavaria
  • Rigomagus => Remagen, Rhineland-Palatinate
  • Sorviodurum => Straubing, Bavaria
  • Tolbiacum => Zuelpich, North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Tricensimae => Xanten, North Rhine-Westphalia

France

  • Aginnum => Agen, Lot-et-Garonne
  • Aquae Sextiae => Aix-en-Provence
  • Alalia => Aleria, Corse
  • Arausio => Orange
  • Arelate (previously Theline) => Arles
  • Argentoratum (then Stratoeburgus) => Strasbourg
  • Augusta Suessionum => Soissons, Picardie
  • Augusta Viromanduorum => Saint-Quentin, Picardie
  • Augustodunum (formerly Bibracte) => Autun, Bourgogne
  • Augustodurum => Bayeux, Normandie
  • Augustomagus => Senlis, Picardie
  • Augustonemetum (previously Nemossos) => Clermont-Ferrand
  • Augustoritum => Limoges
  • Autricum => Chartres
  • Avaricum => Bourges, Cher
  • Avenio => Avignon
  • Bagacum => Bavay (village), Nord
  • Besontio => Besançon, Franche-Comté
  • Burdigala => Bordeaux
  • Caesarodunum => Tours
  • Caesaromagus => Beauvais, Picardie
  • Camaracum => Cambrai, Nord
  • Caranusca => Hackenberg (village), Lorraine
  • Carcaso => Carcassonne
  • Cenabum (then Aurelianis) => Orléans
  • Colonia Forum Segusiavorum => Feurs, Loire
  • Colonia Nemausa => Nîmes
  • Condate Riedonum => Rennes
  • Condatomagus => La Graufesenque, Aveyron
  • Darioritum => Vannes, Bretagne
  • Decem Pagi => Tarquimpol (village), Lorraine
  • Divio => Dijon
  • Divodurum => Metz
  • Duacum => Douai
  • Durocortorum Remorum => Reims
  • Gesoriacum (or Portus Itius) => Boulogne-sur-Mer
  • Juliomagus => Angers
  • Lemonum (or Limonum) => Poitiers
  • Lucus Augusti => Luc-en-Diois, Drôme
  • Lusonum => Lezoux, Puy-de-Dôme
  • Lutetia => Paris
  • Massilia (previously Massalia) => Marseille
  • Mediolanum Aulercorum => Evreux
  • Mediolanum Santonum => Saintes, Charente-Maritime
  • Narbo Martius => Narbonne
  • Nemetacum Atrebatum => Arras
  • Nicaea (previously Nikaia) => Nice
  • Noviodunum => Soissons
  • Pons Saravi => Sarrebourg (village), Lorraine
  • Portus Namnetus => Nantes
  • Reginca => Saint-Servan (village), Bretagne
  • Ricciacum => Ritzing (village), Lorraine
  • Rotomagus => Rouen
  • Samarobriva => Amiens
  • Tolosa => Toulouse
  • Tullum Leucorum => Toul, Lorraine
  • Tres Tabernae => Saverne (village), Alsace
  • Valentia => Valence
  • Valentianae => Valenciennes
  • Vasio Vocontiorum => Vaison-la-Romaine
  • Verodunum => Verdun
  • Vesuna => Périgueux, Dordogne
  • Vindinium => Le Mans
  • Vorgium => Carhaix (village), Bretagne

Switzerland

  • Arbor Felix => Arbon, Thurgau
  • Aventicum => Avenches (village), Vaud
  • Augusta Raurica => Kaiseraugst (village), Aargau
  • Basilea => Basel
  • Curia Raetorum => Chur*, Graubünden
  • Genava => Genève/Geneva
  • Lousanna => Lausanne
  • Octodurum => Martigny, Valais
  • Salodurum => Solothurn
  • Tenedo => Bad Zurzach (village), Aargau
  • Turicum => Zürich
  • Vindonissa => Windisch (village), Aargau

Austria

  • Aelium Cetium (then Treisma) => Sankt Pölten, Lower Austria
  • Brigantium (formerly Brigantion) => Bregenz, Vorarlberg
  • Carnuntum => Deutsch-Altenburg - Petronell-Carnuntum (village), Lower Austria
  • Iuenna => Jaunstein (village), Carinthia
  • Juvavum (or Salisburgium or Iuvavia) => Salzburg
  • Lauriacum => Enns, Upper Austria
  • Lentie (formerly Lentos) => Linz, Upper Austria
  • Noreia => Neumarkt in der Steiermark, Styria
  • Oenipons => Innsbruck, Tyrol
  • Ovilava => Wels, Upper Austria
  • Veldidena => Wilten (Innsbruck), Tyrol
  • Vindobona => Vienna/Wien
  • Virunum => Maria Saal, Carinthia

Italy

  • Abellinum => Avellino, Campania
  • ad Aesim => Falconara Marittima, Marche
  • ad Martis => S. Maria in Pantano (village), Umbria
  • Aecae (or Aikai or Ece) => Troia/Troja (village), Puglia
  • Aeclanum => Mirabella Eclano (village), Campania
  • Aesernia => Isernia, Molise
  • Agrigentum (formerly Akragas) => Agrigento, Sicilia
  • Aquileia => Aquileia (village), Friuli-Venezia Giulia
  • Aquilonia => Aquilonia (village), Campania
  • Albintemelium (or Albintimilium) => Ventimiglia, Liguria
  • Altinum => Altino (Village), Veneto
  • Ameria => Amelia, Umbria
  • Ammurianum => Murano, Venezia
  • Ancona => Ancona
  • Antium => Anzio, Lazio
  • Apua => Pontremoli (village), Toscana
  • Arconisium => Racconigi (village). Piemonte
  • Aricia => Ariccia, Lazio
  • Ariminum => Rimini
  • Arretium => Arezzo
  • Aternum => Pescara, Abruzzo
  • Barium => Bari, Puglia
  • Bauzanum => Bolzano
  • Beneventum => Benevento, Campania
  • Bergomum => Bergamo
  • Bobium, Ebovium => Bobbio (village), Emilia-Romagna
  • Bononia (formerly Felsina) => Bologna
  • Boreana => Burano, Venezia
  • Brixellum => Brescello (village), Emilia-Romagna
  • Brixia => Brescia
  • Brundisium (formerly Brentesion) => Brindisi
  • Butunti (formerly Butontinoi) => Bitonto, Puglia
  • Caesena => Cesena, Emilia-Romagna
  • Caralis (formerly Karalis) => Cagliari, Sardegna
  • Campus vassorum => Campobasso, Molise
  • Canusium => Canosa, Puglia
  • Capua => Capua
  • Casinum => Cassino, Lazio
  • Castra Nicia => Caltanissetta, Sicilia
  • Castra Taurinorum (later Augusta Taurinorum) => Turin (Torino)
  • Catania (formerly Ætna, then Katáne) => Catania, Sicilia
  • Caudium => Montesarchio (village), Campania
  • Centum Cellae => Civitavecchia, Lazio
  • Civitas Sancti Romuli => Sanremo, Liguria
  • Comum => Como, Lombardia
  • Consentia => Cosenza, Calabria
  • Cremona => Cremona, Lombardia
  • Croton => Crotone, Calabria
  • Cumae (formerly Kymi) => Cuma (village), Campania
  • Derthona => Tortona, Piemonte
  • Drepanum (formerly Drépanon) => Trapani, Sicilia
  • Egnatia (or Ignatia, or Gnatia) => Anazzo, Puglia
  • Fabiranum (or Fabrianum) => Fabriano
  • Fanum Fortunae => Fano, Marche
  • Firmum (or Picenum) => Fermo
  • Florentia => Florence (Firenze)
  • Formiae => Formia, Lazio
  • Forum Livii => Forli, Emilia-Romagna
  • Forum Popilii => Forlimpopoli, Emilia-Romagna
  • Fulginiae (or Fulginium) => Foligno, Umbria
  • Fundi => Fondi, Lazio
  • Genua => Genoa (Genova)
  • Haenna => Enna, Sicilia
  • Hasta => Asti, Piemonte
  • Herdonia (or Herdonoia) => Ordona, Puglia
  • Heraclea => Lucania/Policoro, Basilicata
  • Herculaneum => Ercolano, Campania
  • Hispellum (or Colonia Julia Hispellum) => Spello (village), Umbria
  • Hydruntum (or Hydrus) => Otranto (village), Puglia
  • Iguvium (or Eugubium) => Gubbio, Umbria
  • Interamna Nahars (or Interamna Nahartium) => Terni, Umbria
  • Interamnia Praetutiana => Teramo, Abruzzo
  • Labellum => Lavello
  • Lilybaeum => Marsala, Sicilia
  • Luca => Lucca
  • Luceria => Lucera, Puglia
  • Lupiae (formerly Sybar) => Lecce, Puglia
  • Luna => Luni (village), Liguria
  • Mantua => Mantua (Mantova), Lombardia
  • Mediolanum => Milan (Milano)
  • Mevania => Bevagna (village), Umbria
  • Messana (formerly Zancle , then Messene) => Messina
  • Metapontum => Metaponto, Basilicata
  • Metheola => Matera, Basilicata
  • Minturnae => Minturno, Campania
  • Mutina => Modena
  • Neapolis (formerly Parthenope) => Naples (Napoli)
  • Neapolis => Polignano. Puglia
  • Nequinum => Narni, Umbria
  • Nora => Pula, Sardegna
  • Novaria => Novara, Piemonte
  • Nola => Nola, Campania
  • Nursia => Norcia, Umbria
  • Olmedum => Olmedo, Sardegna
  • Ostium => Ostia, Lazio
  • Paestum (formerly Poseidonia) => Capaccio (village), Campania
  • Panormus (formerly Zîz) => Palermo
  • Patavium => Padua (Padova)
  • Perusia => Perugia
  • Placentia => Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna
  • Pisa => Pisa
  • Pisaurum => Pesaro, Marche
  • Pistorium => Pistoia, Toscana
  • Pollentia => Pollenzo, Piemonte
  • Portus Naonis => Pordenone, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
  • Potentia => Potenza
  • Puteoli (formerly Dicaearchia) => Pozzuoli, Campania
  • Ragusa Ibla (formerly Hybla Heraia) => Ragusa, Sicilia
  • Ravenna => Ravenna
  • Rhegium Julium (formerly Rhegion) => Reggio Calabria
  • Regium Lepidi (or Lepidum Regium) => Reggio Emilia
  • Roma => Rome
  • Saenna Julia => Siena
  • Salernum (formerly Irna) => Salerno
  • Savo => Savona, Liguria
  • Silvium => Gravina, Puglia
  • Sinuessa => Mondragone
  • Sipontum => Manfredonia, Puglia
  • Scylacium (Scylletium, Scolatium, Scolacium, Scyllaceum, Scalacium, later Minervium or Colonia Minervia) => Squillace, Calabria
  • Spoletium => Spoleto, Umbria
  • Stabiae => Castellammare di Stabia, Campania
  • Suasa => Castelleone di Suasa (village), Marche
  • Sybaris => Sibari, Calabria
  • Syracusae (formerly Sirako) => Syracuse (Siracusa)
  • Tarentum => Taranto
  • Tarvisium => Treviso, Veneto
  • Tauromenium (formerly Tauromenion) => Taormina, Sicilia
  • Teate Marrucinorum => Chieti, Abruzzo
  • Tergeste => Trieste
  • Tarracina (or Anxur) => Terracina, Lazio
  • Thermae Himerenses => Termini Imerese, Sicilia
  • Ticinum => Pavia
  • Tifernum Tiberinum => Città di Castello, Umbria
  • Tridentum => Trento
  • Tuder => Todi, Umbria
  • Tusculum => Frascati, Lazio
  • Uria (or Hyria or Hyrium) => Oria, Puglia
  • Urbinum Mataurense (or Urvinum Mataurense) => Urbino, Marche
  • Vedinum (or Utinum) => Udine
  • Velia (formerly Elea) => Ascea, Campania
  • Velitrae => Velletri, Lazio
  • Venusia => Venosa, Basilicata
  • Vercellae => Vercelli, Piemonte
  • Verona => Verona
  • Vibo Valentia (formerly Hipponion or Hipponium) => Vibo Valentia, Calabria
  • Vicentia (or Vicetia, or Vincentia) => Vicenza, Veneto
  • Vigiliae => Bisceglie, Puglia
  • Viglebanum (or Vigebanum) => Vigevano, Lombardia
  • Vigueria (Viguerium) => Voghera, Lombardia
  • Vipitenum => Sterzing-Vipiteno (village), Trentino-Alto Adige
  • Volaterrae => Volterra, Toscana
  • Volsinii Novi (Volsinium) => Bolsena, Lazio


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