Colonia Claudia Victricensis (Colchester, Essex, England)
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Festus Didius,
curiales of Colonia Claudia Victricensis at Camulodunum,
Britannia Superiorus,
Britanniae Diocesis,
Northern Tetrachy,
VirtualRome
Mona quae distat a Camaloduno Britannia oppido circiter CC milibus....
With this offhand mention by Pliny the Elder of an astronomical occurrence that
could be seen on Mona (The Isle of Man) 200 miles away, Camulodunum became the oldest recorded town in Britain.
Camulodunum's history can be traced back to pottery finds a millennium earlier. The Trinobantes tribe, who long had a fortress there, were conquered by Tasciovanus of Verulamium. His son Cunobelinus (Cymbeline) established a royal court and mint and named the city after Camulos, Celtic name for the god of war.
This king of the Britons and his
capital city were the main objective of the Roman invasion during the reign of the emperor Claudius. On his victory he founded the Roman colonia -- Colonia Claudia
Victricensis in Britain at Camulodunum -- adjacent to Cunobeline's city after the area had been less than seven years a legionary fortress town. Although the administrative center of Britannia moved from Camulodunum to Londinium during the violent past and the rebellion of Boudicca, the city soon became one of the chief towns of Britannia.
Location
Camulodunum is situated on the river Colne, 16 km from the sea and 80 km northeast of Londinium. There are beaches and estuaries on the east coast and scenic landscapes inland, marshy and rolling river valleys. The western side was once bounded by four massive linear earthworks, mostly the work of Cunobeline, some of which have been incorporated into the city walls. A prosperous town, Camulodunum's villas and farms spread far beyond the city walls.