{"id":14854,"date":"2026-06-10T12:38:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T19:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/?p=14854"},"modified":"2026-05-24T15:45:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T22:45:08","slug":"lucus-augusti-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/10\/lucus-augusti-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Lucus Augusti, Hispania Tarraconensis – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The walls of Lucus Augusti near the cathedral.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most Recent Visit:<\/strong> July 2022<\/p>\n

The Roman settlement of Lucus Augusti (also sometimes called Lucus Asturum) seems to have been founded sometime after the conclusion of the Cantabrian Wars in 19 BCE. One of the primary belligerents in the war were the Gallaeci, a broad tribal group that occupied the far northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula, roughly equivalent to the modern region named for the tribe; Galicia. In antiquity, the region was also named after the Gallaeci as Gallaecia (or Callaecia). After the capture of the chief settlement of the Capori (a tribe of the Gallaeci) by Paullus Fabius Maximus, likely located nearby, Lucus Augusti was founded by Maximus. Evidence suggests a legionary camp predates the establishment of the colony, probably used during the campaigns of the Cantabrian Wars or perhaps even earlier, as Roman incursions into the area date back to about the middle of the 1st<\/sup> century BCE.<\/p>\n

\"Fragmentary<\/a>
Fragmentary mosaic depicting Oceanus from the Domus Oceani. Now in the Museo Provincial de Lugo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the establishment of the colony of Lucus Augusti along the banks of the Minius (modern Mi\u00f1o River), the settlement became the seat of the conventus lucensis<\/em>, one of the three conventus<\/em> that the region of Gallaecia was subdivided into. The territory was initially included in the province of Lusitania during Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa\u2019s division of Hispania in 27 BCE, but was transferred to Hispania Tarraconensis in Augustus\u2019 revision shortly thereafter. By the 1st<\/sup> century CE, Pliny the Elder would note that the population of the conventus lucensis<\/em> contained 166,000 freemen and 16 tribal groups. Lucus Augusti was situated along the road between Bracara Augusta (modern Braga) and Asturica Augusta<\/a> (modern Astorga), a vital route through the gold mining region.<\/p>\n

In the early 3rd<\/sup> century CE, Caracalla reorganized the divisions of Hispania, and Gallaecia was briefly split off from Hispania Tarraconensis along with the region of Asturica into their own province. Hispania Tarraconensis was reestablished around 238 CE. Starting around 260 CE, Gothic incursions necessitated the construction of the now-famous fortifications of the city, built in the years following the start of the incursions. Around 293 CE, during Diocletian\u2019s reforms under the tetrarchy, Gallaecia was once again split off into its own province, with Lucus Augusti being one of the chief towns. By 411 CE, the city and region had been conquered by the Germanic Suebi, who established the Kingdom of Galicia.<\/p>\n