Noricum

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Noricum in ancient geography was a Celtic kingdom stretching over the area of today's Austria and Slovenia, and in the past a province of the Roman Empire. It was bounded on the north by the Danube, on the west by Raetia and Vindelicia, on the east by Pannonia, on the south by Italia and Dalmatia. It roughly corresponds to the greater part of modern Styria and Carinthia, and part of Austria west of Vienna, Bavaria and Salzburg.

The original population appears to have consisted of Pannonians (a people kin to the Illyrians), who after the great emigration of the Gauls became subordinate to various Celtic tribes, chief amongst them being the Taurisci, probably called Norici by the Romans from their capital Noreia (Neumarkt in der Steiermark).

The country is mountainous and the soil poor but is rich in iron and supplied material for the manufacturing of arms in Pannonia, Moesia and northern Italy. The famous Noric steel was largely used in the making of Roman weapons ("Noricus ensis," Horace, Odes, i. 16. o).

The inhabitants were a brave and warlike people, who paid more attention to cattle-breeding than to agriculture, although it is probable that the Romans, by draining the marshes and cutting down timber, increased the fertility of the soil. Gold and salt were also found in considerable quantities; the plant called saliunca (the wild or Celtic nard) grew in abundance, and was used as a perfume (Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia xxi. 20.43). Noricum was the southern outpost of the northern or Celtic peoples and the starting-point of their attacks upon Italy. It is in Noricum that we first hear of almost all these Celtic invaders. Archaeological research, particularly in the cemeteries of Hallstatt, less than 40 km from Noreia, have shown that there was a vigorous civilization there centuries before recorded history. The Hallstatt cemeteries contained weapons and ornaments from the Bronze age, through the period of transition, up to the fully-developed Iron age. Ridgeway has made a strong case for the theory that the cradle of the Homeric Achaeans was in Noricum and neighbouring areas.

The Noric language was a Continental Celtic language. It is attested in only two fragmentary inscriptions, which do not provide enough information for any conclusions about the nature of the language to be drawn [1], [2].

[edit] Roman rule

The Roman Empire c. 120. Noricum highlighted.

Noricum was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 16 BC. For a long time the Noricans enjoyed independence under princes of their own and carried on commerce with the Romans. In 48 BC they took the side of Julius Caesar (circa 100 BC-44 BC) in the civil war against Pompey (106 BC-48 BC). In 16 BC, having joined with the Pannonians in invading Histria, they were defeated by Publius Silius, proconsul of Illyricum. Thereafter, Noricum was called a province, although it was not organized as such. It remained a kingdom with the title regnum Noricum and was under the control of an imperial procurator. It was not until the reign of Antoninus Pius that the legion II Pia (afterwards called Italica) was stationed at Noricum, and the commander of the legion became the governor of the province. Circa 40 Noricum Kingdom was ultimately incorporated to the Roman Empire by Caligula (12-54).

Under Diocletian (245-313), Noricum was divided into Noricum ripense (along the Danube) and mediterranean (the southern mountainous district). Each division was under a praeses, and both belonged to the diocese of Illyria in the prefecture of Italy.

The Roman colonies and chief towns were Virunum (Maria Saal near Klagenfurt, medieval Clagenfurtum, Celovec), Ovilava (Wels), Celeia (Celje), Juvavum (Salzburg), Lauriacum (Lorch), at the mouth of the Enns, the ancient Anisus).