Origins The city of
Clunia was founded on a mount a short distance from a Celtiberian settlement called
Cluniaco, or
Kolounioukou, belonging to the
Arevaci, a Pre-Roman tribe that belonged to the family of
Celtiberians. Clunia was built from scratch. Unlike other sites conquered by the Romans, Clunia did not occupy the site of an earlier city or town. Clunia boasted two
public baths, a
basilica, a
forum, many taverns and shops, a theater, and a large
temple dedicated to
Jupiter.
Apogee From
Livy, we know that the site was besieged by
Pompey in his fight against
Sertorius in 75 BC; Pompey was forced to leave Clunia partly due to weather conditions there. After resistance by Sertorius, Pompey finally destroyed what existed of Clunia in 72 BC. Clunia fell under the control of the
Vacceos in 56 BC, but subsequently fell again under Roman control, as did the rebelling Vacceos and
Arevaci. Years later, the city was formally founded
ex novo during the time of Emperor
Tiberius, as part of the Roman plan to pacify the region after the
Cantabrian Wars. It was first granted the status of
municipium, and minted small coinage,
asses and
dupondi, on which appear the local
quattuorviri, who were in charge of their minting. The city acquired, possibly during the reign of
Galba or
Hadrian, the status of
colonia and the epithet of
Sulpicia after Sulpicius Galba, governor of
Hispania, proclaimed himself emperor, and who in 68 AD took refuge in Clunia during the anti-Neronian revolution. At this town he received news of the death of the emperor and the announcement of his own elevation as emperor by the
Roman Senate (because of this some essayist added the epithet of Galba to the name of the city). He traveled to
Rome from Clunia. The splendor of the Roman city of
Clunia was extended during the 1st and 2nd century AD, the same as other cities of the northern plateau of
Hispania such as
Asturica Augusta or
Iuliobriga, located in the provinces of
León and
Cantabria, respectively. During its maximum apogee, it is calculated that the city of
Clunia came to have around 30,000 inhabitants.
Decline During the 3rd century, a gradual depopulation of the urban nucleus took place which was connected with the
crisis of the 3rd century and the incipient
decline of the Western Roman Empire. It is evident that there were
Barbarian invasions into Clunia. In fact, it is verified that, towards the end of the 3rd century, the city was burned by Barbarian tribes. These invasions, as well as economic instability, may have contributed to the inexorable decline of Clunia. Nevertheless, it does not appear that there was a violent and general destruction; in any event, this preludes the end of the Roman cultural influence in the city of Clunia and its surroundings. Excavations reveal destroyed urban areas in Clunia, which were not rebuilt at the end of the 3rd century. Some limited reconstruction took place during the reigns of
Diocletian and
Constantine, but large parts of the city were uninhabited by the 7th century, during the
Visigothic era. The full conquest of Visigothic Hispania by the Muslims, the city and its surroundings were conquered by the troops of the
Berber general
Tariq ibn-Ziyad during the year 713. Later, Christians repopulated the city in 912, locating their city on the site that the current
Coruña del Conde occupies, located where many Roman ruins from the city of Clunia can be seen. Later, the village of Peñalba de Castro was built, which received the meseta of the enclave of Clunia in exchange for water in a time when the value of water was more valuable than the few ruins not yet buried that remained of the abandoned Roman city. ==Archaeological remains==