Buildings During the time of
Augustus (63 BC to 14 AD) the Romans built a large
theatre (which was restored in 57 AD on the order of
Caius Heius Primus). The galleries underneath the current
Rua da Prata date from 20–35 AD; they were rebuilt in 330 AD. Uncovered in 1771 following Lisbon's devastating earthquake, the true purpose of these underground Roman passages has been subject to varying interpretations. Contemporary consensus leans towards them being a cryptoporticus—a structural innovation of the Roman Empire times, used to stabilize and level the ground for significant constructions, particularly in uneven terrains. The
Thermae Cassiorum (
Cassian Baths, named for
Quintus Cassius Longinus and
Lucius Cassius, were built in 44 AD. The building was renovated in 336 AD. Several
temples were built in the city, dedicated to
Jupiter,
Concordia,
Diana or
Minerva (on the
castle hill),
Cybele (near current
Largo da Madalena),
Tethys (current
São Nicolau church) and Phrygiae (an uncommon cult from
Asia Minor), to the
Imperial Cult and to
Vestal Virgins (in
Chelas). A large
necropolis from the 1st–4th centuries AD existed under
Praça da Figueira and it is known that a large forum (probably in current
Largo dos Lóis) and an aqueduct were built. A
circus and hippodrome was built around the 3rd or 4th century AD. Residential buildings (
domus) within blocks (
insulae) existed in the area between the modern castle hill and downtown. The
city wall was strengthened in the 4th to 5th century AD, and around the city there were also
bridges (in
Sacavém and
Alcântara) and
villae. File:Lisboa - Ruínas do Teatro Romano.jpg|Lisbon Roman theatre File:PedraRomanaSe.JPG|Roman theatre stone re-used in the
Lisbon Cathedral File:Cerca Velha - Portas do Sol.JPG|Part of the old city wall File:Rua dos Correeiros's Archaeological Centre.jpg|Rua dos Correeiros Archaeological Centre
Economy Economically, Olisipo was known for its
garum, a sort of fish sauce highly prized by the elites of the Empire and exported in
amphorae to Rome and other cities. Wine,
salt and the city's famously fast horses were also exported. The city came to be very prosperous through suppression of
piracy and technological advances, which allowed a boom in the trade with the newly Roman Provinces of
Britannia (particularly
Cornwall) and the
Rhine, and through the introduction of
Roman culture to the tribes living by the river
Tagus in the interior of
Hispania. The city was connected by a broad road to Western Hispania's two other large cities,
Bracara Augusta in the province of
Tarraconensis (today's Portuguese
Braga), and
Emerita Augusta, the capital of
Lusitania (now
Mérida in Spain).
Government Around 80 BC, the Roman
Quintus Sertorius led a rebellion against the
dictator Sulla. During this period, he organized the tribes of
Lusitania (and
Hispania) and was on the verge of forming an independent province in the
Sertorian War when he died. The city was ruled by an
oligarchical council dominated by two families, the
Julii and the
Cassii. The
Caecilii also held some power. Petitions are recorded addressed to the governor of the province in Emerita and to Emperor
Tiberius, such as one requesting help dealing with "
sea monsters" allegedly responsible for shipwrecks. The city was administered by two
duumviri and two
aediles. •
Lucius Iulius Maelo Caudicus was one of the
duumviri in the 1st century AD. •
Lucius Iulius Iustus (son of
Lucius Iulius Reburrus) was one of the city aediles in the 1st or 2nd century AD. Between 140 and 150
Lucius Statius Quadratus, a governor, was in Olisipo. In 185 Sextus
Tigidius Perennis, governor of Lusitania, visited the region. Between 200 and 209
Junius Celanius, a governor, also came to Olisipo.
Lucidius was the native
Roman governor of the city in 468, having helped the
Suebi under
Remismund to take it.
Religion Olisipo, like most great cities in the Western Empire, was a centre for the dissemination of
Christianity. Its first attested
Bishop was
St. Potamius (c. 356), and there were several
martyrs killed during persecutions, such as the
Diocletianic Persecution;
Verissimus, Maxima, and Julia are the most significant names. According to legend, the three were sons of a Roman senator, martyred in Lisbon in the 4th century, under the Roman governor
Ageian or
Tarquinius in the time of Emperor
Diocletian. A temple was then built in the
Campolide area, whose ruins still existed in the
Middle Ages . The
relics of the saints are kept in the
Santos-o-Velho Church. In the middle of the 4th century the Olisipo diocesis was formed. There is also the legend of
Saint Ginés (
São Gens), presented as one of the first martyr bishops of Lisbon and remembered in the
Nossa Senhora do Monte chapel. At the end of Roman rule, Olisipo was one of the first Christian cities. ==Roman architectural remains in the region==