History of Aquileia

Aquileia was founded in 181 BC in a strategic place to control the two critical boundaries of the second century BC, the so-called "Amber Road", which connected the transalpine world with the sea and the karst area, that could be subject to invasions from the East. In 186 there was an invasion by Transalpine Gaul towards the “Venetia”. They built an “oppidum”, a "fortified city". In 183 the Roman Senate decided the foundation of Aquileia.

The reasons that led him to found a city in that place were many, as the easiest to defend the eastern area by barbarian populations. In 181 BC it was deducted as a colony of Latin Law (or a city with its own senate, but depending on foreign policy from Rome), in which were immediately transferred a large number of soldiers with their families.

Aquileia was founded in a strategic place, or on the banks of the river "Natissa," the ancient “Akilis”, once navigable, as evidenced by the presence of the port, connected to the “Amber Road”; Aquileia was also the central point of three most important roads, the “Via Postumia”, starting from Genoa, “Via Annia” from Padua, and “Via Popilia”, which started from Rimini.

In the Age of Augustus (63 BC-14 AD), Aquileia became the capital of the “X Regio Venetia et Histria”. This was the time most flourishing for the city, which was totally renovated with the construction of imposing buildings in public places. The life of Aquileia was just very hard, because of its characteristic of border city. Indeed, in 169 AD it was invaded by barbarians from the North-East, the Quad and the Marcoman, but the city suffered a fatal blow by Attila (V century), who, in 452, went down to Italy and set on fire the city.

From this moment Aquileia was devastated by continual invasions, including the Lombard, after which the patriarch and the inhabitants moved to Grado. The city in Roman times was equipped with the forum, amphitheatre, circus, theatre and several small and large “thermae”, which are now an attraction for tourists.

Etymology

According to an etymology established among scholars, it seems that the city's name has its roots in "Akilis," a pre-Roman term, of Celtic origin, indicating that the river "[...] which probably gave rise to the name of Aquileia […]”. The basis of the name comes from the term "wara" ("water"), which is precisely the root of Aquileia, from 'Aquilis', the name of a river, with similarities in other regions, including Istria (See AA.VV., AA.VV., “Centro di antichità alto-adriatiche”, “Il territorio di Aquileia nell'antichità”, Arti Grafiche Friulane ["Centre of Ancient Upper-Adriatic", "The territory of Aquileia in antiquity," Friulian Graphic Arts], 1979:126). Some scholars said that the name derives from the “Eagle”, "that the Roman legions carried as ensign" (See G. Geromet, “Aquileia, la grande metropoli Romana” ["Aquileia, the great Roman city”], Fondazione della Società per la conservazione della Basilica di Aquileia , 1996: 16). In any case, accepting the first hypothesis, which seems to be shared more effectively, and also the most significant, Aquileia would mean "City of (or 'on') the River 'Aquilis'."

Moreover E. Campanile (See "Linguistic and Cultural Relations between the Peoples of Ancient Italy, Giardini, 1991, p. 74) also noted that the hydronym “Aquilis” is a good comparison with the Slovenian term “vup-”, which meaning "river". Confirm the hypothesis related to the concept of "river", even the “American Name Society” (State University College, 1961, p. 94): "[...] The name ‘Akilleus’ is a loanword Pelasgian containing ‘Ak’, Latin ‘aqua’ (‘water’), and identical in formation with Venetic ‘Aquileia’, ‘Akulis’, 'Aquilis' and Illyrian Aquilo’[...]". Agree with this solution also prof. Semerano, who, after saying that the Roman eagle “has nothing to do with the etymology of Aquileia”, adds some other details about the origin of the Celtic name: "[...] Some Celtic finds, effigies of King Celts, the cult of Belen and the hydronym 'Aquilis', show that the name of' 'oppidum' is a pre-Roman and Celtic term, remembering that of Buda, 'Akish', romanized in 'Aquineum' [. ..] "(See G. Semerano, “Le Origini della Cultura Europea” [" The Origins of European Culture "], Olschki, 1984, p. 644 and note 90).