ProQuest Dissertations - Historia Antigua

ainchild either of Q. Fabius Labeo and members of the Fulvian family, founders ofPotentia and Pisaurum, or of M. Aemilius Lepidus, the founder of Mutina and Parma andpersonal enemy of the Fulvii until 179 BCE. 59If the size of the allotment is indicative ofthe type of colony, then Potentia and Pisaurum should be grouped with the large citizencolonies of Mutina (five iugera), Parma (eight iugerd), Saturnia (ten iugera), andGraviscae (five iugera). 60colonies often boasted. 61These plots are sizeable, but nowhere near as large as LatinPatterson argues that the triple-sized plots of land given tocitizen colonists at Potentia and Pisaurum merely reflect the difficulty in finding citizencolonists; extra land served as an incentive to move so far from Rome.Without furtherevidence regarding the number of enlarged plots at these two colonies, it is difficult to saywhether Potentia and Pisaurum housed 2,000 colonists or 300. For now it will have to be59 See below, pp. 91-94, for further discussion on this rivalry and the implications for colonization schemesin Northern Italy.60 Laffi (2007), pp. 25-26 and 41-42. Cf. Salmon (1970), p. 104. Salmon also cites the objections of thecensor of 174, Postumius, to his colleague's building projects in Pisaurum and other colonies and Italiancommunities (Livy 41.27). Salmon sees this as evidence that the colonies were large enough to havemagistrates of their own to lease contracts for the projects. When one examines the issue from theviewpoint of the colonial commissioners and their connections, however, it makes more sense thatPostumius objected not to improvements in a large community, but rather to Q. Fulvius Flaccus usingRoman public funds to increase the client-bonds his family gained through M. Fulvius Flaccus' foundationof Pisaurum. For M. and Q. Fulvius Flaccus' relationship: Livy 40.30. For the argument between thecensors: Bispham (2006), p. 120 and Guidobaldi and Pesando (1989), p. 43.61 For example, the colonists of Thurii (193) received 20 iugera forpedites and for equites 40 iugera (Livy35.9.7-8). At Vibo Valentia (192), Has pedites received 15 iugera, and the equites 30 (Livy 35.40.5-6).The colonists of Bononia (189) received 70 iugera for equites, and 50 iugera for pedites (Livy 37.57.7-8).In Aquileia (IS3), pedites received 50 iugera, centurions 100 iugera, and equites 140 iugera each (Livy40.34.2-3). The pattern for the Latin colonies seems to be that more land was offered as the hostility of theneighbors and the distance from Rome increased. Laffi (2007), pp. 26 and 42-43 sees this as both anincentive for Roman citizens to give up their citizenship as well as a natural outcome of the politicoeconomicstatus of the Latin colonies: they were autonomous communities of allied people, and as such theamount of land the colonists received had no impact on the stability of the Roman socio-economic system.52 Patterson (2006), pp. 199-202. The quality of the land may have also affected the plot size, but the landaround Pisaurum and Potentia was fertile farmland so the quality does not seem to have been an issue there.67