Ancient_and_modern_York_a_guide

4 ANCIENT AND
most extensive valley in Britain, if not all Europe ;"* com
municating with the mighty estuary of the Humber,
affording what was of the utmost consequence to the
Romans, safe anchorage ;—statio bene Jida carinis. Tacitus
tells us, that Agricola, " as well by public assistance as
by warm exhortations, encouraged the natives to build
temples, courts of justice, and commodious dwellinghouses."
Now taking in connection with this, the fact,
that the emperor Hadrian, in the year a.d. 134, took up
his residence in York, there can be no difficulty in inferring
that York was one of the places alluded to. We find it,
soon after, the capital of the country, the chosen residence
of emperors, honoured with the title of civitas, the word
applied to Rome itself, and distinguished by a temple of
Beexona, built no where but in Rome or in the principal
cities of the empire. The Roman soldiers were accom
plished masons, being trained to use the pick-axe, spade,
and trowel, as well as military arms. Rome at this
time possessed some of the grandest works ever constructed
by the hands of man; for example, the pantheon, the
Colosseum, the circus maximus, and the capitol ; we can
not, therefore, doubt that York was built after the models
at Rome, in a maimer suitable to the dignity of its imperial
tenants ; and with Roman architecture, were introduced
into York, Roman laws,f habits, and customs. The
Romans called York, Ebobactjm and Civitas Bbigantiitm.
The origin of the present name of the cityj has
• Drake.
+ The cities of the Roman provinces enjoyed considerable privileges, and
possessed a distinct political existence. The ruling body, termed the Curia,
was composed of Senators or Decurians, but besides the main corporation, each
city contained various colleges, companies, or guilds, of traders and artificers ;
and if I were a Freemason, which I am not, I should perhaps be able to ascertain
whether the "Lodge of Antiquity" at York, is, as the members of the craft
pretend, a real scion from the Roman stock, subsisting through so many
changes.—Palgrave. The famous Eoman lawyer, Papianus, the chief minister
of justice, under Geta, had his tribunal at York.—Brady on Parliaments.
t The following are ancient names of the city of York : Eboracum, Civitas
Brigantium, Eboracvm, Kacr-Ebravc, Cair-Effroc, Evor-wic, Efer-wic, Ceastcr,
IsTrovicvm, Altera-Eoma, Victoria, Seita, Civitas-Eboracum, Yure-wic, Yorke.