Noviomagus Regnensium
Noviomagus Regnensium, located in modern-day Chichester, West Sussex, England, was an important settlement during the Roman occupation of Britain. Initially inhabited by the Regnenses tribe, it transformed into a military fort following the Roman invasion in AD 43. Under the rule of the tribal client king Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, Noviomagus became a center of administration and urban growth, evolving into a town with a structured layout and notable buildings. Among its significant structures were a forum, basilica, and a temple dedicated to Neptune and Minerva, reflecting the Roman influence and local tribal heritage.
The site is particularly renowned for the Fishbourne Roman Palace, a substantial complex that began as military granaries and evolved into an opulent residence with elaborate features, including mosaics and gardens. This palace, likely associated with Cogidubnus, showcases the architectural and cultural advancements of the time. Throughout the ensuing centuries, Noviomagus endured various changes, including fortification enhancements in response to naval threats and eventual decline following the withdrawal of Roman forces. The site's archaeological remains offer insight into the blend of Roman and local British culture, highlighting its historical significance in the region.
Noviomagus Regnensium
(Chichester)
A town in southern Britannia (Sussex, England), on the coastal plain at the foot of a spur of the South Downs, beside the river Lavant about a mile from its debouchment into an inlet and harbor (at Bosham). In pre-Roman times the district belonged to the tribe of the Reg(i)-ni or Regnenses. Following Iron Age occupation from the fourth to third centuries BC, revealed by recent excavations, the site became a military fort after the Roman landings in AD 43, which led to the establishment of the province of Britain. The local rule, however, of the tribal client king Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus (c 43–75/80) was confirmed by the Romans, and it was at Noviomagus that he established his capital, with the titles of Great King and Imperial Legate.
From c 45 onward, when the Roman army evacuated the place, it began to take on an urban appearance, which has been partly reconstructed by observation of the service trenches dug through the main streets of the modern town prior to the creation of pedestrian precincts. A series of early structures, of military style, have come to light (in the North-West Quadrant). There is evidence of a tidier street plan from c 75/85 onward. In the later second century an earthen defence wall was added, with masonry gates and two outside ditches; after 200, masonry was also incorporated in the wall. This township was about a hundred acres in size. Buildings included a forum, basilica, a temple of Neptune and Minerva (erected as an inscription records, in honor of the imperial house, by Cogidubnus' permission), in addition to a bathhouse and an amphitheater. Finds make it clear that the city developed a pottery industry. After naval assaults in 367 its fortifications were strengthened, but it is unknown to what extent it survived the withdrawal of the garrison c 385 and 407.
Noviomagus is chiefly remarkable for the great building complex and villa (or palace) of Fishbourne which stands at the head of the harbor. This site was first occupied c 43 to provide the military granaries and storehouses required by the Roman invasion force. But these structures were soon superseded by a private residence, at first made of wood and consisting of two separate buildings. Its occupation began c 50, while at about the same time work started on a handsome villa in the immediate vicinity, which was ready in the early 60s. It included a bathing establishment, an athletics room (palaestra), a colonnaded garden, and slaves' quarters, and the living rooms were decorated with wall paintings, mosaic floors (opus sectile) and marble veneers.
Soon after 75, however, the first steps were taken to replace this residence by the much larger palace that we see today, covering an area of ten acres. Its principal portion consisted of four wings enclosing an extensive central garden. The south wing, which lies beneath modern houses and a main road but apparently contained private apartments, was flanked by another garden extending down to the sea, where wharves and jetties were constructed to make a small private harbor. The east wing of the mansion, containing luxurious residential apartments, was entered through a colonnaded entrance hall, approached by visitors from Noviomagus across a small bridge. The west wing, at a slightly higher level, contained large public rooms with mosaic pavements, leading to a square, apsed audience chamber which was originally roofed by a stucco vault. The north wing consisted of an arrangement of twenty-three rooms (probably guest accommodation) round two colonnaded gardens.
The owner of this residence cannot be identified with certainty, but its grandeur strongly suggests that it was built for Cogidubnus himself. By the end of the first century, however (when his client princedom had been fully incorporated in the province), the building was split up into separate units, for which new polychrome mosaics were laid and new bath suites constructed. By the end of the third century another remodelling was under way; but at this juncture the whole complex was destroyed by fire.