The Roman History of Avenches
4 July 2022
The Celts
Julius Caesar’s Book de Bello Gallico (100-44 BC) tells the story of the migration of some Celtic tribes (Helvetii, Rauraci, and others) to eastern France in 58 BC.
Far less known outside Switzerland is the history of their defeat in that year at Bibracte and their return to their homelands in Switzerland.
The Helvetians and Romans
Two colonies were founded by the Romans (Colonia Iulia Equestris (Nyon) and Augusta Raurica (Augst) around 44 BC. The tribes became allies (foederati) of the Romans. The Pax Romana was about to begin and would last, with some violent interruptions (mainly in 68/69 AD), until 260 AD.
Aventicum
The city (Colonia) of Aventicum (Avenches, canton Vaud) became the provincial capital of the Helvetians, with around 20,000 inhabitants.
Imperial power was everywhere in the city. The gold bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius was discovered in 1939. Many other artefacts—coins, medallions, ivory objects, portraits, statues, mosaics, symbols of power, religion, and myths—surrounded the ceremonies belonging to the imperial cult and honouring the semi-divine imperial family.
One of the main centres of this cult was the theatre. The theatre played a crucial role in Roman society. The theatre was a public medium, a place of propaganda and self-representation. The audience was seated strictly according to their ranks and hierarchy.
These expensive and sumptuous edifices and spectacles were financed mainly by members of the local elite (ordo decurionum) or other wealthy locals.
The imperial cult was an integral part of each spectacle, featuring processions and sacrifices.
The amphitheatre became popular in the second century. The Colosseum in Rome (built around 70 AD) became the model of the provincial amphitheatres.
Roman society was deeply religious, and the temple stood opposite the theatre, the curia, the forum, and the basilica.
Monuments and statues were erected and financed by the local elite in honour of the imperial family or local notables as a sign of respect and gratitude for their euergetism (generosity, as evidenced by funding public buildings, games, and food distribution, among other things).
The Roman Museum in Avenches (Musée romain), housed in the medieval tower of the Roman Amphitheatre, offers a comprehensive overview of life in a provincial Roman town.
The completed theatre can also be visited, including what remains of the temple (le Cigognier), the amphitheatre, some burial sites, and other Roman Avenches remains.
(Source and further information: www.avenches.ch)