Municipia, Roman Republic

Abstract

AbstractMunicipia(sing.municipium) were the institution by which the Romans incorporated Italian communities into the Roman state, permitting the expansion of the Roman citizen‐body without fundamentally affecting Rome's city‐state (polis) institutions. They were a vital mechanism of Roman expansion and control in Italy and later in the provinces. Although incorporated into the Roman state,municipiamaintained their local identity and retained their local political autonomy. After the Social War (91–88bce), all Italian communities becamemunicipiaand before the end of the Republican period, the process of granting municipal status to communities in some provinces had begun.