Level 3 - Life in Roman Sussex - The Towns - Chichester as a civitas capital

The Towns

Chichester as a civitas capital

The inscribed base of a statue of Jupiter, reading: IOM IN HONORUM DO MVS DIVINA, 'To Jupiter greatest of the gods. In honour of the divine house…'

Upon Togidubnus's death, the newly founded urban settlement at Chichester became the capital of the civitas Regni. As such, it was the seat of the ordo (see Administration & Society), which would have had authority over internal civitas matters. Within the town itself, the decurions of the ordo would have been responsible for personally financing municipal buildings, public amenities and festivals, although it is likely that collective donations were more usual. The decurions would have met within the basilica, which flanked one side of the town's forum, the location of which is not clear.

The Forum acted as the financial, commercial, social and administrative centre of town, and would undoubtedly have contained a number of monumental statues and inscriptions, such as the Jupiter statue base shown here. The development and eventual fate of the Chichester forum-basilica complex is unfortunately unknown, but if it followed that of another Roman town called Silchester - where ironworkers took up residence in the basilica at the end of the 3rd century - then its administrative importance may have decreased.