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NORICUM (Noricus ager)

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Originally appearing in Volume V19, Page 748 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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NORICUM (Noricus ager) , in See also:ancient See also:geography, a See also:district bounded on the N. by the See also:Danube, on the W. by See also:Raetia and See also:Vindelicia, on the E. by See also:Pannonia, on the S. by Pannonia and See also:Italy, corresponding to the greater See also:part of the See also:modern See also:Styria and See also:Carinthia, and part of See also:Austria, See also:Bavaria and See also:Salzburg. The See also:original See also:population appears to have consisted of Illyrians, who after the See also:great See also:emigration of the Gauls became subordinate to various See also:Celtic tribes, See also:chief amongst them being the Taurisci, probably called Norici by the See also:Romans from their See also:capital Noreia (Neumarkt). The See also:country is mountainous and the See also:soil poor, but it was See also:rich in See also:iron, and supplied material for the manufactories of arms in Pannonia, See also:Moesia and See also:northern Italy. The famous Noric See also:steel was largely used for the See also:Roman weapons (" Noricus ensis," See also:Horace, Odes, i. 16. 9). The inhabitants were a brave and warlike See also:people, who paid more See also:attention to See also:cattle-breeding than to; See also:agriculture, although it is probable that the Romans, by draining the marshes and cutting down See also:timber, increased the fertility of the soil. See also:Gold and See also:salt were also found in considerable quantities; the plant called saliunca (the See also:wild or Celtic nard) See also:grew in abundance, and was used as a perfume (See also:Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxi. 20.43). Noricum was the See also:southern outpost of the northern or Celtic peoples and the starting-point of their attacks upon Italy. It is in Noricum that we first hear of almost all these Celtic invaders.

Archaeological researches, particularly in the cemeteries of See also:

Hallstatt (q.v.), less than 40 M. from Noreia, have shown that for centuries before recorded See also:history there was a vigorous See also:civilization. The Hallstatt cemeteries contained weapons and ornaments from the See also:Bronze See also:age, through the See also:period of transition, up to the fully-See also:developed Iron age. See also:Professor Ridgeway (See also:Early Age of See also:Greece, i. ch. 5) has made out a strong See also:case for the theory that in Noricum and the neighbouring districts was the See also:cradle of the Homeric See also:Achaeans. For a See also:long See also:time the Noricans enjoyed See also:independence under princes of their own, and carried on See also:commerce with the Romans. In 48 B.C. they took the See also:side of See also:Caesar in the See also:civil See also:war against See also:Pompey. In 16, having joined with the Pannonians in invading Histria, they were defeated by Publius Silius, proconsul of Illyricum. From this time Noricum is called a See also:province, although not organized as such, but remaining a See also:kingdom with the See also:title regnum Noricum. It was under the See also:control of an imperial See also:procurator. It was not until the reign of See also:Marcus See also:Antoninus that the Legio II. Pia (afterwards called Italica) was stationed at Noricum, and the See also:commander of the See also:legion became the See also:governor of the province. Under See also:Diocletian, Noricum was divided into Noricum ripense (along the Danube) and mediterraneum (the southern mountainous district).

Each See also:

division was under a praeses, and both belonged to the See also:diocese of See also:Illyria in the prefecture of Italy. The Roman colonies and chief towns were Virunum (near Mariasaal), Ovilava (See also:Wels), Celeia (See also:Cilli), Juvavum (Salzburg), Lauriacum (See also:Lorch, at the mouth of the See also:Enns, the ancient Anisus). See A. Muchar, Das romische Norikum (Gratz, 1825) ; T. See also:Mommsen, Corpus inscriptionum Latinarum, iii. 587; J. See also:Marquardt, Romische Staalsverwaltung, i. (2nd ed., 1881) p. 290; See also:Smith's Dict. of Gk. and Roman Geog. (1873) ; See also:Mary B. Peaks, The See also:General Civil and Military See also:Administration of Noricum and Raetia (See also:Chicago, 1907) ; full references to ancient authorities in A. Holder, Alt-celtischer Sprachschatz, ii.

(1904). (J. H.

End of Article: NORICUM (Noricus ager)

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