In the Roman Empire, a mansio (from the Latin word mansus, the perfect passive participle of manere "to remain" or "to stay") was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling.[citation needed]
Plan of the fort Százhalombatta-Dunafüred (Matrica, Hungary): Mansio.
The roads which traversed the Ancient World were later surveyed, developed and carefully maintained by the Romans, featuring purpose-built rest stops at regular intervals, known as castra.[citation needed] Probably originally established as simple places of military encampment, in process of time they included barracks and magazines of provisions (horrea) for the troops. Over time the need arose for a more sophisticated form of shelter for travelling dignitaries and officials. The Latin term mansio is derived from manere, signifying to pass the night at a place while travelling. (The word is likely to be the source of the English word mansion, though their uses are entirely different). These substantial structures, normally in the form of a villa, were dedicated to the travellers' rest and refreshment. Guests were expected to provide a passport to identify themselves. In many cases infrastructure to sustain them sprang up around the mansio, but also the villas of provincial officials; forts and ultimately even cities.[citation needed]
Ox-drawn carts could travel about 30 km per day; pedestrians a little farther, so each mansio was about 25 to 30 km from the next. At each mansiocisiarii kept gigs for hire and for conveying government dispatches (Cisium; Essedum). The Itinerarium Burdigalense, which is a road book drawn up in 333, mentions in order the mansiones from Bordeaux to Jerusalem with the intervening mutationes, and other, more considerable places, which are called either civitates, vici, or castella. The number of leagues (league) or of miles between one place and another is also set down.[1]
Mansionarius or paramonarius
The mansio was under the superintendence of an officer called mansionarius.[1] As the bishops assumed control in the Christian West during the fifth and sixth centuries, the office of mansionarius developed new connotations. Mansionarius is inserted as a synonym of prosmonarius/paramonarius in canon 2 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (451).[2]
Non-official travellers needed refreshment too, and different grades of facilities were available, often at the same locations as the mansiones.
Cauponae
A private system of cauponae were placed near the mansiones. They performed the same functions but were somewhat disreputable, as they were frequented by thieves and prostitutes. Graffiti decorate the walls of the few whose ruins have been found.
Genteel travellers needed something better than cauponae. In the early days of the viae, when little unofficial travel existed, houses placed near the road were required by law to offer hospitality on demand. Frequented houses no doubt became the first tabernae (Latin word taberna ("shed" or "hut"; from tabula, meaning "board"), which were hostels, rather than the "taverns" we know today. A tabernaculum or small taberna was a portable place of worship for the Hebrews, thus producing the word tabernacle.
As Rome grew, so did its tabernae, becoming more luxurious and acquiring good or bad reputations as the case may be. One of the best hotels was the Tabernae Caediciae at Sinuessa on the Via Appia. It had a large storage room containing barrels of wine, cheese and ham. Many cities of today grew up around a taberna complex, such as Rheinzabern in the Rhineland, and Saverne in Alsace.
Mutationes
A third system of way stations serviced vehicles and animals: the mutationes ("changing stations") (ἀλλαγαὶ). In these complexes, the driver could purchase the services of wheelwrights, cartwrights, and equarii medici, or veterinarians. Using these stations in chariot relays, the emperor Tiberius hastened 200 miles in 24 hours to join his brother, Drusus Germanicus,[6][7] who was dying of gangrene as a result of a fall from a horse.
^Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series II/Volume XIV/The Fourth Ecumenical Council/Canons/Canon II: "what was the function of a mansionarius? In Gregory the Great’s time he was a sacristan who had the duty of lighting the church (Dial., i. 5); and "ostiarium" in the Prisca implies the same idea. Tillemont, without deciding between the two Greek readings, thinks that the person intended had "some charge of what pertained to the church itself, perhaps like our present bedells" (xv. 694). So Fleury renders, “concièrge” (xxviij. 29); and Newman, reading “paramonarion,” takes a like view (note in Transl. of Fleury, vol. iii., p. 392). But Justellus (i. 91) derives paramonarius from μονή mansio, a halting-place, so that the sense would be a manager of one of the church’s farms, a villicus, or, as Bingham expresses it, "a bailiff" (iii. 3, 1). Beveridge agrees with Justellus, except in giving to μονή the sense of "monastery" (compare the use of μονή in Athanas., Apol. c. Arian, 67, where Valesius understands it as “a station” on a road, but others as “a monastery,” see Historical Writings of St. Athanasius, Introd., p. xliv.). Bingham also prefers this interpretation. Suicer takes it as required by “paramonarios” which he treats as the true reading: “prosmonarios” he thinks would have the sense of “sacristan.”"
^"Alfoldean, Slinfold, West Sussex: Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results" (PDF). Wessex Archaeology. April 2006. (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
^"Time Team Series 17: Potted History (Cunetio, Mildenhall, Wiltshire)". Wessex Archaeology. 15 April 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
^Naturalis Historia by Gaius Plinius Secundus, Liber VII, 84.
^The General History of the Highways by Nicolas Bergier, page 156.
External links
Look up mansio in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Mansio from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875.
April 25, 2023
mansio, roman, empire, mansio, from, latin, word, mansus, perfect, passive, participle, manere, remain, stay, official, stopping, place, roman, road, maintained, central, government, officials, those, official, business, whilst, travelling, citation, needed, f. In the Roman Empire a mansio from the Latin word mansus the perfect passive participle of manere to remain or to stay was an official stopping place on a Roman road or via maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling citation needed Foundation of Roman mansio at Eining Germany Contents 1 Background 2 Mansionarius or paramonarius 3 Examples 3 1 Britannia 3 2 Other 4 Other types of way stations 4 1 Cauponae 4 2 Tabernae 4 3 Mutationes 4 4 Stationes 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksBackground Edit Plan of the fort Szazhalombatta Dunafured Matrica Hungary Mansio The roads which traversed the Ancient World were later surveyed developed and carefully maintained by the Romans featuring purpose built rest stops at regular intervals known as castra citation needed Probably originally established as simple places of military encampment in process of time they included barracks and magazines of provisions horrea for the troops Over time the need arose for a more sophisticated form of shelter for travelling dignitaries and officials The Latin term mansio is derived from manere signifying to pass the night at a place while travelling The word is likely to be the source of the English word mansion though their uses are entirely different These substantial structures normally in the form of a villa were dedicated to the travellers rest and refreshment Guests were expected to provide a passport to identify themselves In many cases infrastructure to sustain them sprang up around the mansio but also the villas of provincial officials forts and ultimately even cities citation needed Ox drawn carts could travel about 30 km per day pedestrians a little farther so each mansio was about 25 to 30 km from the next At each mansio cisiarii kept gigs for hire and for conveying government dispatches Cisium Essedum The Itinerarium Burdigalense which is a road book drawn up in 333 mentions in order the mansiones from Bordeaux to Jerusalem with the intervening mutationes and other more considerable places which are called either civitates vici or castella The number of leagues league or of miles between one place and another is also set down 1 Mansionarius or paramonarius EditThe mansio was under the superintendence of an officer called mansionarius 1 As the bishops assumed control in the Christian West during the fifth and sixth centuries the office of mansionarius developed new connotations Mansionarius is inserted as a synonym of prosmonarius paramonarius in canon 2 of the Fourth Ecumenical Council 451 2 Examples EditBritannia Edit Alfoldean Slinfold West Sussex subject of a dig by archaeological television programme Time Team 2006 series 3 one of a probable four mansiones on the route of Stane Street between London and Chichester 4 Chelmsford Cunetio Mildenhall Wiltshire Time Team 2010 5 Dubris Godmanchester Roman Mansio in Godmanchester Letocetum Wall Staffordshire Rutupiae Tripontium IpingOther Edit Little St Bernard Pass Le Mesnil Storgosia Three Taverns Via AugustaOther types of way stations EditNon official travellers needed refreshment too and different grades of facilities were available often at the same locations as the mansiones Cauponae Edit A private system of cauponae were placed near the mansiones They performed the same functions but were somewhat disreputable as they were frequented by thieves and prostitutes Graffiti decorate the walls of the few whose ruins have been found Tabernae Edit Main article Taberna Genteel travellers needed something better than cauponae In the early days of the viae when little unofficial travel existed houses placed near the road were required by law to offer hospitality on demand Frequented houses no doubt became the first tabernae Latin word taberna shed or hut from tabula meaning board which were hostels rather than the taverns we know today A tabernaculum or small taberna was a portable place of worship for the Hebrews thus producing the word tabernacle As Rome grew so did its tabernae becoming more luxurious and acquiring good or bad reputations as the case may be One of the best hotels was the Tabernae Caediciae at Sinuessa on the Via Appia It had a large storage room containing barrels of wine cheese and ham Many cities of today grew up around a taberna complex such as Rheinzabern in the Rhineland and Saverne in Alsace Mutationes Edit A third system of way stations serviced vehicles and animals the mutationes changing stations ἀllagaὶ In these complexes the driver could purchase the services of wheelwrights cartwrights and equarii medici or veterinarians Using these stations in chariot relays the emperor Tiberius hastened 200 miles in 24 hours to join his brother Drusus Germanicus 6 7 who was dying of gangrene as a result of a fall from a horse Stationes Edit Stationes are mostly known though the Antonine Itinerary and may be similar to mansionesSee also EditRoman Road System Three TavernsReferences Edit a b Smith William ed 1890 Mansio Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities 3rd ed London John Murray Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers Series II Volume XIV The Fourth Ecumenical Council Canons Canon II what was the function of a mansionarius In Gregory the Great s time he was a sacristan who had the duty of lighting the church Dial i 5 and ostiarium in the Prisca implies the same idea Tillemont without deciding between the two Greek readings thinks that the person intended had some charge of what pertained to the church itself perhaps like our present bedells xv 694 So Fleury renders concierge xxviij 29 and Newman reading paramonarion takes a like view note in Transl of Fleury vol iii p 392 But Justellus i 91 derives paramonarius from monh mansio a halting place so that the sense would be a manager of one of the church s farms a villicus or as Bingham expresses it a bailiff iii 3 1 Beveridge agrees with Justellus except in giving to monh the sense of monastery compare the use of monh in Athanas Apol c Arian 67 where Valesius understands it as a station on a road but others as a monastery see Historical Writings of St Athanasius Introd p xliv Bingham also prefers this interpretation Suicer takes it as required by paramonarios which he treats as the true reading prosmonarios he thinks would have the sense of sacristan Alfoldean Slinfold West Sussex Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results PDF Wessex Archaeology April 2006 Archived PDF from the original on 2 January 2021 Retrieved 22 September 2020 Historic England Alfoldean Roman site 1005838 National Heritage List for England Time Team Series 17 Potted History Cunetio Mildenhall Wiltshire Wessex Archaeology 15 April 2011 Retrieved 30 January 2021 Naturalis Historia by Gaius Plinius Secundus Liber VII 84 The General History of the Highways by Nicolas Bergier page 156 External links Edit Look up mansio in Wiktionary the free dictionary Mansio from A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities John Murray London 1875 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mansio amp oldid 1146381893, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
