L’imperatore Claudio e i benefici accordati a Volubilis

Emperor Claudius, in continuity with the policy initiated by Augustus, carried forward the process of Romanization of provincial territories through the granting of the ius Latii and, where possible, Roman citizenship. The speech given by Claudius to the Senate in 48 AD (reported by Tacitus and the Lyon Tablet), the granting of Roman citizenship to Anauni, Sinduni, and Tuliassi, the donatio civitatis to the city of Volubilis, as well as the establishment of military discharge diplomas for auxiliary soldiers and classiarii, are part of a coherent political project that assessed the merits of individual communities and the level of Romanization achieved. Mauretania, in particular, benefited from intense activity in the foundation of coloniae and municipia, as already emphasized by J. Gascou. In this context, the position of Volubilis is significant. The benefits granted by Claudius following the war against Edemone – such as the granting of citizenship, connubium with foreign women, tax immunity for ten years, the incorporation of new incolae, and the assignment of assets of citizens who died without heirs – contain aspects that are still unclear despite the numerous studies published on the subject. Therefore, a reassessment of the issues, especially related to the interpretation of the three inscriptions IAM 2, 369, 370a, 448, is considered useful for a proper understanding of Claudius’ Romanization policy.