The Laterculus Veronensis or Verona List is a list of Roman provinces and barbarian peoples from the time of the emperors Diocletian and Constantine I, most likely from AD 314.

The list is transmitted only in a 7th-century manuscript preserved in the Chapter Library of Verona. The most recent critical edition is that of Timothy Barnes (1982). Earlier editions include those by Theodor Mommsen (1862), Otto Seeck in his edition of the Notitia dignitatum (1876), and Alexander Riese in his Geographi Latini minores (1878).

Description

The document comprises a list of the names of all the provinces of the empire (c. 100 in total), organised according to the twelve newly created regional groupings called dioceses. Although the dioceses are presented in a single list, they are not ordered in a single geographical sequence but rather in two separate eastern and western groups, the eastern group (Oriens, Pontica, Asiana, Thraciae, Moesiae, Pannoniae) preceding the western (Britanniae, Galliae, Viennensis, Italiae, Hispaniae, Africa). The split is apparent from the discontinuity midway in the list between the dioceses of Pannoniae and Britanniae. The eastern half of the list circles the Mediterranean neatly anticlockwise from south to north or, in continental terms, from Africa, through Asia, to Europe. The arrangement of the western half is less tidy, though it is approximately anticlockwise from north to south, or from Europe to Africa.

The barbarian peoples listed may in some instance have lived outside of the provincial structure of the empire, but they are all clearly regarded as living within the empire. Even in the cases of those barbarians clearly living within provinces, however, the Laterculus suggests that a meaningful distinction was drawn between "civilized" and "uncivilized" areas.

Date

Theodor Mommsen had dated the provincial situation in the list to 297, but later research changed the estimate to 314–324 for the Eastern Half and 303–314 for the Western Half of the Roman empire. The most recent work by Timothy Barnes and Constantin Zuckerman concludes that the entire document belongs to a single moment, c. 314, the eastern and western parts corresponding to the respective spheres of responsibility of the emperors Licinius and Constantine during the period between Licinius' defeat of Maximinus Daza in 313 and his own defeat in his first civil war with Constantine in 316–317.

Text

The text on the left is the original Latin, divided into lines beginning with capital letters. The original text uses the interpunct (·) to separate entries and is mostly unicase. The text on the right is an English translation.

Latin original

Incipit eiusdem nomina prouinciarum omnium.

Diocensis Orientis habet prouincias numero XVIII Libia superior Libia inferior Thebais Aegyptus iouia Aegyptus herculea Arabia item Arabia Augusta libanensis Palestina Fenicen Syria ecohele Augusta eupatenses Cilicia Isauria Tupus Mesopotamia Osroaena

Diocensis Pontica habet prouincias numero VII Bitinia Cappadocia Galatia Pamplagonia, nunc in duas diuisa Diospontus Pontus polemiacus Armenia minor, nunc et maior addita

Diocensis Asiana habet prouincias numero VIIII Phanfilia Frigia prima Frigia secunda Assa Lidia Caria Insuluae Fisidae Ellespontus

Diocensis Tracoae habet prouincias numero VI Europa Rodope Tracia Emossanus Scitia Misia inferior

Diocensis Misiarum habet prouincias numero XI Dacias Misia superior margensis Dardania Macedonia Tessalia Priantina Priualentina Epiros noua Epiros uetus Creta

Diocensis Pannoniarum habet prouincias numero VII Pannonia inferior Fauensis Dalmatia Ualeria Pannonia superior Noricus pariensis Noricus mediterranea

Diocensis Brittaniarum habet prouincias numero VI Primam Secundam Maxime caesariensis Aelauiae caesariensis

Diocensis Galliarum habet prouincias numero VIII Betica prima Betica secunda Germania prima Germania secunda Sequania Lubdunensis prima Lubdunensis secunda Alpes graiae et poeninae

Diocensis Biennensis habet prouincias numero VII Biennensis Narbonensis prima Narbonensis secunda Nouem populi Aquitanica prima Aquitanica secunda Alpes maritimas

Diocensis Italiciana habet prouincias numero XVI Beteiam histriam Flaminiam picenum Tusciam umbrenam Apuliam calabriam Licaoniam Corsicam Alpes cotias Retica

Diocensis Hispaniarum habet prouincias numero VI Beticam Lusitaniam Kartaginiensis Gallecia Tharraconensis Mauritania tingitania

Diocensis Africae habet prouincias numero VII Proconsularis Bizacina Zeugitana Numidia cirtensis Numidia miliciana Mauritania caesariensis Mauritania tabia insidiana

Felix saeculum.

Gentes barbarae, quae pullulauerunt sub imperatoribus Scoti Picti Calidoni Rugi Heruli Saxones Camari Crinsiani Amsiuari Angri angriuari Fleui Bructeri Cati Burgunziones Alamanni Sueui Franci Gallouari Iotungi Armilausini Marcomanni Quadi Taifruli Hermundubi Uandali Sarmatae Sciri Carpi Scitae Gothi Indii Armeni Horro [ ] Palmoerni Mosoritae Marmeritae Theui Isaur [ ] Friges Persae

Item gentes, quae in Mauretaniae sunt Mauri gensani Mauri mazazeses Mauri baueres Mauri bacautes Celtitibari Turini Ausitani Calpitani Cantabri Enantes

Nomina ciuitatum, trans Renum fluuium quae sunt Usiphorum [Usipiorum] Tuuanium [Tubantum] Nictrensium Nouarii Casuariorum [Chasuariorum]

Istae omnes ciuitates trans Renum in formulam Belgicae primae redactae. Trans castellum Montiacesenam LXXX leugas trans Renum Romani possederunt. Istae ciuitates sub Gallieno imperatore a barbaris occupatae sunt. Leuga una habet mille quingentos passus. Explicit.

English translation

Here begins the names of all the provinces.

The diocese of the East has 18 provinces [only 17 listed]: Libya Superior Libya Inferior Thebais Aegyptus Iovia Aegyptus Herculea Arabia Nova Arabia Augusta Libanensis Syria Palaestina Phoenice Syria Coele Augusta Euphratensis Cilicia Isauria Cyprus Mesopotamia Osroene

The diocese of Pontus has 7 provinces: Bithynia Cappadocia Galatia Paphlagonia, now [after 384] divided in two Diospontus Pontus Polemoniacus Armenia Minor, now [after 381] with Armenia Major added

The diocese of Asia has 9 provinces: Lycia et Pamphylia Phrygia Prima Phrygia Secunda Asia Lydia Caria the Islands Pisidia Hellespontus

The diocese of Thrace has 6 provinces: Europa Rhodope Thracia Haemimontus Scythia Moesia Inferior

The diocese of the Moesias has 11 provinces: Dacia and Dacia Ripensis Moesia Superior Dardania Macedonia Thessalia Achaea Praevalitana Epirus Nova Epirus Vetus Creta

The diocese of the Pannonias has 7 provinces: Pannonia Inferior Savensis Dalmatia Valeria Pannonia Superior Noricum Ripense Noricum Mediterraneum

The diocese of the Britains has 6 provinces [only 4 listed]: Britannia Prima Britannia Secunda Maxima Caesariensis Flavia Caesariensis

The diocese of the Gauls has 8 provinces: Belgica Prima Belgica Secunda Germania Prima Germania Secunda Sequania Lugdunensis Prima Lugdunensis Secunda Alpes Graiae et Poeninae

The diocese of Viennensis has 7 provinces: Viennensis Narbonensis Prima Narbonensis Secunda Novem Populi Aquitanica Prima Aquitanica Secunda Alpes Maritimae

The Italian diocese has 16 provinces [only 8 listed]: Venetia et Histria Flaminia et Picenum Tuscia et Umbria Apulia et Calabria Lucania et Bruttii Corsica Alpes Cottiae Raetia

The diocese of the Spains has 6 provinces: Baetica Lusitania Carthaginiensis Gallaecia Tarraconensis Mauretania Tingitana

The diocese of Africa has 7 provinces: Africa Proconsularis Valeria Byzacena Tripolitana Numidia Cirtensis Numidia Militiana Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Sitifensis

A happy age.

Barbarian peoples who grew under the dominion of the emperors: Scoti Picti Caledonii Rugii Heruli Saxones Chamavi ?Frisiavi Amsivarii Angrivarii ? Bructeri Chatti Burgundiones Alamanni Suebi Franci Chattuarii Iuthungi Armilausini Marcomanni Quadi Taifali Hermunduri Vandali Sarmatae Sciri Carpi Scythae Gothi ?Venedi Armenii Osrhoeni Palmyreni ? Marmeridae ?Nabataeans Isauri Phryges Persae

The peoples that are in Mauretania: Quinquegentiani Mazices Barbares Bacuates Celtiberi ?Astures/?Turdetani Ausetani Carpetani Cantabri Edetani

The names of cities that are across the river Rhine: [city] of the Usipetes [city] of the Tubantes [city] of the ?Tencteri [city] of the ?Novantae [city] of the Chasuarii

All these cities across the Rhine were received into the rule of Belgica Prima. Across from the fortress of Mogontiacum, the Romans possessed 80 leagues beyond the Rhine. These cities were occupied by barbarians under the emperor Gallienus. One league has one thousand five hundred paces [i.e., 1.5 Roman miles]. Explicit.

Notes

  • Arce, Javier (2018). "Goths and Romans in Visigothic Hispania". Transformations of Romanness: Early Medieval Regions and Identities. De Gruyter. pp. 371–378.
  • Barnes, Timothy David (1982). The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-61126-9.
  • Barnes, Timothy David (1996). "Emperors, panegyrics, prefects, provinces and palaces (284-317)". Journal of Roman Archaeology. 9: 532–552, at 548–550. doi:.
  • Clinton Walker Keyes (1916). . Classical Philology. 11 (2): 196–201. doi:. JSTOR . S2CID .\
  • Hanslik, R. (1979). "Laterculus Veronensis". Der kleine Pauly (in German). Vol. 3. pp. . ISBN 978-3-423-05963-3.
  • Hartmann, Udo (2008). "Die literarischen Quellen". In Klaus-Peter Johne (ed.). Die Zeit der Soldatenkaiser: Krise und Transformation des Römischen Reiches im 3. Jahrhundert n.Chr. (235–284). Akademie Verlag. pp. 19–44.
  • Jones, A. H. M. (1954). "The Date and Value of the Verona List". The Journal of Roman Studies. 44 (1–2). Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies: 21–29. doi:. JSTOR .
  • Kerneis, Soazick (1999). "La Bretagne rhénane Note sur les établissements bretons dans les Champs Décumates". Latomus. 58 (Fasc. 2): 357–390. JSTOR .
  • Klein, R. (1999). "Laterculus Veronensis". Lexikon des Mittelalters. Vol. 5. pp. 1745–1746. ISBN 978-3-476-01688-1.
  • Kroll, Wilhelm: Mosoritae (in German). In: Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (RE). Vol. XVI,1, Stuttgart, 1933, col. 376.
  • Liccardo, Salvatore (2024). Old Names, New Peoples: Listing Ethnonyms in Late Antiquity. Brill.
  • Mommsen, Theodor (1862). . Abhandlungen der Berliner Akademie der Wissenschaften (phil.-hist. Klasse): 489–518.
  • Riese, Alexander (1878). Geographi Latini minores. Heilbronn: Henninger Brudern. ISBN 1-103-03357-3. {{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  • Seeck, Otto (1876). . Berlin: Weidmann. OCLC .
  • Shaw, Brent D. (1986). . Revue des mondes musulmans et de la Méditerranée (41–42): 66–89.
  • Zuckerman, Constantin (2002). "Sur la liste de Vérone et la province de Grande Arménie, la division de l'empire et la date de création des diocèces". In Déroche, Vincent; Feissel, Denis; Morrisson, Cécile; et al. (eds.). Mélanges Gilbert Dagron = Travaux et Mémoires 14 (in French). pp. 617–637. ISBN 978-2-9519198-0-8.