Castra Severiana

Castra Severiana was an ancient Roman-era town of the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis, in North Africa during late antiquity.

The town in modern Algeria has been tentatively identified with ruins at Sidi-Ali-Ben-Joub (Chanzy) or Lalla Marnia.[1]

Roman Empire – Mauretania Caesariensis (125 AD)

History

Roman Empire

During the Roman Empire Castra Severiana was a Roman town, of the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis.

The town was excavated in the 1940s.[2]

Late antiquity

From inscriptions we know that Castra Severiana was part of the small Kingdom of Altava, a Christian–Berber kingdom that existed around Tamazgha from the 4th century AD until the Muslim conquest of the Maghreb.[3][4]

Ecclesiastical history

The town was also the cathedra of the diocese of Castra Severiana,[5] an ancient Christian bishopric in the papal sway, that flourished in late antiquity[6][7]

Its only historically documented bishop was Faustus, mentioned in 484.

It did not last long after the seventh century Muslim conquest of the Maghreb.

Titular see

The diocese was nominally restored in 1933 as Latin titular bishopric of Castra Severiana (Latin = Curiate Italian) / Castraseverianensis (Latin adjective) and titular see of the Roman Catholic Church.[8]

It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, do far of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank:

See also

References

  1. ^ the diocese at www.gcatholic.org
  2. ^ G. Lugli , "Recent Archaeological Discoveries in Rome and Italy" The Journal of Roman Studies, vol. 36, Issue 1–2 (1946), pp. 1–17.
  3. ^ In full, the inscription reads: "Pro sal(ute) et incol(umitate) reg(is) Masunae gent(ium) Maur(orum) et Romanor(um) castrum edific(atum) a Masgivini pref(ecto) de Safar. Iidir proc(uratore) castra Severian(a) quem Masuna Altava posuit, et Maxim(us) pr(ocurator) Alt(ava) prefec(it). P(ositum) p(rovinciae) CCCLXVIIII". The three officials are Masgiven in Safar, Iidir in Castra Severiana (exact location uncertain) and Maximus in Altava. 469 is provincial founding date, meaning 508. From Graham (1902: p.281). See also Martindale (1980: pp. 536, 734) and Merrills (2004: p.299).
  4. ^ Graham, A. (1902) Roman Africa: an outline of the history of the Roman occupation of North Africa, based chiefly upon inscriptions and monumental remains in that country London: Longmans Green. online
  5. ^ Cheney, David M. "Castra Severiana (Titular See) [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  6. ^ Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae (Leipzig, 1931), p. 465.
  7. ^ Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I (Brescia, 1816), p. 130.
  8. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2013, ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), "Sedi titolari", pp. 819–1013
Bibliography – ecclesiastical history
  • Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Leipzig 1931, p. 465
  • Stefano Antonio Morcelli, Africa christiana, Volume I, Brescia 1816, p. 130