Inancient Rome, theLatin termmunicipium (pl.:municipia) referred to a town or city.[1] Etymologically, themunicipium was asocial contract amongmunicipes ('duty holders'), orcitizens of the town. The duties (munera) were a communal obligation assumed by themunicipes in exchange for the privileges and protections of citizenship. Every citizen was amuniceps.[2]
The distinction ofmunicipia was not made in theRoman Kingdom; instead, the immediate neighbours of the city were invited or compelled to transfer their populations to the urban structure of Rome, where they took up residence in neighbourhoods and became Romansper se. Under theRoman Republic the practical considerations of incorporating communities into thecity-state of Rome forced the Romans to devise the concept ofmunicipium, a distinct state under the jurisdiction of Rome. It was necessary to distinguish various types ofmunicipia and other settlements, such as thecolony. In the earlyRoman Empire these distinctions began to disappear; for example, whenPliny the Elder served in the Roman army, the distinctions were only nominal. In the final stage of development, all citizens of all cities and towns throughout the empire were equally citizens of Rome. Themunicipium then simply meant municipality, the lowest level oflocal government.
Themunera and the citizenship and its rights and protections were specific to the community. No matter where a person lived, at home or abroad, or what his status or class, he was a citizen of the locality in which he was born. The distinguishingcharacteristic of themunicipium wasself-governance. Like any ancient city-state, themunicipium was created by an official act ofsynoecism, or founding. This act removed the sovereignty and independence from the signatory local communities, replacing them with the jurisdiction of a common government. This government was then called theres publica ('public affair'), or in the Greek world thekoinon ('common affair').
The termmunicipium began to be used with reference to the city-states of Italy brought into the city-state of Rome but not incorporated into the city. The city ofRomulus synoecised the nearby settlements ofLatium, transferring their populations to the seven hills, where they resided in typically distinct neighbourhoods. And yet, Sabines continued to live in the Sabine Hills andAlba Longa continued even though synoecised. The exact sequence of events is not known, whether the populace was given a choice or the synoecised sites were reoccupied. As it is unlikely that all the Sabines were invited to Rome, where facilities to feed and house them did not yet exist, it seems clear thatpopulation transfer was only offered to some. The rest continued on as independent localities under the ultimate governance of Rome. Under theRoman Republic the impracticality of transferring numerous large city-states to Rome was manifest. The answer to the problem was themunicipium. The town would be partially synoecised. Thelocal government would remain but to itsmunera would be addedmunera due to the city of Rome. The partial synoecism took the form of a charter granting incorporation into the city of Rome and defining the rights and responsibilities of the citizens. The firstmunicipium wasTusculum.
The citizens ofmunicipia of the first order held fullRoman citizenship and theirrights (civitas optimo iure) included theright to vote, which was the ultimate right in Rome, and a sure sign of full rights.
The second order ofmunicipia comprised importanttribal centres which had come under Roman control.Residents of these did not become full Roman citizens (although theirmagistrates could become so after retirement). They were given theduties of fullcitizens in terms ofliability totaxes andmilitary service, but not all of the rights: most significantly, they had no right to vote.
Executive power inmunicipium was held by four annuallyelectedofficials, composed of twoduumvirs and twoaediles.Advisory powers were held by thedecurions, appointed members of the local equivalent to theSenate. In later years, these became hereditary.
