InAncient Rome, theLatin termvicus (pluralvici) designated a village within a rural area (pagus) or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement.^[1] During theRepublican era, the fourregiones of thecity of Rome were subdivided intovici. In the 1st century BC,Augustus reorganized the city for administrative purposes into14 regions, comprising 265vici.^[2] Eachvicus had its own board of officials who oversaw local matters. These administrative divisions are recorded as still in effect at least until the mid-4th century.^[3][4]

The word "vicus" was also applied to the smallest administrative unit of aprovincial town within theRoman Empire, referring to anad hoc provincial civilian settlement that sprang up close to and because of a nearby militaryfort or state-ownedmining operation.

This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding missing information.(September 2010)

Eachvicus elected four local magistrates (vicomagistri) who commanded a sort of local police force chosen from among the people of thevicus by lot. Occasionally the officers of thevicomagistri would feature in certain celebrations (primarily theCompitalia) in which they were accompanied by twolictors.^[5]

Thesevici differed from the planned civilian towns (civitates), which were laid out as official, local economic and administrative centres, thecoloniae, which were settlements of retired troops, or the formal political entities created from existing settlements, themunicipia.^[6] Unplanned, and originally lacking any public administrative buildings,vici had no specific legal status (unlike other settlements) and often developed in order to profit from the presence of Roman troops. As with mostgarrison towns, they provided entertainment and supplies for the troops, but many also developed significant industries, especially metal and glass working. Somevici seem not to have had direct connections to troop placement (e.g., theVicus Martis Tudertium).

Vici is the term used for the extramural settlements offorts for military units (e.g.alae andcohorts), whilecanabae is generally used to describe extramural settlements of the major legionary fortresses, e.g.Eboracum (York),Vindobona (Vienna),Durostorum (Silistra, Bulgaria).^[7]Initially ephemeral, manyvici were transitory sites that followed a mobile unit; once a permanent garrison was established they grew into larger townships. Often the number of official civitates and coloniæ were not enough to settle everyone who wished to live in a town and sovici also attracted a wider range of residents, with some becoming chartered towns where no other existed nearby. Some, such as that atVercovicium (Housesteads), outgrew their forts altogether, especially in the 3rd century once soldiers were permitted to marry.

Earlyvici had no civilian administration and were under the direct control of the Roman military commander. Those that attracted significant numbers ofRoman citizens were later permitted to form local councils and some, such as the vicus at Eboracum (York), grew into regional centres and even provincial capitals.

The Latin term, pronounced with an initial 'u', was adopted intoOld English aswic,wick,wich, orwych. It became one of the most widely occurring common placename elements, e.g.Wyck,Hackney Wick,Gatwick,Exwick,Wickham,Aldwych,Dulwich,Ipswich,Norwich, and indirectlyYork, fromEoforwic via Old NorseJorvik. In theBrittonic languages, the cognate word isgwig in Welsh and Cornish andguic in Breton; all now meaning "village". The place-nameWigan may directly reference the Roman vicus ofCoccium.^[8] In continental languages, the term became Old High Germanwih "village", Modern GermanWeichbild "municipal area", Dutchwijk "quarter, district", Old Frisianwik, Old Saxonwic "village".^[9]

• 14 regions of Augustan Rome
• Pagus
• Roman Settlement of the Col de Ceyssat

• Topography of the ancient city of Rome
• Subdivisions of ancient Rome
• Types of Roman towns and cities

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing Latin-language text
• Articles to be expanded from September 2010
• All articles to be expanded