Abthugni
Abthugni was an ancient city in Roman North Africa[1] at today Suwar (Hr. It-Souar) in Tunisia.[2] It was in Roman times in the province of Africa Proconsularis, Africa, and latter in Byzacena .In late antiquity Abthugni was also the seat of a bishop, and the diocese is a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church to this day.
Location
The town was located at Henchir-es-Souar(36°12'N, 10° 1' E) in the hill country south of Uthica and 25 Kilometer from Zaghouan at an elevation of 200 feet above seal level. It was a suffran of Carthage. According to Ferchiou [3] the name of the place is to be reconstructed as Abtugnos.
History
Numerous Inscriptions have been found documenting the history of the town [4][5][6] The city foundation is probably from the 3rd century BC and was well established by 30BC.
The Roman consul Gaius Rutilius Gallicus perform near Abthugni survey work during the reign of Vespasian.[7] Hadrian made Abthugni a city of Municipium status.[8]
According to the evidence of the inscriptions, in the 4th century to the time of Roman Emperor Valens some of the public buildings were restored.[9] During the Diocletian Persecution the cities Christian community is said to have meet near a cemetery outside the city area,[10] to avoid the jurisdiction of the town officials.
A Byzantine fortress was in late antquity.[11]
There are a few ruins of the city, including several temples, thermal baths and tombs. The first investigations at the Capitol of Abthugnos took place by Gauckler and Cagnat at the end of the 19th century. Babelon calls many preserved buildings, including two temples, the Byzantine city wall, a rectangular basin, and a mausoleum. Recent work is under the direction of N. Ferchiou, in the course of which the entire Forum area and the Capitol were released.
Bishopric
The city was the seat of an ancient Bishopric. Known bishops include
- Felix of Aptunga, was one of three bishops who consecrated Cæcilianus, therefore precipitating the Donatist controversy.[12][13] The proto-Donatist in Cirta calling his consecration invalid,[14][15]
- Magnus fl345-348
- Felix fl411
- Saturnus fl525
The Diocese ceased to effectively function in the late 7th century with the coming of Islamic Armies. However the diocese was re-founded in name in 1933.[16]
- The current Bishop is Adelio Pasqualotto[17] who replaced Paul Henry Walshin December 2014.[18]
References
- ↑ C. Lepelley, Les cités de l'Afrique romaine au Bas-Empire, 2, 1981, 265-277.
- ↑ Marcel Le Glay : Abthugni In:. The Kleine Pauly (KIP). Volume 1, Stuttgart, 1964, vol.
- ↑ Ferchiou 1993-95, p197-202.
- ↑ L'Année épigraphique (1991) 1641-1644, 1655.
- ↑ Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum 8, 928-935, 11210, 23084-23094
- ↑ Inscriptions latines d'Afrique (Tripolitaine, Tunisie, Maroc). Paris, 1923, p72-76.
- ↑ Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum 8, 23084.
- ↑ Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum 8, 23085.
- ↑ L'Année épigraphique(1995), 1655 .
- ↑ J. Patout Burns, Robin M. Jensen, Christianity in Roman Africa: The Development of Its Practices and Beliefs (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2014) p40.
- ↑ 8007161: Abthugnos (Abthugni) .
- ↑ Louis Bertrand , Saint Augustin: Top Biography Collections (The Valley Club, 2015).
- ↑ Louis Bertrand , Saint Augustin: Top Biography Collections (The Valley Club, 2015).
- ↑ Serge Lancel, Saint Augustine (Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd, 2002)[v p166].
- ↑ Bonner Gerald, God's Decree and Man's Destiny: Studies in the Thought of Augustine of Hippo. Church History Volume 57, Issue 4 December 1988, pp. 524-525.
- ↑ Titular Episcopal See of Abthugni
- ↑ [Le Petit Episcopologe, Issue 222, Number 18,381
- ↑ Abthugni at CatholicHeirachy.org.