Emperor Augustus ordered the establishment of Augusta Emerita as a Roman colony in 25 BC in what is now Mérida, Spain. The colony was intended to act as a retreat for the experienced warriors of the legions V Alaudae and X Gemina. One of the most significant cities in Roman Hispania, it had all the conveniences of a big Roman city and was the capital of the Roman province of Lusitania from the time of its founding. In the fourth century, it also functioned as the headquarters of the entire Dioc ... (Read More)