Metropolis

Metropolis (μητρόπολις) is a Greek word, coming from μήτηρ, meaning "mother" and πόλις, polis meaning "city" or "town" which is how the Greek colonies of antiquity referred to their original cities, with whom they retained political-cultural connections. The word was used in post-classical Latin for the chief city of a province, the seat of the government and, in particular, ecclesiastically for the seat or see of a metropolitan bishop to whom suffragan bishops were responsible.


DICTIONARY OF ROMAN COINS



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METROPOLIS (Mater Urbium), the mother city. -- The Greeks called a chief city (MhtropoliV), the Latins civitas. Afterwards the term was applied to the larger or more ancient cities (civitates) assembled on provincial affairs.

The more distinguished metropoles of the Roman empire were designated on their respective coins, both Greek and Latin.

Thus on medals of Caesarea, in Palestine, is read COL. PR. FL. AVG. CAES. METRO. P. S. P. Colonia Prima Flavia Augusta Caesarea Metropolis Provinciae Syriae Palaestinae.

Also on coins of Damascus, Laodicea, Sidon, and Tyre, the dignity of each of those cities as the METROPolis of Roman colonies is in like manner recorded

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