City
Antea dicta Herusalem modo Helya Capitolina
Jerusalem
Listen to the story
Antea dicta Herusalem modo Helya Capitolina is a whole sentence rather than a name: 'formerly called Jerusalem, now Aelia Capitolina'. The emperor Hadrian refounded the city around AD 130 as a Roman colony, naming it Aelia after his own family and Capitolina after Jupiter Capitolinus, chief god of the Roman state, whose temple rose on the holy site. The note was probably added by a copyist, and its word modo, 'just now', may hint that this happened soon after the refoundation. Constantine dropped Capitolina in 324. Milestones on the surrounding roads counted their miles from this city.
Find Antea dicta Herusalem modo Helya Capitolina on the interactive Roman map →