colony Summary and Overview

The city of Philippi was a Roman colony (Acts 16:12), i.e., a military settlement of Roman soldiers and citizens, planted there to keep in subjection a newly-conquered district. A colony was Rome in miniature, under Roman municipal law, but governed by military officers (praetors and lictors), not by proconsuls. It had an independent internal government, the jus Italicum; i.e., the privileges of Italian citizens.

a designation of Philippi, in #Ac 16:12| After the battle of Actium, Augustus assigned to his veterans those parts of Italy which had espoused the cause of Antony, and transported many of the expelled inhabitants to Philippi, Dyrrhachium and other cities. In this way Philippi was made a Roman colony with the "Jus Italicum." At first the colonists were all Roman citizens, and entitled to vote at Rome.

COL'ONY . Acts 16:12. A city or province planted or occupied by Roman citizens, as Philippi. Roman laws and manners naturally prevailed, but the colony had an independent internal government. The colonists were in the beginning all Roman citizens, and therefore entitled to vote at Rome.

Philippi was one, planted with Italian colonists, transplanted from those parts of Italy which had espoused Antony's side, and which Augustus assigned therefore to his veterans. Inscriptions and coins of Augustus are still extant, with the designation "colonia" assigned to Philippi. It had the "jus Italicum", or privileges of Italian citizens. The accuracy of Acts 16:12 appears in calling Philippi kolonia (Roman), not Greek apoikia.