The Counties of the Regnum Italiae in the Carolingian Period (774–888): A Topographical Study. I
D. A. Bullough
At the beginning of Principate, Italy, which had been extended to Alps by incorporation Cisalpine Gaul in 42 b.c. , was essentially a land selfgoverning urban communities that exercised authority over an adjacent country district. By third century, when earlier differences legal status these largely abolished, title most commonly applied them civitas although older terminology did not pass entirely out use: Cassiodorus, for example, twice uses municipium . For attached district usual name territorium defined second-century jurist Pomponius as universitas agrorum intra fines cuiusqu civitatis The Christian church adopted existing Roman civil circumscriptions basis its territorial organisation, so ecclesiastical texts came have special sense ‘diocesan see’: this it is common Act sixthcentury councils. Despite steady decline civic autonomy later Imperial period, city and territory continued be basic unit secular administration. In fifth century iudex yet accorded any official connected with city, still after Ostrogothic occupation Italy establishment comites Gothorum
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