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Note: This article presents historical elements from Gerasa’s development between the 1st-2nd centuries AD, with some details drawn from structures and institutions that evolved throughout this period.
The magnificent colonnaded streets and monumental buildings of Gerasa reveal more than just architectural splendor—they reflect a sophisticated system of governance and civic organization. As a member of the prestigious Decapolis, Gerasa operated as a semi-autonomous city under Rome’s protective shadow, balancing local traditions with imperial oversight in ways that shaped every aspect of daily life.
Political Structure and Administrative Framework
Gerasa, known formally in some inscriptions as “Antioch on the Chrysorrhoas, formerly called Gerasa,” embodied the Greco-Roman polis model—a self-governing city with its own institutions and a defined territory. The city enjoyed remarkable continuity in its governance structures from the mid-1st century BC through the 2nd century AD, despite changing provincial affiliations.
When Pompey’s lieutenant Scaurus incorporated Gerasa into the Roman province of Syria in 63 BC, the city marked this event by establishing its own civic era. This date became the reference point for Gerasa’s chronology, appearing on public inscriptions and monuments—a testament to how the city viewed Roman “liberation” as the beginning of a new political identity.
The most significant administrative change occurred in 106 AD when Emperor Trajan annexed the Nabataean Kingdom and established the province of Arabia. Gerasa, previously part of the province of Syria, was transferred to this new province. Despite this provincial reorganization, the day-to-day governance of the city remained largely in local hands, with oversight from Roman officials.
-> Learn more about Gerasa’s place within the wider regional network in my article “The Decapolis: Ten Semi Autonomous Cities in Rome’s Shadow“
Civic Institutions and Local Governance
Archaeological and epigraphic evidence from Gerasa provides valuable insights into its civic administration. The city operated through several key institutions:
The Boule (City Council)
The boule or city council formed the cornerstone of local governance. Composed of prominent citizens from the wealthiest families, this council made decisions on civic affairs, finances, and religious matters. An inscription discovered in the Zeus Olympios sanctuary dated to 9/10 AD references “a decree antecedent of the council,” demonstrating the boule’s early establishment and decision-making authority.
Evidence from the bouleuterion (council chamber) includes inscribed seats with the names of the city’s tribes, indicating that representation in the council was organized along tribal lines. These inscriptions reveal that Zeus, along with other Olympian gods, served as the tutelary divinity for one of the leading urban tribes, underscoring the integration of religious and political structures.
Civic Magistrates
Below the council, various magistrates managed specific aspects of city administration:
- Archons: Senior officials who presided over civic affairs
- Strategoi: Officials with responsibilities similar to modern city managers
- Agoranomoi: Market officials who regulated commerce, weights, measures, and possibly public lighting
- Astynomoi: Officials responsible for streets, public order, and urban infrastructure
A fascinating inscription from Gerasa mentions that Antonius Marsus, a man of equestrian rank and an epimeletai (supervisor), was active in the city in 231-232 AD. Such officials oversaw public works, including the construction and maintenance of civic monuments.
The Ecclesia
While evidence is limited, it’s likely that Gerasa maintained the traditional Greek assembly (ecclesia) where male citizens could gather to hear pronouncements and participate in certain civic decisions, though its real power was probably ceremonial by the Roman period.
-> Explore the physical setting of these institutions in my article “Walking Through Ancient Gerasa: A Monument-by-Monument Guide“
Relationship with Rome: Provincial Administration
While Gerasa enjoyed internal autonomy, it operated within the framework of Roman provincial administration. The city’s elite cultivated relationships with Roman governors and officials, often dedicating monuments to demonstrate their loyalty.
Provincial Leadership
The province was led by a Roman governor (legatus Augusti pro praetore) headquartered at Bostra, who held military command and supreme judicial authority. Under him served various officials handling specific aspects of provincial administration.
An intriguing feature of Gerasa’s administration was the presence of procurators—Roman financial officials—within the city itself, rather than in the provincial capital. Multiple inscriptions discovered in Gerasa mention procurators, both equestrian officials and imperial freedmen, along with subordinates like tabularii (record-keepers) and other staff.
This unusual arrangement may reflect Gerasa’s previous role as an administrative center within the Decapolis region during the 1st century AD. An inscription found in Thrace mentions an anonymous equestrian officer who served as a prefect or procurator of the Decapolis around 90 AD, suggesting that Gerasa may have maintained its administrative importance even after the provincial reorganization under Trajan.
Military Presence
The archaeological record reveals a clear military presence in Gerasa. While the main camp of the Legio III Cyrenaica was at Bostra, detachments were stationed in Gerasa, as evidenced by inscriptions mentioning soldiers and officers of this legion. These forces maintained order, protected the procurator‘s office, and likely supervised the collection of taxes.
Inscriptions from Gerasa mention centurions and other military personnel who integrated into local society. The family of Flavius Munatius, a council member who held various civic and religious offices, traced its prominence back to a centurion ancestor, illustrating how military service could provide a pathway to civic leadership.
Citizenship and Social Mobility
Roman citizenship was relatively rare among Gerasa’s population before the Constitutio Antoniniana of 212 AD (which granted citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire). Those who did hold citizenship often displayed distinct naming patterns in inscriptions.
In the pre-212 period, the most common Roman gentilicium (family name) in Gerasa was Flavius, suggesting that many families received citizenship during the Flavian dynasty (69-96 AD). This corresponds to the First Jewish War period, when Gerasa remained loyal to Rome. Archaeological evidence indicates that many citizens with Roman names had military backgrounds, suggesting that service in auxiliary units was a key pathway to citizenship.
Inscriptions reveal a striking pattern: the gentilice Flavius appears frequently, while Antonine-era names (e.g., Aelius, Aurelius) are comparatively rare. This suggests that after the initial wave of citizenship grants in the late 1st century, fewer Gerasenes acquired Roman citizenship until the universal grant under the emperor Caracalla.
Civic Euergetism (Benefactors) and Public Works
A hallmark of Gerasa’s governance was the system of euergetism—civic benefactions by wealthy citizens who funded public buildings and services in exchange for honor and prestige. This mechanism bridged political administration and urban development.
Numerous inscriptions commemorate these acts of generosity. In the Sanctuary of Zeus, a limestone plaque records the donation of 5,000 drachmas (~$1.2 million in today’s money) each by Titus Pomponius (of the tribe Scaptia) and his wife Manneia Tertulla. Another inscription from the early 1st century AD honors Démétrios, described as a “founder of the portico,” with a crown for his generous contribution to the sanctuary.
Such benefactions were often connected to religious and civic offices. Démétrios, identified in one inscription as a former priest of Augustus, exemplifies how religious service, political position, and civic benefaction were intertwined in Gerasa’s elite culture.
-> Discover more about city beautification projects in my article “Architectural Features and Building Styles“
Tribal and Familial Affiliations
Gerasa’s social organization included tribal divisions that influenced political representation. Inscriptions from the bouleuterion (council chamber) reveal seat allocations for different tribes, each associated with particular deities.
Elite families dominated civic offices across generations. Epigraphic evidence (study and interpretation of ancient inscriptions) shows recurring names like Démétrios and Antonius among the city’s leading citizens and religious officials. The presence of three-part names (including grandfather’s name) in many inscriptions demonstrates the importance of lineage in establishing social and political legitimacy.
Public Financing and Economic Administration
The city’s administration managed various revenues to fund public services and infrastructure:
- Market taxes and duties regulated by market officials (agoranomoi)
- Rents from city-owned properties and lands
- Fees from markets and commercial activities
- Benefactions from wealthy citizens
- Imperial grants for specific projects
Financial matters were handled by dedicated officials and carefully recorded. The presence of Roman procurators and their staff in the city points to the importance of financial administration in Gerasa’s governance system.
Religious Administration
Religion and politics were inseparable in Gerasa. The city maintained priesthoods for various deities, with the cult of Zeus Olympios being particularly prominent. Epigraphic evidence also shows the establishment of the imperial cult in Gerasa from the Augustan period onward.
Inscriptions mention priests of Augustus, Nero, and Trajan, indicating that imperial cult priesthoods were prestigious positions held by members of leading families. These religious roles reinforced the connection between the local elite and Roman authority.
Gerasa’s administrative system exemplifies how a provincial city could maintain local autonomy while integrating into the broader Roman imperial framework. The city’s governance combined Greek political traditions, Roman administrative structures, and local religious and tribal affiliations, creating a distinctive civic identity that supported its remarkable urban development during the first two centuries AD.
As visitors walked through the colonnaded streets of Gerasa, they would have encountered not just impressive architectural achievements but the visible manifestations of this sophisticated administrative system—from inscriptions honoring benefactors to the bouleuterion where the council met, from temples serving as centers of civic identity to the buildings housing Roman officials who linked the city to the wider imperial network.
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Sources:
- “Official Guide to Jerash” with plan by Gerald Lankester
- “The Chora of Gerasa Jerash” by Achim Lichtenberger and Rubina Raja
- “Jarash Hinterland Survey” by David Kennedy and Fiona Baker
- “Antioch on the Chrysorrhoas Formerly Called Gerasa” by Achim Lichtenberger and Rubina Raja
- “Jarash Hinterland Survey — 2005 and 2008” by David Kennedy and Fiona Baker
- “A new inscribed amulet from Gerasa (Jerash)” by Richard L. Gordon, Achim Lichtenberger and Rubina Raja
- “Apollo and Artemis in the Decapolis” by Asher Ovadiah and Sonia Mucznik
- “Onomastique et présence Romaine à Gerasa” by Pierre-Louis Gatier
- “Dédicaces de statues “porte-flambeaux” (δαιδοῦχοι) à Gerasa (Jerash, Jordanie)” by Sandrine Agusta-Boularot and Jacques Seigne
- “Un exceptionnel document d’architecture à Gérasa (Jérash, Jordanie)” by Pierre-Louis Gatier and Jacques Seigne
- “Zeus in the Decapolis” by Asher Ovadiah and Sonia Mucznik
- “The Great Eastern Baths at Gerasa Jarash” by Thomas Lepaon and Thomas Maria Weber-Karyotakis
- “Architectural Elements Wall Paintings and Mosaics” by Achim Lichtenberger
- “Glass Lamps and Jerash Bowls” by Rubina Raja
- “Water Management in Gerasa and its Hinterland” by David D. Boyer
- “Hellenistic and Roman Gerasa” by Rubina Raja