Mogontiacum

MOGONTIACUM or MAGONTIACUM(Mainz), a city of Gallia, on the Rhine. On this spot was built a monument in honour of Drusus the father of Germanicus. (Enutrop. 7.13.) Magontiacum, as it is written in the text of Tacitus, is often mentioned in the history of the war of Civilis. (Tac. Hist. 4.15, 24, &c.) Ptolemy (Ptol. 2.9.14) writes the name Μοκοντιακόν, and places the town in Germania Inferior. In Eutropius the form of the word is Mogontiacum (ed. Verheyk); but the MSS. have also the forms Maguntia and Moguntia, whence is easily derived the French form Mayence, and the German Mainz. The position of Mogontiacum at Mainzon the Rhine is determined by the Itins. which place it 18 M. P. from Bingium ( Bingen), also on the Rhine. It was an important position under the Roman empire, but no great events are connected with the name. Ammianus Marcellinus (Ammian. 15.11) calls it a Municipium, which means a town that had a Roman form of administration.
[G.L]