History of Roseland

The History of Aurora covers the period from the arrival of Celtiberians thousands of years ago to the present day. Throughout its history, Aurora's location has given it great strategic importance, and a sequence of powers including the Greeks, Romans, Germans, Normans, Venetians, Spanish, Dutch, French, and the British ruled the island. Aurora gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1911 and became a sovereign state in the same year.

Prehistory: Celtic Settlement
The founding of Aurora is shrouded in many legends, which in recent times are beginning to be supported by archaeological evidences. According to traditional legends, Aurora was first inhabited by a Celtic tribe known as the Senones. Originating from the Alpine valleys of modern-day Switzerland, the Senones arrived on the island around 989 BC. Led by their chieftain Eporedorix, the Celtic settlers built a small village on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, which would later grow into Aurora City today. As archaeological evidences indicate, they were mainly farmers and fishers, and they brought along with them domesticated animals, pottery-making skills, and a knowledge of bronze-working to the island. They had little contact with the outside world, and the island remained an isolated community until the 5th century BC.

Hellenistic Period: Greek City-State
In 480 BC, a group of Greek colonists led by Dionysios arrived on the island, searching for new commercial outlets and a fertile land to establish a colony. According to a legend, Dionysios was invited to a banquet held by the chief of the native Celtic tribe for suitors seeking the hand of his daugther Gyptis in marriage. At the end of the banquet, Gyptis presented the ceremonial cup of wine to Dionysios, indicating her unequivocal choice. Folllowing their marriage, the Greeks were welcomed by the Celtic natives to settle down in their village.

The Greeks introduced the use of Iron, writing system, and polytheism to the island. They reorganized in the form of an independent polis and established an oligarchic form of government modelled after that of Athens. An original Hellnic culture soon developed, to which the Celtic natives were quickly absorbed. Trade with other Greek cities flourished, and Aurora soon grew from a small village into a minor city-state.