Province Raetia

The region north of the alps came with the alp campaign between 16/15 BC under Roman control.

Presumably the reason for this war were not the inhabitants of Raetia. The main reason was the control of the alp passes. The precise process of the campaign is not known exactly today. One goes out, that an army unit under Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus marched through the Eschtal and crossed the Brenner to the north. A second unit under Tiberius Iulius Caesar Augustus advanced possibly from west across the Rhine into the Swiss Middle land. Due to finds of catapult lead of the legions III, X and XII and roman and local weapons in the field Crap Ses it is assumed that a further united crossed the Buendner alp passes.

First existed a loose administrative unit to which belonged the Wallis, too. The province Raetia was set up however presumable not till under Gaius Iulius Caesar Germanicus (Caligula / 37 - 41 AD) or Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (41- 54 AD). The boundaries of this province are not exactly known. In the north this was the Danube, in the east the Inn. In the west the lake Constance appertained still to the province. It is not sure, whether the alp passes (Brenner, Reschen, Septimer and Julier) still belonged to the province. First capital was Kempten (Cambodunum). Not till the end of the 1st century this became Augsburg (Augusta Vindelicum).

Under Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus (284 - 305 AD) the province was divided into Raetia I and Raetia II. Augsburg still remained capital of the Raetia II. Whether Chur became capital of Raetia I is controversial.