Editing Basel (section)

=== Early history ===
[[File:Theater Kaiseraugst.jpg|thumb|The [[Roman theatre (structure)|Roman theatre]] in Augusta Raurica, one of the most important Roman archaeological sites in Switzerland]]
There are traces of a settlement at the nearby [[Rhine knee]] from the early [[La Tène period]] (5th century BC). In the 2nd century BC, there was a village of the [[Raurici]] at the site of ''Basel-Gasfabrik'' (to the northwest of the Old City, and likely identical with the town of ''Arialbinnum'' that was mentioned on the ''[[Tabula Peutingeriana]]'').<ref>René Teuteberg: ''Basler Geschichte'', p. 49.</ref> The unfortified settlement was abandoned in the 1st century BC in favour of an ''[[Basel oppidum|oppidum]]'' on the site of [[Basel Minster]], probably in reaction to the [[Gallic War|Roman invasion of Gaul]].

In [[Roman Gaul]], [[Augusta Raurica]] was established some {{convert|20|km|abbr=on}} from Basel as the regional administrative centre, while a ''[[castra|castrum]]'' (fortified camp) was built on the site of the [[Celtic nations|Celtic]] ''[[oppidum]]''. In AD 83, the area was incorporated into the [[Roman province]] of [[Germania Superior]]. The [[Roman Senate|Roman Senator]] [[Lucius Munatius Plancus|Munatius Plancus]] is known as the traditional founder of Basel since the Renaissance.<ref name="Werthmüller-2013">{{Cite book |last=Werthmüller |first=Hans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=18OeBgAAQBAJ |title=Tausend Jahre Literatur in Basel |date=2013-12-11 |publisher=Springer-Verlag |isbn=978-3-0348-6561-6 |pages=31 |language=de}}</ref> Roman control over the area deteriorated in the 3rd century, and Basel became an outpost of the ''[[Provincia Maxima Sequanorum]]'' formed by [[Diocletian]]. ''[[Basel oppidum|Basilia]]'' is first named by the [[Ammianus Marcellinus]] in his Res Gestae<ref name="Werthmüller-2013" /> as part of the Roman military fortifications along the Rhine in the late 4th century.

The Germanic confederation of the [[Alemanni]] attempted to cross the Rhine several times in the 4th century, but were repelled; one such event was the [[Battle of Solicinium]] (368). However, in the great invasion of AD 406, the Alemanni appear to have crossed the Rhine a final time, conquering and then settling what is today [[Alsace]] and a large part of the [[Swiss Plateau]].

The [[Duchy of Alemannia]] fell under [[Francia|Frankish]] rule in the 6th century. The Alemannic and [[Franks|Frankish]] settlement of Basel gradually grew around the old Roman castle in the 6th and 7th century. It appears that Basel surpassed the ancient regional capital of [[Augusta Raurica]] by the 7th century; based on the evidence of a gold ''[[tremissis]]'' (a small gold coin with the value of a third of a ''[[solidus (coin)|solidus]]'') with the inscription ''Basilia fit'', Basel seems to have minted its own coins in the 7th century.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmb.ch/en/collection/object/basel-kopie-vom-gold-triens-des-muenzmeisters-gunso-anfangs-7-jh-vs.html |title=Basel. Kopie vom Gold-Triens des Münzmeisters Gunso, Anfangs 7. Jh., Vs. – HMB |date=7 February 2018 |access-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118094348/http://www.hmb.ch/en/collection/object/basel-kopie-vom-gold-triens-des-muenzmeisters-gunso-anfangs-7-jh-vs.html |archive-date=18 January 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Basel at this time was part of the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Besançon|Archdiocese of Besançon]]. A separate [[bishopric of Basel]], replacing the ancient bishopric of [[Augusta Raurica]], was established in the 8th century. Under bishop [[Haito]] (r. 806–823), the first cathedral was built on the site of the Roman castle<ref>{{Cite web |title=Views of pre-medieval Basel |url=https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/Uni-Nova/Uni-Nova-124/Uni-Nova-124-Views-of-pre-medieval-Basel.html |access-date=2022-05-17 |website=www.unibas.ch |language=en |archive-date=17 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517140933/https://www.unibas.ch/en/News-Events/Uni-Nova/Uni-Nova-124/Uni-Nova-124-Views-of-pre-medieval-Basel.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> (replaced by a Romanesque structure consecrated in 1019).

At the partition of the [[Carolingian Empire]] through the [[Treaty of Verdun]] in 843, Basel was first given to [[West Francia]] and became its German exclave.<ref name="Werthmüller-2013" /> It passed to [[East Francia]] with the [[Treaty of Meerssen]] of 870. Basel was destroyed by the [[Magyar invasion|Magyars]] in 917.<ref name="Werthmüller-2013" /> The rebuilt town became part of [[Upper Burgundy]], and as such was incorporated into the [[Holy Roman Empire]] in 1032.