Aquincum

47.56385083333319.049413333333Koordinaten: 47 ° 33 ' 49.86 "N, 19 ° 2' 57.89 " E

Aquincum is the name of the ancient Roman city that was located on the site of today's Budapest.

It was in ancient times an important city, as evidenced by written and archaeological sources. She is very well researched for a modern built over ancient city. Aquincum consisted of two population centers and formed a sort of twin cities. It gave them a legion camp with a settlement and an independent civilian town in the north. The city lay on the Danuvius (Donau), which at that time represented the frontier of the Roman Empire in this region. Thus, the city came to a special strategic importance.

History

For Christ's birth, the territory of today's Hungary was conquered by the Romans. The territory of the later Budapest was then dominated by the Celtic tribe of the Eravisci. These had their capital and influenced by the Romans even own coins. From 40 AD the area but was brought completely under Roman control. There was a military camp ala I. Tungrorum Frontonania. The inscription of their camp is partly preserved. In the year 89, a legion was moved here and built a corresponding bearing. To the camps were over time significant civilian settlements. It was built in a forum.

To 106 the province of Pannonia Inferior was set up, whose capital was Aquincum. In the year 107 the Emperor Hadrian later governor of Aquincum was. There is a governor's palace was built. Especially in the north, at some distance from the camp, there was a settlement center, which was awarded city rights in the year 124. The town received the status of municipium. This city was equipped with a wall, a public bath and other public buildings. In the following years, two amphitheatres were built, one for the civilian town and another for the military camp. In the year 194, the civilian town was elevated to the status of a colony. In the year 296 Pannonia Inferior was divided into two provinces. Aquincum lost it the status of a provincial capital, but was still of particular importance. To 332 a new military camp was built. Approx. 30 years later it came to building a Christian double basilica in the civilian city. As of the end of the fourth century there was increasing penetration of Germanic and Hun - Alans immigrants who settled in the territory of the city. Shortly after 430 Pannonia was officially abandoned by the Romans and leave the Huns. But a Roman or Romanized rest of the population is still detectable in the subsequent period.

The city plants

The remains of Aquincum are now in the northern suburbs of Budapest and some are well preserved because of there thinner construction and well researched. Remains of Roman activities were found almost throughout the city, but especially the right of the Danube. The legionary camp took up an area of about 400 × 500 m. Excavations almost all important buildings could be detected such a bearing archaeologically. In the middle of the rod building stood ( Principia ). There was a large -scale military bath ( Balineum ), a hospital ( valetudinarium ), workshops, granaries ( Horreum ) and of course the troop barracks.

Especially east joined to a camp village ( vicus ), which skirted on the Danube and with a Nordsüdausdehnung of more than one kilometer was quite urban in character. There were public baths, temples and a market place. On an island, opposite the city was the governor's palace. In the south there was an amphitheater. In the West, found mainly craft. In the north, some richly furnished with paintings and mosaics townhouses.

To the north of this urban center was another, slightly smaller, surrounded by a wall civilian city resort with amphitheater, temples and baths. This town was later held the status of a municipium and a colony.

The portable organ

An individual finds from Aquincum especially a portable organ ( Hydraulis ) is mentioned. It is one of the few original copies obtained from the Roman Empire. Until the discovery of this organ, they were known only from descriptions. The remains of the local copy was found in the ruins of the club building of the fire authority. Were obtaining only the metal parts, ie pipes, register chutes, boiler and an inscription panel, which reported that the organ of Gaius Julius Viatorinus was given to the fire authority.