Carnuntum ( according to
Ptolemy) was a
Roman legion
The Roman legion ( la, legiō, ) was the largest military unit of the Roman army, composed of 5,200 infantry and 300 equites (cavalry) in the period of the Roman Republic (509 BC–27 BC) and of 5,600 infantry and 200 auxilia in the period o ...
ary fortress ( la,
castra legionis) and headquarters of the
Pannonian fleet from 50 AD. After the 1st century, it was capital of the
Pannonia Superior
Pannonia Superior, lit. Upper Pannonia, was a province of the Roman Empire. Its capital was Carnuntum. It was one on the border provinces on the Danube. It was formed in the year 103 AD by Emperor Trajan who divided the former province of Pan ...
province. It also became a large city of 50,000 inhabitants.
Its impressive remains are situated on the Danube in
Lower Austria
Lower Austria (german: Niederösterreich; Austro-Bavarian: ''Niedaöstareich'', ''Niedaestareich'') is one of the nine states of Austria, located in the northeastern corner of the country. Since 1986, the capital of Lower Austria has been Sankt P ...
halfway between
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
and
Bratislava in the Carnuntum Archaeological Park extending over an area of 10 km
2 near today's villages of
Petronell-Carnuntum
Petronell-Carnuntum is a community of Bruck an der Leitha in Austria. It is known for its annual World Theatre Festival.
History
The village derives the second half of its name, Carnuntum, from the ancient Roman legionary fortress and headquar ...
and
Bad Deutsch-Altenburg
Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, until 1928 Deutsch-Altenburg ( hu, Németóvár) is a market town and spa in the district of Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria in Austria.
Geography
The town lies in the Lower Austrian Industrieviertel region, on the ...
.
History
Military history
Carnuntum first occurs in history during the reign of
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
(6 AD), when
Tiberius made it his base of operations as a Roman fort () in the campaigns against
Maroboduus (Marbod).
Legio XV
Significant Romanisation happened when the town was selected as the garrison of the
Legio XV before 14 AD. A few years later, it became the centre of the Roman fortifications along the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
from
Vindobona (now
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
) to
Brigetio (
Ó-Szőny).
According to
Tacitus, the emperor
Claudius ordered the governor of Pannonia "to have a legion with an
auxiliary on the bank of the Danube" to protect the losers of a dispute between
Germanic tribes (the
Quadi and
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic people
*
*
*
that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian.
Or ...
) and deter the victors from the temptation to invade Pannonia. To this period (about 50 AD) belongs the auxiliary of a cavalry
1.5 km south-west of the legionary fortress.
In 71 AD, after several campaigns, the Legio XV ''Apollinaris'' returned to Carnuntum and rebuilt its fortress. While some of the legion fought in
Trajan's Dacian Wars
The Dacian Wars (101–102, 105–106) were two military campaigns fought between the Roman Empire and Dacia during Emperor Trajan's rule. The conflicts were triggered by the constant Dacian threat on the Danubian province of Moesia and also b ...
, the main body of the legion remained in Pannonia.
Legio X
Legio X was sent to Carnuntum for a few years from about 63 AD. During the brief reign of
Galba (68–69), it was transferred back to Hispania.
Legio VII
Legio VII , newly founded by
Galba in 68 AD, was allocated to Carnuntum until about 71 AD after his defeat by
Vespasian
Vespasian (; la, Vespasianus ; 17 November AD 9 – 23/24 June 79) was a Roman emperor who reigned from AD 69 to 79. The fourth and last emperor who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors, he founded the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Empi ...
.
Legio XIV
In 117–118 AD, Carnuntum became the permanent quarters of
Legio XIV where it stayed for three centuries until the frontier collapsed in 430.
History of the city
In Roman times, Carnuntum had a history as a major trading centre for
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In ...
, brought from the north to traders who sold it in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
; the main arm of the
Amber Road crossed the Danube at Carnuntum.
As , the capital of
Pannonia Superior
Pannonia Superior, lit. Upper Pannonia, was a province of the Roman Empire. Its capital was Carnuntum. It was one on the border provinces on the Danube. It was formed in the year 103 AD by Emperor Trajan who divided the former province of Pan ...
, it was made a by Hadrian. Its importance is indicated by the fact that
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...
resided there for three years (172–175) during the war against the
Marcomanni
The Marcomanni were a Germanic people
*
*
*
that established a powerful kingdom north of the Danube, somewhere near modern Bohemia, during the peak of power of the nearby Roman Empire. According to Tacitus and Strabo, they were Suebian.
Or ...
, and wrote part of his ''
Meditations'' there. Also
Septimius Severus, at the time governor of Pannonia, was proclaimed emperor there by his soldiers (193),
to replace Emperor
Pertinax, who had been murdered.
In the
Severan dynasty
The Severan dynasty was a Roman imperial dynasty that ruled the Roman Empire between 193 and 235, during the Roman imperial period. The dynasty was founded by the emperor Septimius Severus (), who rose to power after the Year of the Five Empero ...
(193–235), Carnuntum experienced an economic boom, the reaching their maximum size.
Caracalla elevated it to status as . He was killed shortly afterwards by his own soldiers, probably at Carnuntum.
In 308, during the
Civil wars of the Tetrarchy
The Civil Wars of the Tetrarchy were a series of conflicts between the Tetrarchy, co-emperors of the Roman Empire, starting in 306 AD with the usurpation of Maxentius and the defeat of Flavius Valerius Severus, Severus and ending with the def ...
, the Emperor emeritus
Diocletian chaired a historic meeting there, the
Conference of Carnuntum
The Conference of Carnuntum (Latin: ''Carnuntum'') was a military conference held on November 11, 308 in the city of Carnuntum (present-day Petronell-Carnuntum, Austria), which at the time was located in the province of Pannonia Prima. It was co ...
, with his co-emperors
Maximian and
Galerius, to solve the rising tensions within the
tetrarchy.
Around 350 Carnuntum suffered severe earthquake damage.
In 374, it was destroyed by Germanic invaders, the
Quadi and
Iazyges. Although partly restored by
Valentinian I
Valentinian I ( la, Valentinianus; 32117 November 375), sometimes called Valentinian the Great, was Roman emperor from 364 to 375. Upon becoming emperor, he made his brother Valens his co-emperor, giving him rule of the eastern provinces. Val ...
, it never regained its former importance, and
Vindobona became the chief military centre.
During the
Barbarian Invasions, Carnuntum was eventually abandoned and used as a cemetery and source of building material for building projects elsewhere. Eventually, its remains became buried and forgotten.
Today
The Archaeological Park Carnuntum comprises three sites:
*Museum,
Heidentor
The Heidentor, also known as Heathens' Gate or Pagans' Gate, is the partially reconstructed ruin of a triumphal arch of the Roman Empire, located in what was the fort-city of Carnuntum, in present-day Austria. Originally tetrapylon in form, only on ...
and
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
near Petronell
*Excavations in the garden of
Petronell Castle
*
Museum Carnuntinum
Civilian city
The remains of the civilian city extend around the village
Petronell-Carnuntum
Petronell-Carnuntum is a community of Bruck an der Leitha in Austria. It is known for its annual World Theatre Festival.
History
The village derives the second half of its name, Carnuntum, from the ancient Roman legionary fortress and headquar ...
. There are several places to see in the city: Roman city quarter in the open-air museum, palace ruins,
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
, and Heidentor.
The Roman city ruins are exposed in the open-air museum directly in the present village. One of the ancient houses, called the House of Lucius, has been rebuilt using traditional techniques. It was opened to the public on 1 June 2006.
The was next to the palace ruins, also referred to as the large
public bath
Public baths originated when most people in population centers did not have access to private bathing facilities. Though termed "public", they have often been restricted according to gender, religious affiliation, personal membership, and other cr ...
s.
Some way outside the city was a large amphitheatre, which had room for about 15,000 spectators.
A plate with an inscription found at the site claims that this building was the fourth largest amphitheatre in the whole Roman Empire.
Heidentor
Between 354 AD and 361 AD, a huge triumphal monument was erected next to the camp and city. Contemporary reports suggest that Emperor
Constantius II
Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germanic ...
had it built to commemorate his victories. When the remains of Carnuntum disappeared after the Migration Period the monument remained as an isolated building in a natural landscape and led Medieval people to believe it was the tomb of a pagan giant. Hence, they called it ('Heathens' Gate' or 'Pagans' Gate').
Fortress
The only remaining building of the fortress is an amphitheatre, located just outside the fortress. Today, a small adjacent museum shows the history of
gladiators.
Gladiator school
In September 2011 aerial photographs and ground-penetrating radar led to the discovery of the typical contours of an ancient Roman gladiator school to the south of the Roman settlement, a rivaling the
Ludus Magnus school and covering an area of some . This approach of aerial photography and modern remote sensing has allowed for a detailed virtual recreation of the gladiator school. The aerial photographs used in the recreation were acquired with a radio-controlled Microdrone md4-1000 quadrocopter, which captured a sufficient number of photographs to create an overlap among them. Then, using a technique called ''
structure from motion
Structure from motion (SfM) is a photogrammetric range imaging technique for estimating three-dimensional structures from two-dimensional image sequences that may be coupled with local motion signals. It is studied in the fields of computer visio ...
(SfM)'', a 3D model of the school was calculated using the sharpest images.
The school, along with the amphitheater, was located outside of the town's walls. The school had training grounds, bathing facilities, an assembly hall and dormitories for the gladiators. The school also had a courtyard which housed a training area for gladiators. The school was attached to an open campus which was most likely used for chariot races.
[.]
Museum Carnuntinum
The archaeological museum Carnuntinum, which is situated in the village of
Bad Deutsch-Altenburg
Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, until 1928 Deutsch-Altenburg ( hu, Németóvár) is a market town and spa in the district of Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria in Austria.
Geography
The town lies in the Lower Austrian Industrieviertel region, on the ...
on the river
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...
, exhibits important archeological finds from the ancient city.
In fiction
Völkisch author
Guido von List
Guido Karl Anton List, better known as Guido von List (5 October 1848 – 17 May 1919), was an Austrian occultist, journalist, playwright, and novelist. He expounded a modern Pagan new religious movement known as Wotanism, which he claimed was ...
was so impressed with the ruins that he based his first novel, ''Carnuntum'', on the subject. Another novel, ''
Household Gods'', by
Harry Turtledove
Harry Norman Turtledove (born June 14, 1949) is an American author who is best known for his work in the genres of alternate history, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. He is a student of history and completed hi ...
and
Judith Tarr
Judith Tarr (born January 30, 1955) is an American fantasy and science fiction author.
Life
Tarr was born in Augusta, Maine on January 30, 1955. She is the daughter of Earle A. Tarr, Jr. (a waterworks manager and salesman of real estate), and ...
, is set in Carnuntum during the reign of
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...
.
In
Frank Tallis's crime novel ''Vienna Blood'', both Guido von List and his novel ''Carnuntum'' appear, together with an eponymous opera based on the novel.
Gallery
File:Carnuntum Palace Ruins.jpg, The palace ruins near Petronell
Petronell-Carnuntum is a community of Bruck an der Leitha in Austria. It is known for its annual World Theatre Festival.
History
The village derives the second half of its name, Carnuntum, from the ancient Roman legionary fortress and headquar ...
File:Petronell - Heidentor (3).JPG, Heidentor (so-called Heathens' Gate)
File:Modell Carnuntum 8 Zivilstadt.jpg, Scale Model of Carnuntum in Roman times
File:Modell Carnuntum 5 Amphitheater.jpg, Scale Model of Carnuntum in Roman times (amphitheatre and region outside city walls)
File:Grabstein Titus Calidius Carnuntum.jpg, Tombstone of Titus Calidius Severus, centurion of the Fifteenth Legion, depicting a horse, centurion's helmet and armour, found in Carnuntum
File:Jupiter dolichenus 3rd century Carnuntum.jpg, Statue of the god Jupiter Dolichenus
Jupiter Dolichenus was a Roman god whose mystery cult was widespread in the Roman Empire from the early-2nd to mid-3rd centuries AD. Like several other figures of the mystery cults, Jupiter Dolichenus was one of the so-called 'oriental' gods; tha ...
References
External links
Archaeological Park Carnuntum{{Authority control
6 establishments
0s establishments in the Roman Empire
374 disestablishments
370s disestablishments in the Roman Empire
Populated places established in the 1st century
Populated places disestablished in the 4th century
Roman towns and cities in Austria
Archaeological sites in Austria
Former populated places in Austria
Geography of Lower Austria
Buildings and structures in Lower Austria
Archaeological parks
Roman amphitheatres
Roman legionary fortresses in Austria
Roman fortifications in Pannonia Superior
Tiberius
Quadi
Populated places in Pannonia