Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa was the

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

and the largest city of

Roman Dacia Roman Dacia ( ; also known as Dacia Traiana, ; or Dacia Felix, 'Fertile/Happy Dacia') was a province of the Roman Empire from 106 to 271–275 AD. Its territory consisted of what are now the regions of Oltenia, Transylvania and Banat (today ...

, later named ''Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa'' after the former Dacian capital, located some 40 km away. Built on the ground of a camp of the Fifth Macedonian Legion, the city was settled by veterans of the Dacian wars. From the very beginning it received the title of '' colonia'' and the status of ''

ius Italicum ''Ius Italicum'' (Latin, Italian or Italic law) was a law in the early Roman Empire that allowed the emperors to grant cities outside Italy the legal fiction that they were on Italian soil. This meant that the city would be governed under Roman ...

''. With an area of , a population between 20,000 and 25,000, and strong fortifications, Ulpia Traiana was the political, administrative and religious centre of Roman Dacia in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The city was destroyed by the Goths. Today Ulpia Traiana remains in ruins, with a partly preserved forum, an amphitheatre, and remnants of several temples.

History

The exact period when the city was built is not known. Some say the first settlement was erected between 106-107, others say it was between 108-110. However, due to an inscription discovered at the beginning of the 14th century in the village of Grădişte, it is known that the new town was settled in the first years after the conquest of Dacia. The inscription reads: "On the command of the emperor Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus, son of the divine Nerva, was settled the Dacian Colony by Decimus Terentius Scaurianus, its governor." In Rome, the settlement of the colony was marked by the minting of a coin, by order of the Senate, dedicated to emperor Trajan. During the reign of Hadrian the city was renamed Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa. Between 222 and 235 the colony was called a ''metropolis''. The name was found on a stone inscription that reads "To

Gaius Arrius Quadratus Gaius Arrius Quadratus was a Roman Empire, Roman Roman senate, senator. As praetor he was appointed governor of the imperial province of Roman Dacia, Dacia. He was the son of Gaius Arrius Antoninus, senator and jurist. References

2nd-century ...

, son of Gaius, acting praetor of the emperor in Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa." Gaius Arrius Antoninus bore the title ''

legatus pro praetore A ''legatus'' (; anglicised as legate) was a high-ranking Roman military officer in the Roman Army, equivalent to a modern high-ranking general officer. Initially used to delegate power, the term became formalised under Augustus as the officer ...

'', which was the official title of the governor of some imperial provinces of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

Location

The settlement was built at a distance of 8 km from

Tapae Tapae was a fortified settlement, guarding Sarmizegetusa Regia, Sarmizegetusa, the main political centre of Dacia. Its location was on the Iron Gates of Transylvania, a natural passage breaking between Țarcului Mountains, Țarcului and Poiana Rus ...

, a pass between

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...

and Transylvania (today known as the Iron Gates of Transylvania). The choice was based on the military and economic advantages given by the natural barrier represented by the Retezat Mountains in the south and Poiana Ruscă Mountains in the north. The territory of the metropolis extended from

Tibiscum Tibiscum (''Tibisco'', ''Tibiscus'', ''Tibiskon'') was a Dacian town mentioned by Ptolemy, later a Roman castra and municipium. The ruins of the ancient settlement are located in Jupa, Caraș-Severin County, Romania. See also * Dacian dav ...

Micia Micia was a large Roman fort for auxiliary troops and an important part of the western Dacian limes (limes Dacia). The archaeological site is located in the municipality of Vețel (Witzel), Hunedoara County in Transylvania, Romania. This Roman gar ...

and to the

Jiu canyon Jiu, JIU or JiU may refer to : * Jiu (river), a tributary of the Danube in Romania * Alcoholic beverages, known as ''jiǔ'' () in Chinese * Ținutul Jiu, a former administrative division of Romania * Joint Inspection Unit, a United Nations entity ...

, the city being protected by several ''

castra In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

'':

, Pons Augusti,

and castra of Bumbești. The city was crossed by the imperial road from the Danube that linked the north of the province with Porolissum (Moigrad).

Archeological site

Today, the archeological site contains the following remains: * Amphitheatre * Gladiator school * Goddess Nemesis Temple * Liber Pater Temple * Gods Aesculapius and Hygieia Temple * Temple Basilica * Temple of god Mithra * Temple of palmyrans * Great Temple * God Silvanus Temple * Glass blowers' workshops * ''Horreum'' * Financial procurator's office * Thermae * Forum 2007 06 Sarmisegetuza

Image gallery

File:Colonia Dacica Sarmizegetusa 2011 - Inscription on the Forum Column.jpg, Inscription on the Forum Column File:RO HD Sarmizegetusa Great Temple.jpg, The Great Temple File:Colonia Dacica Sarmizegetusa 2011 - Amphitheater-1.jpg, The Amphitheatre File:Colonia Dacica Sarmizegetusa 2011 - Forum-7.jpg, Column ornament File:RO HD Sarmizegetusa Nemesis temple.jpg, Temple of Nemesis File:RO HD Sarmizegetusa Curia.jpg, Curia File:Colonia_Dacica_Sarmizegetusa_2011_-_Glass_Workshop.jpg, Glass workshop File:Szentpéterfalvi templom római táblája.jpg, Roman tablet built into the medieval Orthodox church in Sânpetru. File:UlpiaTraianaSarmizegetusa.jpg, Aerial view

Notes

External links

ULPIA TRAIANA SARMIZEGETUSA

{{Coord, 45, 31, N, 22, 47, E, display=title, region:RO_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Archaeological sites in Romania Former populated places in Romania Roman towns and cities in Romania Tourist attractions in Hunedoara County Historic monuments in Hunedoara County Ancient history of Transylvania Trajan