Carsium was a fort in the
Roman province
The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...
of
Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; ) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River. As a Roman domain Moesia was administered at first by the governor of Noricum as 'Civitates of Moesia and Triballi ...
in the 1st century AD
whose remains are still visible. It was part of the defensive frontier system of the
Limes Moesiae along the Danube.
It defended a nearby Danube crossing ford, one of the most important on this segment of the limes and the road that crossed into
Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...
.
A Roman settlement grew up on the site of the current town of
Hârșova around the Roman fort. It was initially in
Moesia
Moesia (; Latin: ''Moesia''; ) was an ancient region and later Roman province situated in the Balkans south of the Danube River. As a Roman domain Moesia was administered at first by the governor of Noricum as 'Civitates of Moesia and Triballi ...
and later in
Scythia Minor province.
It also had a naval port for a detachment of the ''
Classis Moesica''.
A well-preserved parade helmet of the 2nd century AD was found here, now in the National Museum in Bucharest.
Gallery
File:Cetatea Carsium1.jpg, Carsium
File:Carsium 02.jpg, Carsium
File:Cliffs at the Danube by Harsova.jpg, Cliffs on the Danube
File:Máscara para casco de desfile de caballería 01.jpg, Parade mask from Carsium
File:Inscription of Titianus Severinus.jpg, Inscription of Titianus Severinus
See also
*
List of castra
Castra (Latin, singular castrum) were military forts of various sizes used by the Roman army throughout the Empire in Europe, Asia and Africa.
The largest castra were permanent legionary fortresses.
Locations
The disposition of the castra refl ...
Notes
External links
*
Virtual reconstruction of the fortressRoman castra from Romania - Google MapsEarth
Roman auxiliary forts in Romania
Roman fortifications in Moesia Inferior
History of Dobruja
Historic monuments in Constanța County
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