Micia was initially a large Roman fort for auxiliary troops outside which a large town developed. The archaeological site is located in the commune of
Vețel,
Hunedoara County
Hunedoara County () is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva, Romania, Deva. The county is part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion.
Name
In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as , ...
in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
,
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
.
It was important as it monitored and secured the road to the centre of Transylvania and the river route along the frontier to
Partiscum, today
Szeged
Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...
,
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
as well as supervising the adjacent mining area. In addition, there was a strategically important river port.
In the civil settlement were large baths and a small amphitheatre. The large number of ancient inscriptions are significant.
Every year a Roman reenactment festival, Micia Rediviva, is held on the archaeological site.
Castra
It had a quadrilateral shape of 360 x 180 m placed unusually with the long sides to the east/west unlike traditionally with the narrow side facing the enemy. It lies across the modern road and railway.
File:Thermae Micia 019.jpg, View from thermae (2014)
File:Castra Micia 034.jpg, Nordic vallum of the fort (2014)
File:Castra Micia 037.jpg, Eastern vallum of the fort (2014)
File:Castra Micia 006.jpg, Western vallum of the fort (2014)
File:Micia - Plan.svg, The plan of castra
Vicus
File:Vicus Micia 030.jpg, Buildings (2014)
File:Vicus Micia 048.jpg, Buildings (2014)
File:Vicus Micia 002.jpg, The Marisus river north of the vicus (2014)
Thermae
File:Thermae Micia 000.jpg, Thermae (2014)
File:Thermae Micia 010.jpg, Thermae (2014)
File:Thermae Micia 016.jpg, Thermae (2014)
Amphitheatre
100 m to the southeast of the military bath is a small
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) 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 ('), meani ...
with a circumference of 104 m. The arena was of diameter 31 × 29 m.
[Russell L. Sturzebecker: ''Photo Atlas. Athletic-Cultural Archaeological Sites in the Greco-Roman World. Europe, North Africa & the Middle East.'' Russell L. Sturzebecker, West Chester, PA 1985. . p. 349.]
File:Amphitheatre Micia 02.jpg, amphitheatre (2014)
File:Kastell Micia - Befundlage am Amphitheater.png, plan of amphitheatre
Necropolis
File:Micia, medaglione funerario, II sec..JPG, Funerary monument, 2nd century AD.
File:Micia, coronamento troncopiramidale di monumento funerario, II sec.JPG, Funerary monument, 2nd century AD.
References
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 ...
External links
*
Roman castra from Romania - Google MapsEarth{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117054609/http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1274893/Main/1274893 , date=2012-01-17
Roman auxiliary forts in Dacia
Roman auxiliary forts in Romania
Ancient history of Transylvania
Historic monuments in Hunedoara County