Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa was the
capital
Capital and its variations may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital
** List of national capitals
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter
Econom ...
, the first, and largest city of
Roman Dacia
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as ; or Dacia Felix, ) 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 all in Romania, except the last regi ...
, named after ''
Sarmizegetusa'' the former
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 ...
n capital, located some 30 km away. It was founded in 106 as a and elevated to during the reign of
Severus Alexander
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – March 235), also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. Alexander took power in 222, when he succeeded his slain c ...
.
The present village of Sarmizegetusa has been built over parts of it.
It acted as the seat of the governor of Roman Dacia until it was moved to
Apulum around 158 under
Antoninus Pius
Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius (; ; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from AD 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Born into a senatorial family, Antoninus held var ...
.
Location
The settlement was built at a distance of 8 km from
Tapae
Tapae was a fortified settlement, guarding Sarmizegetusa, the main political centre of Dacia. Its location was on the Iron Gates of Transylvania, a pass between Țarcului and Poiana Ruscă Mountains and connecting the Banat to Țara Hațegulu ...
, a pass between
Banat
Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...
and
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 ...
(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 to
Micia and to the
Jiu valley
The Jiu Valley ( , ) is a region in southwestern Transylvania, Romania, in Hunedoara county, situated in a valley of the Jiu River between the Retezat Mountains and the Parâng Mountains. The region was heavily industrialised and the main activity ...
, the city being protected by several ''
castra
''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...
'':
Tibiscum,
Pons Augusti,
Micia and those of
Bumbești.
The city was at the crossroads of the imperial road from
Drobeta
''Drobeta'' is a genus of moths of the family Noctuidae. The genus was erected by Francis Walker (entomologist), Francis Walker in 1858.
Species
* ''Drobeta albicauda'' (Hampson, 1910)
* ''Drobeta albirufa'' (Druce, 1909)
* ''Drobeta andrevia'' ...
that linked the north of the province with
Porolissum (Moigrad) and the one starting form
Dierna going towards
Tibiscum.
History
From an inscription discovered at the beginning of the 14th century in the village of
Grădişte, the new town was settled in the first years after the conquest of Dacia in 106 AD. The inscription reads: "On the command of the emperor
Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus, son of the divine
Nerva
Nerva (; born Marcus Cocceius Nerva; 8 November 30 – 27 January 98) was a Roman emperor from 96 to 98. Nerva became emperor when aged almost 66, after a lifetime of imperial service under Nero and the succeeding rulers of the Flavian dynast ...
, 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.
Possibly built over a temporary camp of the
Fifth Macedonian Legion, it soon was settled by the retired veterans who had served in the Dacian Wars, principally the
Fifth (''Macedonia''),
Ninth (''Claudia''), and
Fourteenth (''Gemina'') legions. It was also settled by veterans and colonists from the Italian peninsula. From the beginning it received the title of ''
colonia'' and the status of ''
ius Italicum
''Ius Italicum'' or ''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 go ...
''.
During the reign of
Hadrian
Hadrian ( ; ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. Hadrian was born in Italica, close to modern Seville in Spain, an Italic peoples, Italic settlement in Hispania Baetica; his branch of the Aelia gens, Aelia '' ...
the city was renamed Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa. The name was found on a stone inscription that reads "To
Gaius Arrius Quadratus, son of Gaius, acting praetor of the emperor in Colonia Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa." Gaius Arrius Antoninus bore the title ''
legatus pro praetore'', the official title of the governor of some imperial provinces of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
.
Between 222 and 235 the colony was called a ''metropolis''.
After the
abandonment of Dacia, the population reduced drastically. A small community moved inside the amphitheatre, walling the entrances with funerary stones and surviving until the end of the 4th century.
The city
The urban centre and the civil settlement occupied an area of over , with a population reaching between 11,000 and 15,000 at the end of the 2nd century. The city was built with a
Hippodamian Plan
Hippodamus of Miletus (; Greek: Ἱππόδαμος ὁ Μιλήσιος, ''Hippodamos ho Milesios''; c. 480– 408 BC) was an ancient Greek architect, urban planner, physician, mathematician, meteorologist and philosopher, who is considered to ...
and was surrounded by strong walls over .
The walled town was built with public and administrative buildings at the centre of which was the
forum vetus. The entrance was marked by a
tetrapylon placed at the intersection of the two main streets with each side ornated with a fountain dedicated to the
nymphs
A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
. South of the ''forum vetus'', on the place of an old market, a new forum was built around 153 with a
Capitolium
A ''Capitolium'' (Latin) was an ancient Roman temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad of gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. A ''capitolium'' was built on a prominent area in many cities in Italy and the Roman provinces, particularly during the ...
at its western side. Besides the temple dedicated to the
Capitoline Triad
The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...
, which marked the city as the religious centre of Dacia, in the beginning of the 3rd century a temple for the Palmyrene gods was dedicated. Northeast of the new forum was the building of the
fiscal procurator of
Dacia Apulensis
Roman Dacia ( ; also known as ; or Dacia Felix, ) 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 all in Romania, except the last regio ...
.
The civil settlement continued outside the walls, mainly to the North, covering over 100 hectares. The most important building there was the amphitheatre, initially built of wood then from the second half of the 2nd century from stone. East of the amphitheatre was the sacred area with multiple temples and sanctuaries. South was a large area for
Roman baths
In ancient Rome, (from Greek , "hot") and (from Greek ) were facilities for bathing. usually refers to the large Roman Empire, imperial public bath, bath complexes, while were smaller-scale facilities, public or private, that existed i ...
.
The city was the main residence of the Cominii family who occupied the highest civic magistracies and built public buildings.
Archeological site

Today, the archeological site contains the following remains:
* Amphitheatre
* Gladiator school
*
Goddess Nemesis Temple
*
Liber Pater
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...
Temple
* Gods
Aesculapius and
Hygieia
Hygieia is a goddess from Greek mythology (more commonly spelled Hygeia, sometimes Hygiea; ; or , or ). Hygieia is a goddess of health ( – ''hugieia''), cleanliness and hygiene. Her name is the source for the word "hygiene". Hygieia devel ...
Temple
* Temple Basilica
* Temple of god
Mithras
Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman Empire, Roman mystery religion focused on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian peoples, Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mit ...
* Temple of the
Palmyrenes
* Great Temple
*
God Silvanus Temple
* Glass blowers' workshops
* ''Horreum''
* Financial procurator's office
* Thermae
* Forum
Image gallery
File:Relieve votivo representando al dios Silvano y las silvanas.jpg, Votive plaque showing Silvanus
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 church in Sânpetru.
File:UlpiaTraianaSarmizegetusa.jpg, Aerial view
File:Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa inskripsjon.jpg, The frontispiece of the forum
File:Aplique con Gorgona Medusa.jpg, Aplique with the shape of Gorgona Medusa
File:Busto del emperador Decio encontrado en Sarmizegetusa (2).jpg, Bronze head of Decius
Gaius Messius Quintus Trajanus Decius ( 201June 251), known as Trajan Decius or simply Decius (), was Roman emperor from 249 to 251.
A distinguished politician during the reign of Philip the Arab, Decius was proclaimed emperor by his troops a ...
found at the site
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
Sources
External links
ULPIA TRAIANA SARMIZEGETUSA
{{Coord, 45, 31, N, 22, 47, E, display=title, region:RO_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki
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