Singidunum

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Location Singidunum and the camp of the Legio IIII Flavia Felix
Walls of the Roman fort, 2nd and 3rd centuries
An Antoninianus coined under Carausius . On the reverse of the coin is the lion, the symbol of the Legio IIII Flavia Felix with the inscription LEG IIII FL

Singidunum (Greek Σιγγίδουνον ) was an ancient Roman city at the mouth of the Save in the Danube . Belgrade was later created here .

During the time of the Roman Empire , Singidunum was part of the defensive fortifications on the Danube Limes . The strategic location of the city and castrum on the Via Militaris , today called Danube South Road , which led in this eastern section from Sirmium via Viminatium , Trimontium to Constantinople , determined the history of Singidunum up to the beginning of the 7th century. The military town of Singidunum ( Vicus ) was supplemented by an important civil town with the settlement of legion veterans in the lower town.

Prehistoric time

The area at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers was continuously populated from the mid to late Paleolithic . Traces of the Neolithic Vinča culture, which existed between the 6th and 3rd millennium BC. BC in the area of ​​the middle Danube have been named after a Belgrade suburb.

Pre-Roman times

According to Constantin Josef Jireček , there was a Celtic predecessor place in place of today's Belgrade before the Roman foundation , which was initiated by the Skordiskers :

“They founded their main castle Singidunum here, the fortification of which might have consisted at most of a Cyclopean wall. After the subjugation of Moesia, the suburb of the Skordisker became one of the most important arsenals of the Romans. In the place of the primitive Celtic castle a regular Roman castrum rose, but kept the old name, which lived on in the VII century as the last trace of the then already lost Celtic element. "

- Konstantin Jireček : The military route from Belgrade to Constantinople and the Balkan passes. P. 11, 1877, Prague

Felix Kanitz wrote about the etymological origin of the toponym from the Celtic :

“... whose name, which is probably formed from 'Singid' with 'dununi' (hill) or 'din' (castle), shows that, as ancient sources also mention, it was already 300 years BC. BC Celtic Skordisker settled there. "

- Felix Kanitz : The Kingdom of Serbia and the Serbs - from Roman times to the present. Vol. 1, p. 5, 1904, Leipzig

In general, the pre-Roman epoch of the later Roman province of Moesia and with this the foundation of the pre-Roman Singidunum with the Skordiskern, a Thraco-Celtic tribe, was connected. The great migration of the Celtic tribes to the Danube as well as their settlement in the later Roman province of Pannonia at the confluence of the Sava into the Danube is reported at the end of the 4th century BC. Assumed. The effect of the Celtic migration had far-reaching consequences for the history of the Balkan Peninsula, which was characterized by campaigns to Macedonia and Greece as well as a migration to the distant Galatia of Asia Minor. How they got to the Sava remains unclear. That they were already in the early 3rd century BC. BC settled here, have shown archaeological finds in Gomolava and the discovery of the Latin Age necropolis Rospi Čuprija in the Karaburma district near Belgrade (a few kilometers east of the Roman Singidunum) and Viminacium. The settlement of the Skordisker at the mouth of the Sava and the founding of Singidunum was established with the expansive advance around 280 BC. . Chr seen. First, the Scordisci fought with the Triballians , an indirectly from Herodotus v in the name of tribal metallic level at the mouth of the rivers Angros (West Morava) and Brongos (South Morava) since 480th BC for the Balkan Peninsula attested tribe, as well as other Thracian tribes. The death of the Macedonian king Ptolemy Keraunos in 279 BC. BC in the fight against the Skordisker opened the way to Greece. After the failure to plunder the treasure houses of Delphi and the suicide of the leader Brennus, part of the Skordiskers from Greece returned to the Sava estuary and settled permanently.

The appearance of the Celts at the mouth of the Sava was dated by the historian Justin (1st half of the 3rd century) after his return from Delphi:

“The Celts who waged the war against Delphi unhappily, in which they got to feel the power of God rather than man, fled partly to Thrace and partly to Asia Minor after they lost their leader Brennus and were beaten. From here they came back to their homeland the same way they did during the campaign. A group of these settled at the mouth of the Sava and began to call themselves Skordiskers. "

- Iustinus : Epitome XXXII 3, 6-8

Due to the archaeological finds in Rospi Čupria , however, the presence of the Celts at Sinigdunum has been documented even before this time. Strabon also reported on the spread of the Skordisker which reached as far as the settlement areas of the Triballer and Moeser. The archaeological finds in Rospi Čupria are particularly rich for the oldest epoch, but also extend over the 2nd century BC. In the 80s of the 1st century BC. The material culture of the Skordisker was shaped by a strong mixture with the cultures of the Triballer and Autariats . The decline of the Scordiskers in Moesia was explained by Appian in the battles with the Triballians and later the Romans. Claudius Ptolemy knew the Skordisker only from Pannonia, where epigraphic evidence was preserved up to the 2nd century AD.

The Roman advance to the Danube resulted from the capture of Macedonia in 168 BC. And the establishment of the province of Macedonia in 148 BC. The campaigns of the Romans against the Skordisker settling in the north were supposed to protect the province, but were also connected with military setbacks. So the Romans were defeated 141 by the Skordiskern. From 120 onwards a series of incursions by the Skordiskers into Macedonia began. 112 and 111 BC BC and 106 BC The danger of incursions into the Roman provinces was practically reduced in the 3rd century BC, but they were not finally defeated until the 1980s.

According to the archaeological finds, the Celtic Singidunum did not replace the later Roman castrum. The Celtic oppidum, the predecessor of the Roman municipality of the same name, was 4–5 kilometers south of the subsequent Roman settlement on the slope of the Shumadin slopes to the Danube in what is now the Karaburma district. It is assumed that the Celtic settlement was most likely abandoned some time before the Roman re-establishment of the legionary camp in Flavian times.

Roman period (1st - 5th centuries)

The Romans began in the 1st century BC To conquer the areas up to the Danube. The area was conquered by the Romans around 86 BC. Conquered. Gaius Quintus Scribonius Curio, the proconsul of Macedonia , reached the Danube and drove out the Skordisker, Dardanen and Dakier. Despite the military successes, Roman power only established itself under Octavian ( Augustus ), when Marcus Licinius Crassus from 29 BC. Established the province of Moesia . The city was incorporated into the province of Moesia superior (capital Viminatium ) and a garrison town on the Danube Limes. On the opposite side of the Save was Taurunum , today's Zemun . Singidunum became one of the most important centers of the province but was overshadowed by Sirmium and Viminatium, the two outstanding Roman cities of the province. The castrum was an important strategic point on the Via Militaris , which connected the fortifications and settlements on the Danubian Limes .

In AD 86, Domitian moved the Legio IIII Flavia Felix to Singidunum in parallel with the strengthening of the imperial borders against the Dacians . Singidunum also flourished at this time . The castrum was in the upper part of today's Kalemegdan fortress . The Legion built a bridge over the Save to the opposite place Taurunum . The Legion , numbering 6,000 men, was one of the most important military means against the Dacian tribes on the northern bank of the Danube. With the settlement of veterans, an urban place grew around the legionary camp . Today's streets in the old town of Belgrade between the streets Uzun Mirkova, Dušanova, and Kralja Petra I show the right-angled streetscape of the Roman city. The forum was located at today's Studentski Trg.

At the beginning of the 2nd century, Trajan (105-106) defeated Dacia with the participation of the Legio IIII Flavia Felix , who had participated in the campaigns since 88 and also took over parts of the road construction north of the Danube. With the formation of the province of Dacia , a time of peace began for Singidunum . In the middle of the 2nd century, Emperor Hadrian relocated the Legio IV Flavia Felix back to Singidunum and gave the city the status of a municipality with greater administrative freedom, later it also became Colonia .

After the 2nd century AD, the power of the Roman Empire began to crumble at its borders. With the invasion of the Goths between 256 and 270, the province of Dacia was abandoned and Singidunum remained an important border post against the barbarians. Aurelian therefore relocated all legions to the south bank of the Danube and reorganized the region by forming the province of Dacia ripensis .

Late antique period (4th - 6th century)

The first half of the 4th century was again a period of peace: the city received the status of a Roman colony, which further reinforced its autonomy. With the division of the empire in 395 under Theodosius I , Singidunum came to Eastern Europe , from which the Byzantine Empire emerged . Singidunum was now the most north-westerly frontier post of the eastern Roman Empire. In the 5th century, the Western Roman Empire disappeared as a power factor, which meant a series of invasions of the Balkan Peninsula by Germanic , Mongolian , Slavic and Turkish peoples for the remaining Eastern Roman Empire . Over time, Moesia and Illyricum were hit by subsequent invasions from the Huns , Ostrogoths , Gepids , Sarmatians , Avars and Slavs . Singidunum itself fell into the hands of the Huns in 441 and was recaptured by the Romans in 454, came to the Ostrogoths in 470, the Gepids and Sarmatians in 488 and 504 again to the Ostrogoths.

In 510 Singidunum became Roman again, and Justinian I renewed the fortress in 535. This renewal is also the origin of today's Belgrade fortress. In 510 Singidunum came back to the Byzantine Empire by treaty. In 512 the Byzantine Emperor Anastasios I settled the Germanic Heruli to ward off the Gepids .

Through the Restauratio imperii operated by Justinian I, the emperor fortified the Danube border in 535 with a large-scale fortification program on the lower Danube that was purely defensive. Justinian renewed the fortification of Singidunum, which had moved into the center, in the form of a significantly reduced, but with strong walls fortified Byzantine castron within the old abandoned legion camp (Castra) , which was achieved in particular through a further staggering of Kastra, the newly built, political and ecclesiastical Organization of the new administrative center of Justiniana Prima , serving the region , was supposed to protect and prevent incursions to Moesia , but it turned out to be a far-reaching strategic error due to the subsequent unavoidable conquest of the Slavs in the Balkans .

The well-fortified Singidunum fort, already resembling a medieval castle, formed the core of the medieval city, which, with the exception of the newly built and fortified lower town of Kalemegdan at the beginning of the 15th century under Stefan Lazarević , did not go over until the beginning of the 16th century the Justinian boundaries grew.

Avars and Slavic invasions

With the last great migration of the Avars, the Slavs immigrated as allies into the Pannonian Plain and in 582 conquered the strategically important city of Sirmium. In 584 the Kastron Singidunum also fell, with which the defense of the entire Byzantine Danube border collapsed. It was not until Emperor Maurikios , beginning with his accession, undertook a 20-year and finally successful defensive battle against the Avars and Slavs. In 592 his troops were able to recapture Singidunum. Subsequently, the Avars were pushed back north of the Danube line. A Roman fortress commander stayed in Singidunum until 625. Only in the late 9th century did the city reappear in the sources as a Bulgarian fortress, then under the name “Beograd” (“white city”).

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://ia700209.us.archive.org/10/items/dieheerstrassevo00jire/dieheerstrassevo00jire.pdf
  2. ↑ http://ia700301.us.archive.org/19/items/dasknigreichse01kaniuoft/dasknigreichse01kaniuoft.pdf
  3. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 11
  4. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 12
  5. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 13
  6. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 13
  7. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 13
  8. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 13
  9. ↑ ibid Miroslava Mirković, p. 13
  10. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 14
  11. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 17
  12. ↑ ibid Miroslava Mirković, p. 50
  13. ↑ Miroslava Mirković, 2007: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. Mainz: Philipp von Zabern 2007. 144 p. 90 color images ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 . P. 50
  14. ↑ See Michael Witby: The Emperor Maurice and his Historian. Theophylact Simocatta on Persian and Balkan Warfare. Oxford 1988, p. 187.

Web links

Commons : Singidunum  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 44 ° 49 '  N , 20 ° 28'  E