Dunaszekcső Castle

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Dunaszekcső Castle
Alternative name Lugio , Lugione , Florentia , Lucione
limes Pannonian Limes
section 8th
Dating (occupancy) a) Vespasian (69–79)?
b) first half of the 2nd century to the beginning of the 5th century AD
Type a) Cohort fort b) Cohort fort, late antique naval and vexillation fort
unit a) Cohors I Alpinorum equitata
b.1)?
b.2) Cohors VII Breucorum civium Romanorum equitata
b.3) Fleet formation
and vexillation of Legio II Adiutrix
size a) unknown approx. 175 × approx. 75–130 m
Construction a) wood-earth?
b) stone
State of preservation Most of the Roman building remains are under agricultural land. Nothing can be seen above ground.
place Dunaszekcső
Geographical location 46 ° 5 '28.1 "  N , 18 ° 45' 40.7"  E
height 126  m
Previous Fort Ad Statuas (Várdomb) (northwest)
Subsequently Burgus contra Florentiam (east)
Fort Mohács-Kölked (Altinum) (southwest)
The location of the Dunaszekcső Fort on the Lower Pannonian Danube Limes
In the foreground is the Lugio / Florentia fort built on a mighty loess base ; on the opposite side of the river, in the small clearing of the bank, was the late antique Ländeburgus.
The castle hill seen from a southeastern location across the Danube
Detail of the loess hill on the southern edge

The Dunaszekcső Fort (in Latin Lugio renamed Florentia in late antiquity ) was a Roman military camp , the crew of which was responsible for security and surveillance tasks on the Limes Pannonicus . Large sections of the Danube formed the Roman frontier. The remains of the system are located on a mighty loess plateau directly above the western bank of the river. The hill is enclosed on its northern, western and southern flanks by the village of Dunaszekcső (formerly Szekcső ) in the Hungarian county of Baranya .

location

The oval loess hill dominating the landscape, which is known as "Várhegy" (castle hill) in the tradition , rises more than 40 meters above the Danube with its steeply sloping slopes . The hill was already settled in prehistoric times. Finds and remains of fortifications from the Bronze Age and the Celtic era, during which an oppidum emerged in the vicinity, bear witness to this . In 1913, 900 Celtic coins were found on the castle hill. The Romans also quickly recognized the strategic potential of the plateau. In addition to the garrison, the camp village (vicus) developed into an important traffic junction, as a trunk road led across the river to the east into Barbaricum, which was often settled by the often warlike Sarmatian Jazygens , and continued to Dacia .

Research history

Lugio is first mentioned in literary terms by Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD between Lussonium and Teutoburgium . Further names can be found in the Itinerarium Antonini , an imperial road directory from the 3rd century, as Lugione and on the Tabula Peutingeriana , a cartographic representation of the Roman road network in the 4th century, also as Lugione . Other mentions under this name come from the Notitia Dignitatum , a Roman state manual from the 5th century and in the 7th century by the geographer of Ravenna . The Codex Iustinianus , a collection of laws from the 6th century, names the place Lucione . At the end of the 3rd century the name Florentia appears , which is not taken up again in the later antique publications.

Maps showing Hungary after the devastating period of Turkish occupation document the fort square for the first time, above which a later demolished castle stood. The churchman Stephanus Salagius (István Szalágyi, 1739–1796) was the first to describe the ancient site. He was followed by the scholar Matthias Petrus Katancsich (Matija Petar Katančić) (1750-1825), who identified Lugio . Much later, the archeology pioneer Flóris Rómer (1815–1889) and subsequently Mór Wosinsky (1854–1907) and, after the Second World War, the archaeologist Zsolt Visy and Mihály Kőhegyi carried out site inspections . Until well into the 20th century, however, only the findings from a few unsystematic excavations that had taken place during the first half of the 20th century were known. The archaeologists also had access to the findings from the prospecting and some good aerial photographs.

A plan of unknown origin, which was made around 1900, shows the fort walls that were still preserved at that time. As in so many ancient places in Europe, it was only the modern age that destroyed important archaeological structures, finds and findings before their investigation. Since loess grounds are very fertile, the plateau was used intensively for viticulture. In some cases, entire loess banks have been broken out of the slope and the mountain has been riddled with modern cellars. The Roman fort suffered from the unrestricted stone robbery of the locals and treasure hunters looted everything they could find. In addition, illegal robbery graves left heavy damage to the cultural layers of the camp village ( vicus ) of the garrison. Emergency excavations in the fort were subsequently carried out by Valéria Kováts and Borbála Maráz. The camp village itself has been systematically explored since 1998 by the archaeologist Olivér Gábor.

Building history

On the castle hill settled in the first century BC. Celts who may have made their own money. After the occupation of Pannonia from 9 AD, the Romans also became aware of the area. The surface finds made early on already showed a large spectrum of northern Italian terra sigillata . Therefore, the archaeologist Lajos Nagy († 1947) was able to date the foundation of Lugio in the 1st century AD. The origin of two sherds has been placed in Arretium ( Arezzo ). A sigillate was of the form drag. 15/17 .

A first presumed wood-earth fort is therefore assumed for the Flavian period (69–96). It is said to have been located on the Püspök (bishop's) hill, which is northeast of the castle hill and south of the actual Celtic oppidum. The following stone fort was built on the castle hill during the first half of the 2nd century AD and was destroyed during the Marcomann Wars (166–180). Towards the end of the 3rd and 4th centuries, the renewed fortification was restored several times. Since the east side of the castle hill was washed away by the Danube, only the length of the fort can be measured precisely. Depending on the researchers' opinion, the size of the facility is given as 175 × approx. 75–130 meters.

At the end of the 4th century the military evidently cleared large areas within the fort. Only a remaining crew remained, who allowed burials on the former garrison area. This development can be observed at many Roman military sites along the Danube. The last traces of ancient life can still be found in graves in the fort area in the early 5th century.

The special importance of Lugios during the beginning of the late Roman era is underlined by the presence of the emperor Diocletian (284–305), who issued two decrees here on November 5, 293. After Diocletian, Lugio was renamed Florentia .

Troops and military personnel

In 2001 the epigrapher Barnabás Lőrincz (1951–2012) put together his troop list for the Principate's time for Pannonia. This list, together with other researchers' opinions and the addition of the late antique troop contingent, is dealt with in the list below. Formerly the Cohors II Asturum et Callaecorum (equitata) - (2nd partially mounted cohort of Asturians and Callaecians) , which had been stationed in Pannonia since the Flavian period and after the provincial division (101-106), was added to the armed forces of Lower Pannonia during the first half of the 2nd century after Lugio. or located Ad Militare . For Lőrincz, however, the Pannonian location of this unit remained unknown after the evaluation of more recent research results.

Time position Troop name comment
41 (?) To 54 AD Cohors I Alpinorum equitata From 41 (?) To 54 the 1st partially mounted cohort of the Alpine inhabitants was in Dunaszekcső and was possibly assigned to Carnuntum from 54 to 69 . Between 70 and 101 it can be traced in the Hungarian inland fort Gorsium , from where it was then moved from 101 to 118/119 to Vetus Salina on the Danube Limes. At the same time, however, a cohort of the same name existed, from 103-106 in the Roman province of Moesia superior (Upper Moesia ). Subsequently, the “Alpine residents” did their job in Matrica and lay here until the outbreak of the Marcomannic Wars.

Tiberius Claudius Magiatus, a rider of the Cohors I Alpinorum equitata, names a fragment of an inscription from Lugio .

After 202 a commander (Praefectus cohortis) of the cohort donated a votive altar in Lussonium . The place where the "Alpine residents" were stationed at the time will also be found there.

around 140 to around 250 AD Cohors VII Breucorum civium Romanorum equitata A tombstone of a soldier of the Cohors VII Breucorum , made between 1 and 85 AD, attests to the presence of this troop in Mainz-Weisenau at that time . In the year 100 AD the 7th partially mounted cohort of the Breuker Roman civil rights was in Upper Moesia. An inscription dated to the 2nd century mentions a vexillation of the Breuker in the Syrian Berytus ( Beirut ). One of the troops' soldiers from Pannonia was apparently buried by his heir, a standard bearer of the unit, during a mission in Gordion, Asia Minor . Another inscription names the troops with their then commander in Knodhara on Cyprus.

The cohort was stationed in Lower Pannonia at least since 143 AD and is considered one of the best-researched units in this province. Immediately after their arrival in Lower Pannonia, the unit came to Lugio. in garrison and stayed there until the middle of the 3rd century. Since brick stamps of the cohort were found at almost all fort sites in Lower Pannonia and several in Upper Pannonia, it can be assumed that the troops either sent bricks in large quantities to various military construction sites or sent construction teams there. According to archaeologist Zsolt Visy , the Breukers ran their own brickworks in Lugio . His colleague Harald von Petrikovits (1911-2010) took the same opinion .

During their time in Lugio , the Breukers erected a statue for Emperor Septimius Severus (193–211) and another for his son, the later Emperor Caracalla , in the years 200/201 and left two honorary inscriptions:

Imp (eratori) Caes (ari) L (ucio) Sept (imio)
Severo Pio
Pertinaci Aug (usto)
Arab (ico) Adiab (enico)
Parthico ma-
ximo p (atri) p (atriae) tr (ibunicia)
pot (estate) VIIII imp (eratori) XI
co (n) s (uli) II proco (n) s (uli)
coh (ors) VII Br (eucorum)
c (ivium) R (omanorum) eq (uitata)
Imp (eratori) Caes (ari) M (arco)
Aurel (io) Anto-
nino aug (usto)
trib (unicia) pot (estate) IIII
proco (n) s (uli) Imp (eratoris)
Severi Aug (usti) n (ostri)
f (ilio) coh (ors) VII
Br (eucorum) c (ivium) R (omanorum) eq (uitata)

It is documented by constitutions in the province of Pannonia inferior for both 192 and 203 AD .

4th / 5th century Classis Histricae / Vexillation of the Legio II Adiutrix The Notitia dignitatum mentions a fleet unit stationed there for Florentia . as well as a division of the Legio II Adiutrix.

Vicus

From 1998 the camp village was mainly researched. The archaeologists gained important insights into the founding phase on the basis of early Roman structures that manifested themselves during the excavation on the house of a Celtic local from the 1st century AD. In addition to the cremation cemetery belonging to almost every garrison location, an artisan district from the second and third centuries was examined, which included baking and pottery ovens. From the late Roman period, which was so important for Lugio , a hypocausted house from the third and fourth centuries was furnished with frescoes and sewerage. The examined early Christian tombs with their funerary chapels also belong to late antiquity. The last signs of life in the area of ​​the vicus can be found in the early 5th century and come from pits and burnished ceramic shards.

Other important finds

The head of Marcus Aurelius, often mentioned in specialist literature, is now in the Janus Pannonius Museum in Pécs.

The most beautiful and most important find from Lugio was the life-size head of a bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who ruled from 161 to 180 AD, discovered on the castle hill .

A partially preserved votive relief with a consecration to the fertility god Liber is of particular interest for research. This provincial Roman work depicts the triumphal procession of Bacchus with two dancing centaurs , camel and mule riders, a pan playing the flute , satyr , maenad and a depiction of the discovery of Ariadne .

Noteworthy is a burnished jug with the face of a Hun. The dark brown piece found in 1901 was made on the turntable and originally had a handle. As an additional ornament, the potter added a smoothed pattern of fir branches, as can be found in a similar form on other late Roman and barbaric vessels of the 5th century.

In particular, an early Christian glass beaker from the 4th century is also of outstanding importance. It has a base in which gold has been inlaid, and on its front side shows the bust of a married couple. Above their heads is a saying from Paul's letter to the Philippians of the New Testament : Semper gaudeatis in nomine dei - Rejoice always in the name of the Lord.

The found items also include the following brick stamps:

  • COH V [II BR]
  • [COH VII BR] GORD

Both stamps come from the COH (ors) VII BR (eucorum civium Romanorum equitata) stationed here. The troops received the addition GORD (iana) as an award during the reign of Emperor Gordian III. (238-244).

Lost property

Findings from the excavations are now in the Janus Pannonius Museum in Pécs and in the Hungarian National Museum in Budapest .

Monument protection

The monuments of Hungary are protected under the Act No. LXIV of 2001 by being entered in the register of monuments. The Roman sites in Dunaszekcső and the surrounding area belong to the nationally valuable cultural property as archaeological sites according to § 3.1. According to § 2.1, all finds are state property, regardless of where they are found. Violations of the export regulations are considered a criminal offense or a crime and are punished with imprisonment for up to three years.

See also

literature

  • Jenő Fitz (ed.): The Roman Limes in Hungary. (= Az István Király Múzeum közleményei. Series A, Volume 22). Fejér Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága, Székesfehérvár 1976
  • Olivér Gábor, Gábor Bartók: On the recent condition of the roman castellum in Dunaszekcső. In: Specimina nova. 13, 2009, pp. 167-174.
  • Olivér Gábor, Levente Nagy: Római kori erőd és település Dunaszekcsőn (Várhegy, Szt. János-hegy, Püspök-hegy) - Roman age fortress and settlement in Dunaszekcső (Burgberg, Johannesberg, Bischofsberg). Régészeti értékeink 9. Budapest 2004.
  • Olivér Gábor: Dunaszekcső, castellum. In: Régészeti Kutatások Magyarországon. 2000, Budapest 2003, p. 130.
  • Olivér Gábor: Dunaszekcső, Dózsa György út 3. In: Régészeti Kutatások Magyarországon 1998, Budapest 2001, p. 144.
  • Ferenc Halász: With tudunk Dunaszekcsőről az őskortól napjainkig? Dunaszekcső Emlékeiért és Jövőjéért Alapítvány, Dunaszekcső 2000, ISBN 963-03-978-3 .
  • Antal Horváth: Horváth Antal levele a dunszekcsői falmaradványokról. In: Archaeologiai Értesítö. 102, 1975, p. 299.
  • Valeria Kovács: Marc Aurel portrait from Lugio. In: Jenő Fitz (Ed.): Bronzes romains figurés et appliqués et leursproblemèmes techniques. István Király Múzeum, Székesfehérvár 1984. (= Alba Regia 21, 1984, pp. 89-91).
  • Valéria Kováts, Borbála Maráz: Dunaszekcső. In: Archaeologiai Értesítö. 5, 1885, pp. 37-38.
  • Lajos Nagy: Római régiségek Dunaszekcsőről (Roman antiquities from Dunaszekcső). In: Archaeologiai Értesítö. 45, 1931, pp. 267-271.
  • Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary. Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , pp. 122-124.

Remarks

  1. ^ Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 123.
  2. ^ András Mócsy : The late Roman ship landing in Contra Florentiam. In: Pannonia and the Roman Army. Selected essays. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-515-06103-7 , p. 223.
  3. ^ Claudius Ptolemy, Geography II. 15.3
  4. ↑ Itinerarium Antonini 244, 2.
  5. ↑ Notitia Dignitatum occ. 22, 53, 58.
  6. ^ Geographer of Ravenna 220, 7.
  7. ↑ Codex Iustinianus IX 20, 10-11.
  8. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Olivér Gábor: Lugio Castellum. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): The Roman army in Pannonia. Teleki Lázló Foundation 2003, ISBN 963-86388-2-6 , p. 130.
  9. ↑ a b c d e Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 124.
  10. ↑ a b Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 106.
  11. ^ Zsolt Visy: The ripa Pannonica in Hungary. Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2003, ISBN 963-05-7980-4 , p. 105.
  12. ^ Barnabás Lőrincz: The troops and the troop commander of the recipient of the diploma CIL XVI 113. In: Acta classica Universitatis Scientiarum Debreceniensis. 33, 1997 (1999), pp. 241-248; here: 232–233.
  13. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Research Society Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 29.
  14. ↑ Barnabás Lőrincz: The Roman auxiliaries in Pannonia during the Principate's time. Part I: The Inscriptions. Forschungsgesellschaft Wiener Stadtarchäologie, Vienna 2001, ISBN 3-902086-02-5 , p. 51.
  15. ↑ Ioan Piso: The military diploma from Drobeta In: On the northern border of the Roman Empire. Selected studies (1972–2003). Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 3-515-08729-X , p. 126.
  16. ^ Péter Kovács : New Roman inscriptions in the Matrica Museum (Százhalombatta). In: Acta antiqua Academiae scientiarum Hungaricae. 36, Budapest 1995, p. 255.
  17. ↑ CIL 3, 3316 .
  18. ↑ AE 1945, 78 .
  19. ↑ Miroslava Mirković: Moesia Superior. A province on the middle Danube. von Zabern, Mainz 2007, ISBN 978-3-8053-3782-3 , p. 36.
  20. ↑ AE 1926, 150 .
  21. ↑ ku.de  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www1.ku.de  
  22. ^ AE 1953, 171 .
  23. ↑ Barbara Pferdehirt : A new military diploma for Pannonia inferior of August 11, 193 AD In: Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt. 32, 2002, pp. 247-260; here, p. 252.
  24. ^ Péter Kovács : A new imperial epithet of the cohors VII Breucorum. In: Acta archaeologica Academiae scientiarum Hungaricae. No. 56, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest 2005, pp. 245ff .; here, p. 245.
  25. ^ Zsolt Visy: The Pannonian Limes in Hungary . Theiss, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-8062-0488-8 , p. 109.
  26. ↑ Harald von Petrikovits: Contributions to Roman history and archeology. 1931 to 1974 (supplements to the Bonn yearbooks). Rhineland, Cologne / Bonn 1976, p. 155.
  27. ↑ CIL 3, 10278 .
  28. ↑ CIL 3, 15148 .
  29. ↑ AE 1988, 979 .
  30. ^ AE 2002, 1237 .
  31. ↑ Notitia dignitatum occ. 33.58
  32. ^ Olivér Gábor: Lugio Castellum. In: Zsolt Visy (ed.): The Roman army in Pannonia. Teleki Lázló Foundation 2003, ISBN 963-86388-2-6 , p. 132.
  33. ↑ István Bóna: The Empire of the Huns. Theiss, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-8062-0897-2 , p. 272.
  34. ↑ Phil 4,4  EU .
  35. ^ László Barkóczi: The history of the peoples of Hungary up to the end of the 9th century. Guide to the exhibition. Hungarian National Museum, Budapest 1963, pp. 84–85.
  36. ↑ AE 2000, 1215 .