As in so many things, we don’t agree in the exact date of the birth of Pannonia Provincia. Despite of that we’ve got a lot of archaeological foundings and written memories from the Romans themselves about this topic, it is still a topic for heated debates in our beloved little country, Hungary. But first let’s see the the most common views!
1.1.) 16-15
BC: military occupation of West-Pannonia (the annexation of Noricum into the
Empire)
2.2.) 13-9
BC: the occupation of the area of the Rivers Drava and Sava
3.3.) 1st century AC: the occupation of North-East
Pannonia
Despite of the occupation and several
expeditions to the area, it seems that the Transdanubian region was mostly
unknown, even in the time of Emperor August. Maybe this area was the part of
the huger Hercynian Forrest, what is mentioned by Caesar, so even the accurate
Roman legions could not mapped it. Anyhow, the name ’Pannonia’ was given to
this region under the reign of Emperor Vespasian, earlier it was called
’Illyricum Inferius’. The city of Aquincum was founded around 89 AC. From 106
AC until the end of the 4th century this city was the head city of the
Lower-Pannonia region. During the 4th century the situation became more
dangerous, so both the civil inhabitants and both the military troops pulled
inward to the province, to a safer place, what seemed more defensible. Int he
beginning of the 5th century the city of Aquincum was left by the Roman
inhabitants. Naturally it didn’t became an abandoned city, rather the
inhabitants changed: the migration of the German tribes started. In 433 AC
according to an agreement, the region of Pannonia was given to the Huns (the
deservedly famous Attila and his team). But let not run so fast ahead!
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| the River Danube is one of the borders of the Roman Empire |
So first, the Roman troops arrived to the
Danube Bend, to a place is now called Óbuda (the Buda part of Budapest,ancient
city core). There they established their military city, and around the military
facility quickly established the civil city. So Aquincum became a large and
important city at the Danube bank. And the Danube was a natural border line
between the Romans and the non-Romans. Roman is all that is ruled by Rome, the
Empire, the Emperors. Non-Roman is everything else, no matter what tribes or
which nation – Barbarian (in this meaning: non-Roman).
Various people lived at the Eastern side of
the Danube. Some of them – who got into a conflict with the Roman Empire – are
well known, not just their names remained int he flow of History. According to
the archaeological foundings, not only warfare was between the Romans and the
Barbarians, but lively trade connections too.
The line of the Danube became a border, and
as such, it needed protection. The border is called LIMES or RIPA PANNONICA,
as a water boundary. Along the Danube, on both sides, there are a lot of Roman
forts. Some of them are excavated, but not all. Some of them destroyed. Some of
them emerged during a new construction – and destroyed by this new
construction. The watchtower at Csillaghegy is one of this. You can find it
under a newly renovated beach.
The watchtower was built by Frigeridus Dux ,
a military foreman of the province. The tower itself is a smaller one (8,2x8,2
metres outside, 5,8x5,8 metres inside). The documentation of the excavation
disappeared, only some notes and a photo remained. The excavator was Lajos
Nagy, he found it in 1934. A weekendhouse was built there (for the National
Credit Union) and then occured the watchtower. The tower was empitied, nothing
left there. On the other hand, in other watchtowers (called BURGUS) or smaller forts (named PRESIDIA) archaeologists found the
tracks of fire, torn roofs and burnt grain. So this watchtower was in no use,
left behind and the stones was found built-in a nearby medieval catholic
church.
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| the excavation of the watchtower in 1934 |
In 2016-2017 the beach was renovated, so new
excavations were available. Got out, that there was already some kind of
building under the watchtower. Maybe it was a similar watchtower, made of wood.
during a new reconstruction it could be built up by stone. Many watchtowers was
built by wood and later reconstructed to be stronger with stones from the local
mines.
At the time of the watchtower-building in
Rome Emperor Commodus reigned. At this time 4 legions, 12 equestrian corps
(called ALA), 26 infantry formation (called COHORS) and a navy stationed in
Pannonia. So Rome took the border-defence seriously. In Aquincum the Legio II
Adiutrix was stationed, many of their heritage is known. Like Titus Aelius
Iustus, husband of the famous singer Aelia Sabina (about her in a later
article), he was a member of this Legio.
The huge border-defence was in vain, because
the Barbarian migration started and enemies arrived in huge waves. They
occupied Pannonia and settled in their cities and houses. According to an old
legend, the city of Attila called Fehéregyház (the White City) was in Óbuda,
int he location of the Roman Aquincum and the military amphitheatre of the city
was believed that it was the castle of Attila. This history-hoax is originated
from the historian Bonfini and was irrefutable during centuries.
So migration started and demolished the Roman culture from Pannonia Provincia, but our mini-watchtower had an other destiny: a beach.
the sad end of a Roman watchtower
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