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| Hévíz, the legendary healing place |
Pannonia Provincia played a major role in the Roman Empire. As a frontier province, it protected the interior of the Empire from Barbaric attacks. But the importance was not just because of the military activity! Some very important roads led through across the Province, like the Amber Road from the Baltic Sea to the heart of Italia, which was the Road of the Luxury goods. Along the Amber Road great and important cities bloomed. Cities that were not just rich, but played main role in the government and provincial religion cults, like the official Caesar-cults. And so they became the centres of the Roman culture in Pannonia Provincia.
Roman ruins in Hévíz
Pannonia Provincia had a strong military background: her legions declaired Septimius Severus to be the Roman Emperor. Theodosius the Great managed the unity of the province not just in military business, but spiritually too. In 374 and 378 AC he destroyed the offensive Barbarian tribes at the line of the Danube, at the Limes. According to the legends, the little Flavius Theodosius (later the Emperor Theodosius the Great) was a weak child, he suffered from paralysis. After her mother bathed him in the Lake of Hévíz (Lacus Flavius is the Roman name), he became strong and powerful, so he could become a great Emperor of the Roman Empire. And a votive altar dedicated to the God Iupiter was found in the lake!
Emperor Theodosius and his mother
According to the archaeological findings this area was densely populated at the Roman times. Here was a road from Italia that leads to the capital of Pannonia Provincia, Aquincum. But that is only one reason why the Romans loved this region. The weather was so fine, similar to Italy. Not so cold, a little mediterranean. So they settled here and enjoyed all the pleasures of the region that we still love in our times. In the city of Hévíz a large Roman villa was found, a residental house of a villa urbana.It was built in the beginnig of the 1st century AC (remember, Pannonia was just conquered!) and has both cold and hot water baths in the house and a central heating system. So it was a really large, imposing and absolutely Roman villa! It was rebuilt several times, but survived up to the 5th century. The economic buildings in the neighborhood were also found.
traditional Roman parade in the contemporary city Hévíz
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