Porolissum

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Porolissum
The rebuilt Praetorian gate (Porta Praetoria)
Porolissum is located in Romania
Porolissum
Location within Romania
Alternative name(s)Porolisso,[1] Porolisson,[1] Paralisum,[2] Paralissum [2]
Known also as
  • Castra of Moigrad
  • Castra of Mirșid
Founded during the reign ofTrajan
Foundedc. 106 AD
Attested byTabula Peutingeriana
Place in the Roman world
ProvinceDacia
Administrative unitDacia Porolissensis
Administrative unitDacia Superior
LimesPorolissensis
Directly connected to
Structure
— Stone structure —
Size and area230 m × 300 m (6.9 ha)
ShapeRectangular
Wall thickness1.80 ÷ 2.50 m [3]
Construction techniqueOpus incertum [3]
— Wood and earth structure —
Size and area225 m × 295 m (6.6 ha)
ShapeRectangular
Stationed military units
— Legions —
— Cohorts —
— Numeri —
Palmyrenorum
Location
Altitudec. 480 m
Place nameMăgura Pomăt / Pomet [4]
TownMoigrad-Porolissum
CountySălaj
RegionTransylvania
Country Romania
Reference
RO-LMISJ-I-m-A-04909.01 [4]
RO-RAN142159.01 [4]
Site notes
Recognition National Historical Monument
ConditionRuined, some parts are reconstructed
Excavation dates
  • 1970 - 1977
  • 2009 - today
Exhibitions

Porolissum was an ancient Roman city in Dacia. Established as a military camp in 106 during Trajan's Dacian Wars, the city quickly grew through trade with the native Dacians and became the capital of the province Dacia Porolissensis in 124. The site is one of the largest and best-preserved archaeological sites in modern-day Romania. It is 8 km away from the modern city of Zalău, in Jac village, Creaca Commune, Sălaj County.

History

In 106, at the beginning of his second war against the Dacians, Emperor Trajan established a military stronghold at the site to defend the main passageway through the Carpathian mountains. The fort, initially built of wood on stone foundations, was garrisoned with 5000 auxiliary troops transferred from Spain, Gaul and Britain. Even though the name Porolissum appears to be Dacian in origin, archaeologists have so far uncovered no evidence of a Dacian settlement preceding the Roman fort.

In the following decades, the fort was enlarged and rebuilt in stone (possibly under the reign of Marcus Aurelius), and a civilian settlement developed around the military center. When Hadrian created the new province Dacia Porolissensis (named for the now sizable city) in 124, Porolissum became the administrative center of the province. Under emperor Septimius Severus, the city was granted municipium status, allowing its leaders and merchants to act independently. Although the Romans withdrew from Dacia in 271 under Aurelian and the city was abandoned by its founders, archaeological evidence shows that it remained inhabited for several centuries afterwards.

Even though the city was founded as a military center in the middle of a war, the garrison of Porolissum seems to have lived in peaceful coexistence with their Dacian neighbours - several Dacian villages that were apparently founded after the city of Porolissum have been uncovered by archaeologists on the surrounding hills. There are also some inscriptions mentioning city officials with Romano-Dacian names, indicating close cooperation on a political level.

The plan of castra.

Excavations

Limited archaeological work at Porolissum began in the 19th century, but it was not until 1977 when Romanian archaeologists began larger-scale, systematic excavations. The excavations by a number of teams are ongoing and have uncovered remnants of both the military installations and the civilian city, including public baths, a customs house, a temple to Liber Pater, an amphitheatre, insula consisting of four buildings and a number of houses. The main gate (Porta Praetoria) of the stone fortress has been rebuilt. Current excavation work undertaken by a joint American-Romanian team is focusing upon the city's forum.

From 2006 until 2011, another project, "Necropolis Porolissensis", was running focused on the cemetery of the municipium Porolissum, on the spot known as "Ursoies". From 2008 to 2011 a Romanian-German-Hungarian team was excavating an underground-building in the centre of the castle, probably a water cistern.

Temple of Jupiter

The temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus

Temple of Liber Pater

The temple of Liber Pater

Temple of Nemesis

The temple of Nemesis

Nemesis is the goddess of justice, fortune and destiny. She may influence the fate of those who were frequently faced to death and danger, she was especially worshiped by soldiers and gladiators. Thus, the goddess is closely linked to world of amphitheaters. Places of worship dedicated to her are near the amphitheaters or even embedded in the building. The sanctuary of Porolissum was built in late 2nd century or in the beginning of 2nd century AD. Probably it was a place of worship of other deities, linked in one way or another to amphitheatral activities, especially the animal fighting (venatio), such as Liber Pater, god of vegetation and vines, or Silvanus, protector god of forests, pastures and wild animals.[5]

Amphitheater

The amphitheater (157 AD)

The amphitheater was built as a wood structure during the reign of Hadrian. Later, in 157 AD, it has been rebuilt in stone.[1]

Gallery

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Schütte, Gudmund (1917). "Ptolemy's maps of northern Europe, a reconstruction of the prototypes". The Royal Danish Geographical Society. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  2. ^ a b Dana, Dan; Nemeti, Sorin (2014-01-09). "Ptolémée et la toponymie de la Dacie (II-V)". Classica et Christiana. p. 18. Retrieved 2014-03-30.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Defensive Strategies And Trans-Border Policies At The Lower Danube - Porolissum
  4. ^ a b c "Situl arheologic roman de la Moigrad-Porolissum - Dealul Pomet". National Archaeological Record of Romania (RAN). ran.cimec.ro. 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  5. ^ "Temple of Nemesis", Porolissumsalaj.ro
  6. ^ Templul lui Iupiter Optimus Maximus de la Porolissum, de Dumitru Gheorghe TAMBA

References

Further reading

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dacia and Dacians.
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