Excursion Guide [antikvár]

CONFERENCE EXCURSION Aquincum - Budapest's Román Period Predecessor PAULA ZSIDI A Short History For four and a half centuries, Hungárián Transdanubia and within this, the territory of our capital city Budapest was part of the Impérium Romanum. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, Aquincum, Budapest's Román period predecessor, played an important role in the politics of the Empire as the capital of Pannónia Inferior provincia. At its height the population grew to as many as 60,000 souls. Almost all the Román emperors visited Aquincum between the 80's of the Ist century and the end of the 4th century AD. During times of peace, these extraordinary events were marked by the granting of privileges, construction works and significant investments. During times of war, the imperátor lead forays by the Pannonian legions against the "Barbarians" living on the far side of the river. The responsibility of bordér defense was held by Aquincum from its beginnings until the fali of the Western Román Empire. Subsequently, Huns, Germans and Avars occupied the crumbling, destroyed buildings of the former Román town. Finally, the conquering Hungarians were to lay claim to them. The ancient town was rebuilt during the early Middle Ages into a Hungárián Royal residence. It was to become one of the religious and intellectual centers of the country. In cityscapes from the 17th-19th centuries showing Óbuda, the monumental remains of buildings from Aquincum can still be easily recognized. Today, this part of the capital, continuously occupied since Román times, is considered its historical core and the present street network actually reflects the traditions of the Antique settlement. The Celts and their Conquerors In the decades before the birth of Christ, the emperor Augustus drew up plans to expand the borders of the Empire to the line of the Rhine and Danube rivers. The realization of this plan took decades. The Román legions invaded the habitation area of the Illyrian and Celtic populations of Transdanubia in steps. The Celtic tribe called the Eraviscans lived in the area of Hungary's present day capital. From their fortified tribal center on Gellért Hill, they could controi a ford in the river (which today would be the Erzsébet bridgehead) and the long-