Carnuntum (Petronell / Bad Deutsch-Altenburg)

Carnuntum is mentioned in roman springs for the first time in the year AD 6. Tiberius Iulius Caesar camped at this place in a - up to now not discovered - military camp for a campaign against the Marcommani. In Carnuntum the amber street which combined the Baltic Sea with the Adria crossed the Danube.

Among Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus (Claudius) (AD 41 - 54) constructed the Legio XV a Legion camp, which was taken over at the beginning of the 2nd century AD from the Legio XIV. The camp existed until the migration time. In the middle of the 4th century a greater destruction occurred - possibly through an earthquake. Among Flavius Valentinianus (Valentinian I) (AD 364 - 375) mainly the military constructions were built up again. In the early Middle Ages the camp was used as settlement place for a presumably Slav population.

The ground of the camp was up to now hardly built on. However, runs the present highway on the via principalis. Today only still the southern gate tower of the porta prinicpalis dextra (right camp gate) is visible. The rest can be supposed by the ground form. The northern part eroded by the Danube. In this camp the governor of Pannonia Superior, Lucius Septimius Severus, was proclaimed emperor on 9th April 193 AD.

The canabae (camp town) was in the west, south and east of the legion camp. Two holy districts were found at its eastern edge. The larger one was dedicated to the Triassic Iupiter Heliopolitanus, Venus Victrix and Mercurius (Bacchus) in the Syrian city Heliopolis (Baalbek). The smaller had a temple for the god pair Liber and Libera. These constructions were used from the 2nd century to the first half of the 4th century AD.

From the canabae only still the amphitheater is today visible. The building was built into the time of Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus (AD 180 - 192) and had place for approx. 8'000 visitors. In the first place presumably it was used however as exercising and parade place.

At the eastern edge of Petronell - west of the legion camp - a fort was found, in which one a 500 man rider troop was stationed. It was used from the 2nd half of the 1st century until the 3rd century AD. Still the thermal springs, the eastern front and the porta decumana (southern gate) remained, however until today not visible.

In a small museum northeast of the fort an intersection of a sewer and a water channel is visible. Between the fort and the canabae was a cult district for Iupiter Dolichenus.

The civilian town was in the west of the fort. It became under Publius Aelius Hadrianus (AD 117 - 138) raised to a municipium (autonomous city). The center was from the 3rd century AD surrounded from a 2 meters strong wall. The first buildings are from the second half of the 1st century AD. The Diana temple is one of the latest buildings from the begin of the 4th century AD. The forum is not discovered up to now. Among Lucius Septimius Severus (AD 193 - 211) Carnuntum was raised to the Colonia Septimia Aurelia Antoniniana Carnuntum.

From the civilian town some houses, the thermal springs and a (presumed) valetudinarium are to be seen. Furthermore a part of the porticus, which followed the limes street, including the Diana temple was reconstructed. In the west lies the so-called palace ruin. It is a question of an insula which existed of three parts: thermal springs, courtyard and (presumed) macellum.

In the southwest of the civilian city are visible the rests of an amphitheater. It was constructed in the 1st half of the 2nd century AD and given up in the 4th century. It had place for 13'000 spectators.

A little outside southwest the city the so-called Heidentor lies. It is a question of a building, which stood on four columns. From that two stand today still. The monument was built presumable in the 4th century AD. There are conjectures, that the building was built on the occasion of the three emperor conference, which occurred in 307 or 308 AD in Carnuntum. Perhaps the arch appertains also to a string of triumphal arches, which were constructed under Flavius Iulius Constantius (Constantius II) (AD 337- 361).

In the east of the camp, at the St Mary's church, a bridgehead fort is presumed. Whether the docks of the Danube fleet (classis Pannonica) were found, is not known to me.

Page beginning