Aquincum

About

Aquincum (Latin: [aˈkᶣɪŋkũː], Hungarian: [ˈɒkviŋkum]) was an ancient city, situated on the northeastern borders of the province of Pannonia within the Roman Empire. The ruins of the city can be found in the Óbuda district of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. It is believed that Marcus Aurelius wrote at least part of his book Meditations at Aquincum.

Aquincum was originally settled by the Eravisci, a Celtic tribe. Aquincum served as a military base (castrum), having been part of the Roman border protection system called limes. Around AD 41–54, a 500-strong cavalry unit arrived, and a Roman legion of 6,000 men (Legio II Adiutrix) was stationed there by AD 89. The city gradually grew around the fortress, and after Pannonia was reorganised by the Romans in AD 103, Aquincum became the capital city of the Roman province of Pannonia Inferior until the administrative reform of Diocletian more than a century later. Under Hadrian, the city obtained municipal status, while under Septimius Severus, Aquincum became a colonia. As the centre of operations on the Roman frontier against the neighbouring Iazyges, Aquincum was occasionally the headquarters of emperors. The city had...