Ancient Aquincum

Travel through time to Budapest's own Roman ruins
By Nick Robertson
This article courtesy of Budapest's WHERE Magazine

Towering columns, scrimshawed artifacts, and golden mosaics grace the weather-worn stone labyrinth of Aquincum, once the capital of ancient Rome's Pannonia province and today a sprawling open-air museum amid modern Budapest.

Now open for summer, Aquincum lies north along the Danube only a short distance from downtown, but arriving at this massive complex of well-preserved archaeological ruins - including a 12-room Roman villa and a gladiatorial amphitheather - takes visitors back 19 centuries.

In 106 A.D. Emperor Trajan declared this frontier military base the capital of Rome's Pannonia Inferior territory, and some 40,000 soldiers and civilians settled here, creating a sophisticated archaic metropolis later described as "Colonia Splendissima" by Emperor Hadrian.

The ancient city was adorned with intricate artworks, imposing monuments, and advanced plumbing and heating systems - but with Rome - inevitable fall came the decline of Aquincum, and over eons the earth reclaimed this lost civilization, along with a profusion of relics.

Only in 1778 did a vine grower discover the ruins while digging this venerable soil, but Hungarian historians recognized their significance immediately. Since then thousands of valuable antiquities were excavated for study and display in various museums - but at Aquincum visitors see statues, glasswork, paintings, coins, and much more within the very walls where these artifacts were new.

Fascinating granite remnants of interlaced homes and courtyards blanket a vast expanse, and between them slender roads of yore lead to the ruins - marketplace, two baths, a gymnasium, a shrine, and the Hercules Villa - formerly the military commander's palace, named for its detailed mosaic floor depicting the legendary strongman's wife being abducted by a centaur.

Centering the antiquated city is the enclosed museum housing Aquincum's most precious finds, like a Roman noblewoman's jewelry, a red-marble sarcophagus, and delicately carved animal-bone figurines. Meanwhile, the amphitheater is tucked in a nearby forest, with its high walls reputedly necessitated by particularly ferocious beasts kept within.

This month Aquincum kicks off its summer events series with the annual Floralia Festival on May 17th-18th, a family-friendly program featuring a flower show, theatrical performances, craftsmaking displays, and staged gladiator battles providing literal blasts from the past.

INFO
Aquincum Museum
Buda III, Szentendrei út 139
Acquincum.hu

To visit by public transportation, take the HÉV train from Batthyány tér to the seventh stop, cross the major street, and walk about 100 meters to the right; the museum is just past the tunnel to the left-hand side.

Photo by
"Chad K" as per
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