Gorsium/Herculia

Gorsium-Herculia is one of Hungary's most significant Roman-era archaeological sites, located within the administrative area of the present-day settlement of Tác, about 10 kilometres south of Székesfehérvár. Developing from a military camp into a city (according to some opinions it received the name Herculia at that time), Gorsium became in the late Roman period one of the largest and richest settlements of Pannonia, its inhabitants possessing Roman citizenship. Among its walls passed several emperors, including Trajan, Septimius Severus and Caracalla. In terms of its strategic and transportation hub character, it can be regarded as the Roman-era predecessor of Székesfehérvár founded by Prince Géza.

The site is managed by the Saint Stephen King Museum in Székesfehérvár, which has recently carried out significant developments, allowing the city remains to be presented under modern conditions; in the newly built exhibition hall permanent and temporary exhibitions are organized. In the archaeological park, the Floralia spring festival is also held every spring in memory of Emperor Septimius Severus's visit in the year 202.

Location

From the M7 motorway at the Szabadbattyán–Tác-Gorsium junction, taking the exit onto road 6307 heading south, after about three kilometres, turning left beside the cemetery, it is located at the end of a roughly one and a half kilometre long, lower‑grade, unnumbered access road. The present archaeological site was during the Roman Empire the former administrative, later religious centre of the province of Pannonia Inferior.

History

The name of the city is known from the Itinerarium Antonini, a Roman itinerary that appeared at the end of the 3rd century: “Gorsium”, or in the formulation “Gorsio sive Hercule” (sive meaning: and, or). The dual designation referred to the old, common‑use name of the city rebuilt after the 260 barbarian incursions and the new, official name.

Before the appearance of the Romans, the area belonged to the Celtic civitas Eraviscorum. In the middle of the 1st century, the legion named ala Scubulorum, transferred here from Alduna, built a military camp at the crossing of two roads (Sopianae–Aquincum, Sopianae–Brigetio) surrounded by ditches and palisade fence. The roughly 500‑strong cavalry unit (ala) stationed here was tasked with protecting the swamp crossing and providing guard service along the routes leading into the province in defense of the interior of the province. After the complete construction of the Danube‑front limes, internal military security was no longer needed, so the unit stationed there was transferred to other parts of the empire.

On the site of the demolished castrum, from 103 a new city was begun to be built. Emperor Traianus designated Gorsium as the seat of the provincial council (concilium provinciae) of Lower Pannonia (Pannonia Inferior) organized in the same year.

It is still not proven when the settlement received the status of a city (municipium). Historian of antiquity István Tóth dates it to Hadrian's 124 provincial tour of Pannonia. In the following years the developed settlement, at the height of its flourishing, reached 400 hectares. Within the “holy district” huge halls were erected for the meetings of the provincial council and for the ceremonies of the imperial cult. To raise the light of the celebrations and to hold necessary circus games, an amphitheatre with a capacity of 20 000 people was built.

In the Marcomannic Wars (167–180) the Sarmatians set fire to the city. Not only the outer quarters burned to ash, but the fire also caused great destruction in the sacred district. This blow was soon recovered by the city. The buildings of the imperial cult were restored. At this time the hall of the provincial assembly was also renewed. After this, for 90 years the city experienced the flourishing of the Severan era. From the Upper Pannonian governor of African origin became emperor, Septimius Severus repaid the service of the army that helped him to the throne with a series of privileges. (He increased the soldiers' pay by one‑third, which was later followed by further pay raises. The increase of purchasing power of this magnitude had an encouraging effect on the whole economy. Professor Fitz Jenő called the period between 193 and 284 the “Century of the Pannonians”.)

On the occasion of the emperor's visit to Pannonia in 202, the temple of the deified emperors was rebuilt at the ruler's expense. A larger part of the vicus's houses built of mudbrick were also rebuilt during this period using more durable building material.

In 258, to avoid the danger of a quickly emerging civil war, the city council's treasury was hidden underground. The 2 584 double denarii were uncovered during excavations 1 725 years later (in 1983).

The attack by the Sarmatians and Roxolani two years later was much more serious. During the plundering that struck the whole of Pannonia, the barbarians reduced Gorsium to the level of the earth. The subsequent economic, political and military crisis that spread throughout the entire empire delayed the start of reconstruction for about three decades. (According to László Barkóczi's theory, during this time the collapsed stone material from the sacred district was hauled away for the urgent reconstruction of the Danube‑side fortifications.)

In the last years of the 3rd century the city was rebuilt again by central authority. By order of Diocletian the ruins of the sacred precinct were cleared, and construction began according to a completely new concept. The city district surrounded by walls remained the province's prominent settlement. The new city received a new name, after the co‑ruler of Emperor Diocletian, Maximinus Herculius, it was called Herculia. Its significance probably did not diminish thereafter. (According to Professor Fitz's theory the governor (praeses) of the four‑part Pannonia Valeria province moved his seat from Aquincum to Herculia in the 290s.)

In the following century the city was continuously built and beautified. A palace suitable as a governor's residence was erected, opposite which a guard barracks was placed. With the spread of Christianity several early Christian basilicas were founded.