ROMAN ROADS ADJACENT TO THE ALUTAN LIMES FROM THE SOUTH OF THE CARPATHIANS Cover Image

ROMAN ROADS ADJACENT TO THE ALUTAN LIMES FROM THE SOUTH OF THE CARPATHIANS
ROMAN ROADS ADJACENT TO THE ALUTAN LIMES FROM THE SOUTH OF THE CARPATHIANS

Author(s): Laurențiu Florin Comănescu
Subject(s): Cultural history, History of ideas, Local History / Microhistory, Social history
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: limes; ways of communication; border; economy; army;

Summary/Abstract: The roman road segment of the Alutan limes south of the Carpathians, between Islaz to the south and the Roman Buridava to the north, had mainly a strategic role, but at the same time it ensured the propagation of the Roman civilization, as well as the increase of the speed of travel in time and space, thus ensuring the Roman unity and cohesion in this part of the province. This portion of the Roman road that starts from Islaz and continues to the north through the Olt gorge was probably one of the first arteries built by the Romans in the action of conquering Dacia, thus ensuring the advance into the territory in order to conquer new lands. The realization of this stretch of road was a landmark element for all types of settlements in the Romanian plain that had to be connected to the communication network formed by the Olt road that accompanied the river line and which in the plain part benefited from an important branch, especially from an economic point of view, which went from Romula to Sucidava. The Roman road studied afferent to the Alutan limes that starts from Islaz and goes north to the mountain gorge of the Olt River, up to the submontane area of the Southern Carpathians, to Buridava, has a length of about 160 kilometers, connects between 9 important fortified settlements having an economic, urbanistic and strategic role, such as Slăveni, Romula, Acidava, Rusidava, Pons Aluti or Buridava. It also intersects numerous rivers, the most important of which Teslui, Olteţ, Pesceana, Mamu, Bistrița, which although they had an important volume of water, these for most of the year could be crossed directly even through the low fords. The road of the Alutan limes from the south of the Carpathians can be considered a crucial element in this important geographical area from a border point of view, but also economically, the road artery managing to satisfy in the period of maximum use all the military, economic, administrative needs. The Roman Road, together with the other more or less important arteries that it brought together, managed to interconnect all the fortifications, cities and settlements bordering it, thus providing support for the development of economic activities, agriculture and urban economy, in parallel with the diffusion of the Roman civilization.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 27
  • Page Range: 519-535
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Romanian