| Porolissum | |
|---|---|
 The rebuilt Praetorian gate (Porta Praetoria) | |
  Location within Romania | |
| Alternative name(s) | Porolisso,[1] Porolisson,[1] Paralisum,[2] Paralissum[2] |
| Known also as |
|
| Founded during the reign of | Trajan |
| Founded | c. 106 AD |
| Attested by | Tabula Peutingeriana |
| Previous fortification | Dacian hillforts of Pomet hill and Măgura hill |
| Place in the Roman world | |
| Province | Dacia |
| Administrative unit | Dacia Porolissensis |
| Administrative unit | Dacia Superior |
| Limes | Porolissensis |
| Directly connected to | Certiae,(Jac),(Tihău) |
| Structure | |
| — Stone structure — | |
| Size and area | 230 m × 300 m (6.9ha) |
| Wall thickness | 1.80 ÷ 2.50 m[3] |
| Construction technique | Opus incertum[3] |
| — Wood and earth structure — | |
| Size and area | 225 m × 295 m (6.6ha) |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Stationed military units | |
| —Legions — | |
| III Gallica,IV Flavia Felix,V Macedonica,VII Gemina Felix,XIII Gemina | |
| —Cohorts — | |
| I Augusta Ituaeorum sagittaria,I Hispanorum,I Ulpia Brittonum,II Dacorum,III Campestris,III Delmatarum equitata,V Lingonum,VI Thracum | |
| —Numeri — | |
| Palmyrenorum | |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 47°10′45″N23°09′26″E / 47.1793°N 23.1573°E /47.1793; 23.1573 |
| Altitude | c. 480 m |
| Place name | Măgura Pomăt / Pomet[4] |
| Town | Moigrad-Porolissum |
| County | Sălaj |
| Region | Transylvania |
| Country |  Romania |
| Reference | |
| RO-LMI | SJ-I-m-A-04909.01 |
| RO-RAN | 142159.01 |
| Site notes | |
| Recognition |  National Historical Monument |
| Condition | Ruined, some parts are reconstructed |
| Excavation dates | 1970 – 1977, 2009 – today |
Porolissum was an ancientRoman city inDacia. Established as a military fort in 106 duringTrajan's Dacian Wars, the city quickly grew through trade with the natives and became the capital of theprovinceDacia Porolissensis in 124. It is one of the largest and best-preservedarchaeological sites in modern-dayRomania from the Roman Era. It is 8 km away from the modern city ofZalău, in Moigrad-Porolissum village,Mirsid Commune, Sălaj County.
Two large Dacian hillforts, part of a group of fortifications in the area, were at Poguior hill and Măgura hill, near where the castra were later built.[5]
In 106, at the beginning of his second war against the Dacians,Emperor Trajan established a military stronghold at the site to defend the main passageway through theCarpathian Mountains. It was the centre of defence of north-west Dacia and theLimes Porolissensis.[6] The soldiers stationed here were granted Roman citizenship by Trajan.[7]
The garrisons of Porolissum at different times were from various parts of the empire:Cohors I Brittonum milliaria Ulpia Torquata pia fidelis civium Romanorum (nominally 1000 strong), Cohors V Lingorum, Numerus Palmyrenorum Porolissensium Sagittariorum civium Romanorum (which later became Ala Palmirenorum Porolissensium) and Cohors I Palmirenorum Porolisensium.[8]
Thevicus (civilian settlement) developed on the south and west terraces of the fort. WhenHadrian created the new province Dacia Porolissensis (named for the now sizable city) in 124, Porolissum became the administrative centre of the province. Under emperorSeptimius Severus, the city was grantedmunicipium status, allowing its leaders and merchants to act independently. It became an important centre of trade with the barbarians and was probably a customs station, as the main road that started at the Danube and linked the most important centres of Dacia passed tobarbaricum with evidence that heavy wagons were carrying goods in and outside the province through here.[9]
The garrison of Porolissum seems to have lived in peaceful coexistence with their immediate neighbours. At a distance of 5-15km from the watchtowers connected to the city several villages were apparently founded on the surrounding hills. Archaeological culture findings indicate a mixture of free populations, Dacian-Germanic, possiblyBuri.[10] There are also some inscriptions mentioning city officials with Romano-Dacian names, indicating close cooperation on a political level.
Limited archaeological work at Porolissum began in the 19th century, but it was not until 1977 when Romanian archaeologists began larger-scale, systematic excavations. The excavations by a number of teams are ongoing and have uncovered remnants of both the military installations and the civilian city, including public baths, a customs house, atemple toLiber Pater, anamphitheatre,insula consisting of four buildings and a number of houses. The main gate (Porta Praetoria) of the stone fortress has been rebuilt. A joint American-Romanian team, the Porolissum Forum Project, excavated an area of the civilian settlement from 2004–2011; despite the name of the project, the team confirmed that while this area served a public function, it was not necessarily aforum.[11]
From 2006 until 2011, another project, "Necropolis Porolissensis", was running focused on the cemetery of themunicipium Porolissum, on the spot known as "Ursoies". From 2008 to 2011 a Romanian-German-Hungarian team was excavating an underground-building in the centre of the castle, probably a water cistern.
In 2015, archaeologists fromZalău County Museum unearthed a stone sarcophagus containing skeletal remains of a young person. The sarcophagus is unusual because it was not found in the cemetery, rather it was discovered by chance during restoration of another part of the ruins. The limestone lid has carvings that were common in Roman times, and it has a hole that suggests that the grave was robbed in antiquity.[12]
The first fort on Pomet hill is one of the largest camps (226 x 294 m) in Dacia first built with earth ramparts and rebuilt in stone during Hadrian-Antoninus Pius period.[13] Inscriptions discovered at the gates testify to the rebuilding of the camp underCaracalla (r.198 to 217 AD), and to the hasty rebuilding again underGallienus (253 to 268). The walls are 1.5 m thick and have two ditches.
The fort's principal gates had round-fronted towers.[13]
700 m northeast on Citera hill is another smaller fort (67 x 101 m) also first built of earth and later rebuilt in stone. The gates have squared towers at every corner projecting from the interior wall with trapezoidal towers inside.[13] There is an inner and outer ditch.
The amphitheatre, with 5000-5500 seats, was built as a wood structure during the reign ofHadrian. In 157 AD it was rebuilt in stone.[1]
Nemesis was the goddess of justice, fortune and destiny. It was believed that she influenced the fate of those who were frequently faced with death and danger, so she was worshipped especially by soldiers andgladiators. Thus, the goddess was closely linked to the world ofamphitheatres. Places of worship dedicated to her are near amphitheatres or even embedded in the building. The sanctuary of Porolissum was built in the late 2nd century or in the beginning of the 3rd century AD. Probably it was also a place of worship of other deities which were linked in one way or another to amphitheatre activities, especially animal fighting (venatio), such as Liber Pater: god of vegetation and vines, or Silvanus: protector god of forests, pastures and wild animals.[14]
Although the Romans withdrew from Dacia ca. 271 underAurelian, and the monetary finds over the period between 265 and 325 are scarce[15] the site was sporadically inhabited until late the 4th century, the inhabitants even trading with the Roman Empire.[16] According to other studies the modifications from after 271 CE, such as walling of the space between columns in the interior of the forum and the addition of three water basins constructed with crude masonry, show that a thriving community continued to inhabit the site.[17]
Early medieval tombs were discovered within the site, one with a coin from the time ofStephen III of Hungary.[18]
Porolissum is the primary setting ofHarry Turtledove's science fiction novelGunpowder Empire.
![Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus[19]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTemple_to_Jupiter_Optimus_Maximus_Dolichenus_in_Porolissum%2c_Romania.jpg)
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