Viae militaris in Dacia during Trajan
Florin Fodorean
- abstract -
Our contribution is focused on the aspects regarding the construction of the Roman roads in Dacia during the immediate moments after the conquest of the province. We will analyze, at the beginning, the situation in other provinces of the Roman Empire (mainly the Danubian provinces), in order to see if the mechanism of organizing the road system is similar.
Also at the beginning of our study we will make a discussion concerning the signification of the term via militaris. Historians and researchers such as Albert Grenier, Raymond Chevalier, Thomas Pekary, Pierre Fustier and others have emphasized many times the role of the roads in the Roman Empire. Th. Pekary thought that these viae militaris were strategic roads, which connected Rome with the capitals of the provinces and the Roman garrisons. R. Chevallier considered these roads “des routes d’interêt stratégique construites aux frais du trésor militaire” .
We also will discuss some scenes on the Column of Trajan with direct reference to road construction. During the second war against the Dacians, the soldiers from the Roman legions already built the main roads of Dacia.
Another very important source that proves the rapid organization of the Roman road system immediately after the conquest of Dacia is the Roman milestone found at Aiton (Cluj county). This milestone, discovered in 1758, is one of the most important, because if offers us an image of the rapid rhythm in which the Romans have constructed the roads of Dacia. The text of the inscription mentions that in the sector Potaissa–Napoca, belonging to the imperial Roman road, and built by the Roman auxiliary troop cohors I Flavia Ulpia Hispanorum miliaria civium Romanorum equitata, was set down this milestone, at the distance of 10 millia passuum from Potaissa (14,785 km). So, according to the text of the milestone, this sector of road was already built in 108 A.D. The second aspect is the fact that the inscription of the milestone from Aiton offers the first epigraphic mention of Potaissa. We have discussed the concept of via militaris, trying to answer to the question: can be considerate the Roman road Potaissa-Napoca a via militaris? The answer was given by trying to analyze the signification of this term. We reached a conclusion: the Roman imperial road Potaissa-Napoca can be named a military road at least for two reasons. First of all, we have numerous examples, which mention in inscriptions the name of many military units that have effectively participated to the construction and restoration of the roads. We have offered here an example: the inscription of a milliarium discovered in the Northern Africa mentions that in the year 123 A.D., during emperor Hadrianus, the legio III Augusta built the Roman road from Carthage to Theveste. Second of all, the fact that the inscription of the milestone from Aiton says that soldiers from cohors I Flavia Ulpia Hispanorum miliaria civium Romanorum equitata have built, at Trajan’s orders, the sector of the Roman road between Potaissa and Napoca demonstrates that this was a road built immediately after the conquest of Dacia, by the army and for the needs of the army. In time, that doubled this military, economical and social role of the road, but this situation didn’t cancel the primary strategic function this road had.
Starting from the classifications made by the Roman jurists and from the data that we have regarding Dacia, we divided the roads into three categories: I. Roads of major importance, main highways (first of all military roads inside and on the frontier of the province, which assured the mobility of the Roman military units; commercial roads, which assured the functionality of the export and import of different products); II. Secondary roads (the roads which connected the main roads, different settlements, Roman farms, rural settlements, or roads which gained during time the status of economical roads, which connected to the main road system the quarries of stone, the salt exploitations etc.); III. Roads of little importance (ramifications-deverticulae which shortened the distance between different points, constructed, in many cases, by the owners of Roman farms in order to gain access to the major market centres).
We will refer in our study and we will present the first category of roads, the military routes constructed during Trajan:
1. Lederata-Tibiscum;
2. Dierna-Tibiscum;
3. Tibiscum - Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa – Apulum – Potaissa – Napoca -Porolissum;
4. the Roman road alongside the valley of Olt;
5. the Roman road Drobeta – Bumbeşti – the Vâlcan pass – Sarmizegetusa.
In order to complete our discussion, we will reserve some space in our study to the problem of the signification of the toponyms. We have, in Dacia, many examples of Roman roads denominated “drumul lui Traian”, “Trajans weg”, “drumul împăratului”, “calea lui Traian” (all meaning “Trajan’s road”) etc. These examples can be used as a strong argument in order to sustain that the main roads of Dacia were constructed during this emperor.
Of course, we will be able to establish a relationship between the road system and the military camps constructed in the time of Trajan.
At the end of our study we will present some aspects regarding the activity of Trajan in other provinces, related to the construction of roads. Road building was a political act. The key actors were, from this viewpoint, in the epoch of Principate, Augustus and Trajan. Both emperors were associated with a politic that emphasized a geographical unit – Roman Empire. So, we can establish a graduated process, which envolved: 1. The creation and development of the road network in the Republican era (the second century BC); 2. The evolution of the roman roads during the Principate; 3. The local politics of road building; 4. The consequences of the road network development in creating a unified space. It is important to see what was the position of Dacia in this context.