EMA
Bonn
RAFT-project: Field trip Xanten (English-Latina)
Fortuna fortes adiuvat
Archaeological Park Xanten (CUT)
Since its opening in 1977 more than 9 million visitors had come to Xanten/Lower
Rhineland near the German-Dutch border.
The Rhineland was occupied by the troops of Caius Iulius Caesar. During the
time of Princeps Augustus the first military fortress VETERA I was established
on the Fuerstenberg. The fortress acted as a base for the conquest of
East-Rhenanian Germany. Following the defeat in the battle of Teutoburg Forest
(Kalkriese)
in A.D. 9 the Rhine river gets the border (LIMES) of the Roman Empire. During
the revolt of the native Batavians VETERA-I was destroyed. VETERA II was
constructed at a new site. A legion was stationed here from A.D. 70 to 270. The
civilian settlement was elevated to the rank of colony around A.D. 100.
Emperor Traianus gave it the name COLONIA ULPIA TRAIANA.
Colonia Ulpia Traiana had been a major town in the province Lower Germania. Some 10,000 people lived within the walls on 73 ha. The inhabitants comprised romanised Celts/Gauls and Germanic people. Veterans of a relocated legion also received parcels of land. The expansion of the Germanic Franks ended the town's period of prosperity.
De ortu et interitu Coloniae Ulpiae Traianae
Initio oppidum
Xantense in finibus Cugernorum Germanorum collocatum erat. Tacitus in monte, qui
vernacule FUERSTENBERG nominatur, castra Romana nomine Vetera fuisse scribit.
Haec limitum munitio sita erat prope viam, qua Colonia Agrippinensis cum
Noviomago coniuncta erat. Quae fuerit olim magnitudo et amplitudo illorum
castrorum, nostra quoque memoria
nobis demonstrat amphitheatrum apud BIRTEN situm. Hinc anno p. Chr. n. IX
legionem XVIII Varo duce ad pugnam in saltu Teutoburgiensi committendam
profectam esse constat. Marcus Caelius, cuius sepulcri titulus de illa memora
bili clade Romanorum narrat, in Vari exercitu stipendia merebatur. Deleta sunt
Vetera anno p. Chr. n. LXX a Batavis. Clade accepta Romani ex hac regione non
decesserunt, sed sub FUERSTENBERG monte nova castra muniverunt.
Multa haud dubie sunt argumenta legionem XXXVV multos annos in his castris
consedisse,
(Tegulae, quae etiamnunc frequenter inveniuntur, his notis inscriptae sunt: LEG
XXXVV.
Id est: Legio Tricesima Ulpia Victrix.)
Initio imperii sui M. Ulpius Traianus novam urbem aedificandam curavit,
quam suo gentilicio nomine vocavit Coloniam Ulpiam Traianam (CUT).
Imprimis milites veteranos ab imperatore ibi collocatos esse scimus eosque habitavisse in aedificiis,
quorum parietes non, ut antea, lignea materia lutoque, sed lateribus et caemento
exstructi erant.
In hac colonia magnus erat portus, praeterea capitolium, forum, amphitheatrum,
thermae, tabernae, multa alia aedificia publica et privata. Quomodo autem
homines vixerint, laboraverint, otium suum consumpserint, nobis ostendunt
aedificiorum vestigia, quae remanserunt in agro, et vasa, fibulae, phalerae,
gemmae, statuae, numismata aliaeque res pretiosae, quae in agris inventa e ob
formarum pulchritudinem et artificium non minus quam ob antiquitatem habentur in
pretio et in museo prope forum sito exponuntur.
Exeunte saeculo III Colonia Ulpia Traiana interiit, cum Franci Germaniam
inferiorem oppressissent Romanique paulatim de provinciis Germanis decedere
cogerentur.
Numismatum inventorum testimonio ultimi Romani anno circiter CCCL urbem quondam
magnam et florentem, tum autem dirutam et hominibus vacuam reliquerunt.