CARNUNTUM

'Carnuntum' (Καρνοιις in Ptolemy) was an important Roman army camp in what is now Austria. It belonged originally to Noricum province, but after the 1st century was part of Pannonia.


Carnuntum originated as a Roman army camp. Its name is nearly always found with "K" on monuments, and is derived from ''Kar'', ''Karn'' ("rock", "cairn"). Its name first occurs in history during the reign of Augustus (6), when Tiberius made it his base of operations in the campaigns against Maroboduus (Marbod). Significant Romanization occurred when the town was selected as the garrison of the Legio XV ''Apollinaris''. A few years later it became the centre of the Roman fortifications along the Danube from Vindobona (Vienna) to Brigetio (Ó-Szőny). Under Trajan or Hadrian, Carnuntum became the permanent quarters of Legio XIV ''Gemina''.
It was also a very old market for the amber brought to Italy from the north. It was created a municipium by Hadrian (''Aelium Carnuntum''). Marcus Aurelius resided there for three years (172-175) during the war against the Marcomanni, and wrote part of his ''Meditations''. Septimius Severus, at the time governor of Pannonia, was proclaimed emperor there by the soldiers (193). In the 4th century, it was destroyed by the Germans. Although partly restored by Valentinian I, it never regained its former importance, and Vindobona became the chief military centre. Carnuntum was finally destroyed by the Hungarians in the Middle Ages.
The ruins of ancient Carnuntum are in Lower Austria, extending over the area of today's villages Petronell-Carnuntum and Bad Deutsch-Altenburg. They are presented to the public in Archaeological Park Carnuntum. Guido von List was so impressed with the ruins that he based his first novel on the subject. Another novel, ''Household Gods'', is set in Carnuntum during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

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★ English Information on Carnuntum and Lower Austria