The Embassy of Romulus to Attila. One of the last citations of Poetovio in classical literature

Marjeta Šašel Kos

doi:10.15661/tyche.1994.009.08

Abstract

Poetovio, an important Norican settlement on the ancient amber trading route, belonged to the province of Pannonia in the period of its greatest prosperity, and was known from the period of Trajan onwards as colonia Ulpia. As is shown by the Itinerarium Hierosolymitanum (561, 4) and the Tabula Peutingeriana (IV, 20), in the 4th century - undoubtedly after the changes in provincal administration introduced by Diocletian - the city was again attached to Noricum, more exactly: to the province of Noricwn Meditarraneum, as is confirmed by later sources.

Highlights

Its exceptional position at a crossing of the Drava and at a crossroads of the most important Norican-Pannonian routes, meant that even in the modified conditions of the late Roman period Poetovio played an important role not merely in military terms - a city established at such a position must have had a permanent military garrison and as the see of abishop, 2 a lively industrial-craft centre, and, as can be conc1uded from various literary notes, mainly from data in Expositio totitlS mundi et gentium and from Ammianus Marcellinus (XIV 11,20; cf. XV 1,2), the temporary residence of the highest military and civil representatives of the Roman government
Ammianus mentions that the Caesar Gallus arrived at the Norican city of Poetovio, where he was arrested on the orders of Constantinus in a palace outside the city walls
On the basis of two sources, Ammianus and the Byzantine historian Priscus, it appears that the terms "Norican town" or "a city of Noricum" gradually became some kind of synonym for Poetovio and its ager from the 4th century onwards

Summary

Beiträge zur Alten Geschichte Papyrologie und Epigraphik

Herausgegeben von: Gcrhal"d Dobcsch, Hermann Harrauer, Peter Siewcrt und Ekkebard Wcbcr. Peter Siewerl und Ekkehard Weber, clo Jnslitul für Allc Geschichte, Universität Wicn, Dr Karl Lueger-Ring 1. Palme: 234) - Anne K 0 I b, Die kaiserliche Bauverwaltung in der Stadt ROIl1. Geschichte lind Aufbou der cura operunz jJublicontm wJler delll Prinzipal, Stuttgart J993 Weber: 236) - Jcns-Uwe. Kr aus e, Die Familie und weitere anthropologische Gntndlagen, Stuttgart 1992 Venceslas Kr u t a, Die Anfänge Europas von 6000 bis 500 v. Dobesch: 250) Rei nhard S c h n eid e r, Das Frankenreich, München 21990 Dobesch : 252) - Reinh Id. Se hol 1, Corpus der ptolemäischen Sklaventexte, Stuttgart 1990 Palme: 253) - Charlolte S c hub e r t, Die Macht des Volkes und die Ohnmacht des Denkens.

One of the last citations of Poetovio in classicalliterature

Mmjeta Sasel Kos