Roman Serdica - Sofia
- romansofbulgaria
- Nov 27, 2014
- 2 min read
The city of Sofia is located in the Sofia Hollow, inhabited as early as the times of Prehistory. Later on, the tribes called Treri and Tilatei settled here. Cassius Dio (LI, 25, 4), describing the campaigns of the Roman commander Marcus Licinius Crassus in these lands, mentions the Thracian tribe of the Serdi (Serdoi, Sardoi).
The main settlement in the area was called Serdika (Serdica), in Greek - Serdonpolis. The origin of the name is controversial – it is either Thracian or Celtic.
In 45 AD the Romans conquered the lands south of the Balkan and this area became a part of the new province called Thrace (Thracia). Under Emperor M. Ulpius Traianus the settlement grew into an urban center known as Ulpia Serdica. Gradually the city became an important provincial center. It is known by the numerous discovered inscriptions and by the conducted archaeological surveys that Serdica was fortified with a wall raised in the end of Marcus Aurelius’ rule – between 176 and 180 AD.
The structure of the wall consisted of a stone plinth and upper layers of brick. There are a few reconstructions and repairs – in the end of the 3rd – the beginning of the 4th c. and in the end of the 5th c. another wall was added on the outside.
The places of the city square (agora, forum), the religious organization headquarters (gerousia), the town council (bouleuterion), a basilica civilis and probably of a theatre from Emperor Commodus’s age (180-192) have been revealed. East of the wall the researchers have recently excavated the ruins of an amphitheater raised in the end of the 3rd century. In the city and its surroundings even today there are plenty of thermal springs. Numerous temples and sanctuaries existed here: of Apollo the Healer, of Zeus, of the Thracian Heros, of Cybele, Mithras, Athena and Heracles.
The city struck its autonomous coins from the time of Marcus Aurelius (161-180) and Lucius Verus (161-169) to that of Gallienus (260-268).
In the end of the 3rd century Serdica was promoted capital of the newly founded province of Dacia Mediterranea.
During the age of Constantine the Great (306-337) the town expanded to the north and was fortified with a new wall. New neighborhoods and a large residence were built. The Emperor was very fond of Serdica. He himself was born in Naissus (today’s Nis, Serbia), west of Serdica.
In 343-344 AD the Ecumenical Council of Serdica took place here. It was attended by 318 bishops from the entire Roman Empire. The Council was aimed against the Arians.
A large bathing complex was turned into the basilica of Saint George.
Another big basilica strikes with its monumentality – Saint Sophia.
The necropolises from the pagan times were located east and north of the fortification while the Christian ones lie to the east and to the southeast. There were numerous villas and Christian basilicas around the city.
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