Carnuntum in late antiquity - life at the turn of the century

Carnuntum Time Travel takes you back to the time of Late Antiquity, more precisely to the reign of Emperor Valentinian I (364 - 375 AD). But what was Late Antiquity? From today's perspective, Late Antiquity was a time of upheaval and change, which often does not fit into our "classic" image of Rome.

For example, the reign of Julius Caesar was already over 400 (!) years old. Just by way of comparison, that is about as long as the 30 Years' War and its beginning with the Defenestration of Prague in 1618 for us today. People back then would therefore hardly have seen themselves as contemporaries of the early emperors such as Augustus, Nero or Caligula.

Nor did the contemporaries of the time wear togas and the classic legionary armor; men tended to wear pants and the soldiers looked more like early knights to our eyes. Women were dressed in tunics, some of which were richly decorated, although the costume could vary depending on the region and cultural influences. 

Valentinian I devoted himself intensively to border protection and had forts and burgi - heavily fortified watchtowers - built or extended. He was also not a god-like emperor who ruled from the magnificent metropolis of Rome. He was originally a simple soldier who made a career in the Roman army and was proclaimed emperor by his soldiers. His problems were not the Egyptians or Carthage either, he had to deal with numerous Germanic tribes on his northern border who were Rome's equal opponents - such as the Quads, Marcomanni and Sarmatians. His successors (and, incidentally, the Germanic tribes) would then have to deal with the Huns, a powerful equestrian people from the steppes of Asia, whose invasion brought massive changes with it. The Terra X documentary "Europa in der Zeit... der Völkerwanderung" (Europe in the Time of... the Migration Period) dealt with this topic excellently. Not only because most of it was filmed in Carnuntum, it is a great recommendation for anyone who wants to find out more about the subject!

Carnuntum itself was often the focus of history at the time. For example, Valentinian stayed in the city in 374 AD, which is also recorded in ancient historiography. According to the late antique author Ammianus Marcellinus, when he entered the city during his campaign, a sad sight awaited him. The once flourishing city was deserted and run-down: 

It is precisely this depiction from ancient literature that has shaped our historical view of Carnuntum in late antiquity. However, the question arises as to how close to the truth this description really was and whether it is representative of the state of Carnuntum. Advances in archaeological research are now providing new insights. Despite a restructuring of the provincial administration, Carnuntum remained an important military center on the Middle Danube - according to the military administration manual, legionary troops and naval soldiers were stationed in Carnuntum under the command of a prefect. So not everything was dilapidated and run-down.

The function of the city's military facilities also changed during the transition to Late Antiquity. The walls of the legionary camp were reinforced and the camp itself was renovated, including the installation of underfloor heating, which indicates increased living comfort, possibly in response to an approaching cold period. The auxiliary fort was no longer used for military purposes from the 3rd century onwards and fell into disrepair. In the southern peripheral zones of the canabae (camp suburb), finds from the late 4th century show a decline in settlement activity, while new building activity took place in the eastern canabae. Once again, the verdict is that it was not all bad, although there were problems.

The civil town of Carnuntum underwent a transformation. After an earthquake in the middle of the 4th century, many buildings remained unused or were not rebuilt. At the same time, new burial grounds were created and some buildings continued to be used, which indicates a remaining but shrinking population. On the other hand, some new buildings were constructed, such as the Heath Gate, which was probably built after the earthquake. All in all, the town was probably reduced in size and some things fell into disrepair, but Carnuntum was still an important regional center.

So not everything was bad in late antiquity, even if the region around Carnuntum was facing turbulent times: Until the end of the reign of Valentinian I, the empire was largely at peace, a state of affairs that changed dramatically with the arrival of the Huns in Western Europe. In 433 AD, Rome had to cede significant parts of the province of Pannonia to the Huns, which also affected Carnuntum. Valentinian did not come to a happy end either: after his time in Carnuntum, he moved to the winter camp in Brigetio (Komárom, Hungary). In the course of a negotiation with a Quade legation, he became so enraged that he collapsed as a result of a stroke and died shortly afterwards. He was succeeded on the throne by his four-year-old son Valentinian II, who was proclaimed emperor by the troops, as was often customary at the time.