Aegyssus

Tulcea (Aegyssus – Ov. Ex P. I, 8, 13; IV, 7, 21, 53; Ptol. III, 10, 5; ItAnt 226, 2; ND, Or. 39, 8, 17, 34; GeogrRav IV, 5, 47; Proc. De Aed. 4, 7, 20; Hierokl. 637, 14)

Location: Tulcea county (RAN: 159623.01; TL-I-m-A-05718.05)

The Roman fortification Aegyssus is located in the north-eastern area of Tulcea municipality, in Parcul Monumentului. At present, several archaeological complexes from the late Roman period can be visited. Numerous artifacts discovered during systematic excavations can be found in the permanent exhibition and the storerooms of the nearby Museum of History and Archaeology.

In the Principate era an auxiliary fort very likely operated, which could have accommodated a statio classis. During archaeological research, cohort stamps from II Flavia Brittonum, respectively for classis Flavia Moesica were discovered. During the 4^th – 5^th centuries AD, Aegyssus becomes the garrison of a cuneus equitum armigerorum and especially the headquarters of a praefectus ripae legionis I Ioviae cohortis V pedaturae inferioris (ND, Or., 99, 17, 34; IGLR 270). Later, in the 6^th century AD. Aegyssus is mentioned among the 15 prominent fortresses of the province of Scythia, being at that time also an episcopal residence.

Archaeologically we know the late Roman fortification, of trapezoidal shape, surrounded by several defence ditches, the main headquarters of the Legion I Iovia Scythica (ND, Or. 39, 32-33; IGLR 266) and an auxiliary unit, milites primi Constantiniani (ND, Or. 39, 25). Today, the northern precinct, for the most part, is under the waters of the Danube. It is preserved underwater across a length of about 200 m, and the walls have a thickness of 3 m, with 7 semicircular (or U-shaped) towers. The southern enclosure is the most visible, with three towers excavated, one corner, fan-shaped, one intermediate, horseshoe-shaped, and the median one, a rectangular bastion of impressive dimensions (over 35 m long and four pillars supporting the inner superstructure). In 2011 a new paleo-Christian basilica was identified on the Danube bank (end of the 5^th century – 6^th century AD), an unexpected situation for a city where an episcopal seat functions in the 6^th century AD.

The settlement was heavily fortified at the end of the 3^rd century and the beginning of the next one to serve the strategic role that it was given in the defence of the Danubian frontier (headquarters of the pedatura inferior of 5 cohorts from legio I Iovia Scythica). It was rebuilt under Justinian, a continuation of a constructive process initiated under Anastasius. Three constructive phases were identified at the enclosure wall and the related towers, the settlement being abandoned at the end of the 6^th century. or more likely at the beginning of the 7^th (the last coin is from the time of Heraclius). It was then rebuilt starting with the return of the Byzantines to the Lower Danube at the end of the 10^th century. As a result of archaeological research, 7 towers (2 presumed) were discovered, outlining constructions made in the 3^rd, 4^th, respectively 6^th century AD.

Part of the study:

Ovidiu Țentea, Ioan C. Opriș, Florian Matei-Popescu, Alexandru Rațiu, Constantin Băjenaru, Vlad Călina, Frontiera romană din Dobrogea. O trecere în revistă și o actualizare, Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 26, pag. 9-82, 2019, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.26.01

Bibliography

TIR L 35, 21-22; Opaiţ, A, Aegyssus ’76 – Raport prelminar, Pontica 10, 1977, 307-311 (fig. 2); Suceveanu 1977, 58-59, nr. 2; Zahariade, Gudea 1997, 81-82, nr. 52; Gudea 2005, 460, nr. IV. 52; Zahariade 2006, 92-93; Nicolae 2013, 167-168.