the PDF version! - Danube Limes

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Ripa Pannonica in Hungary (RPH) Nomination statement
Hungarian limes research owes a great deal to German and English travel sketches and travel diaries from
the 16 th to 18 th centuries. The limes road – or at least its path – preserved its significance during the Middle
Ages and later as the most important overland artery between Europe and Asia Minor. From the former
descriptions and sketches of varying accuracy it appears that at that time one was able to observe standing
walls and clearly outlined systems of ditches in many places, which later unfortunately fell victim to stone
quarrying and intensive agricultural cultivation for the most part. The descriptions that are the best and
preserve the most archeological data originated from the pens of Johannes Beza, Hans Dernschwam,
Eduard Brown, Richard Pococke and Jeremias Milles.
Since it seems that L. Marsigli was not familiar with the work of W. Lazius, R. Pococke believed that he
was the first to recognize the remains of Brigetio next to Szőny, “It has been commonly thought that Bregetio
was at Gran, but in considering the distances, and from the inscriptions found at Zeny a leage below Comorra,
we discovered that this was the site of Bregetio” (Pococke II/2, 245. = Kubitschek 1929, 40).
Fig. 5
The castellum of Crumerum, a Roman archeological site that has been known of for a long time, is on
Sánchegy Hill rising above the Danube at Nyergesújfalu. R. Pococke characterized it in the following
manner, “This hill was fortified by those who were in the rebellion of Hungary, and they were all cut to pieces
here. We saw about the ruins of the fort several Roman bricks, and in other part foundations of thick walls,
which seemed to be Roman.” (Pococke 1745, II,2, p.246 = Kubitschek 1929, 42).
The research owes a great deal to numerous Hungarian geographical and topographical descriptions.
The work of Mátyás Bél in the 18 th century is quite significant in this manner. He recorded quite a few
archeological remains as well in connection with sketching the landscape and describing the inhabitants
and their customs. For his work he utilized the maps of Sámuel Mikoviny, whose activities opened a
new era in Hungarian cartography in the first half of the 18 th century. He drafted various series of maps
for the works of Mátyás Bél, including amongst others the first county maps. He also indicated quite a
few Roman archeological sites on these. Among other things Bél provided interesting descriptions of the
Roman aqueducts that lead to Brigetio (Szőny/Komárom). Important data is also found in the works
of Sámuel Timon and Stephanus Salagius (István Szalágyi), which are from the end of the 18 th century.
From the pen of this latter author came one of the first Hungarian archeological articles in 1780, which
is written on a milestone found in Buda.
127