Garam Éva szerk.: Between East and West - History of the peoples living in hungarian lands (Guide to the Archaeological Exhibition of the Hungarian National Museum; Budapest, 2005)

HALL 6 - The Roman Age (6 A.D.-420 A.D.) (László Kocsis, Endre Tóth)

of the northern Germanic and the eastern Sarmatian front; the other was that the Pannonian governor commanded an exceptionally strong army, which could endanger the emperor's throne in case of a rebellion. The border between the two new provinces ran from the Danube Bend to Lake Balaton and thence south to the Drava. The western province was called Upper Pannónia (Pannónia Superior), the eastern one Lower Pannónia (Pannónia Inferior). Camuntum remained the governor's seat in Upper Pannónia, while Aquincum (Óbuda) became the administrative centre in Lower Pannónia. Under Emperor Caracalla's reign (211-217), the Brigetio legion was transferred to Lower Pannónia from Upper Pannónia, which had three legions. The start of urbanisation in the new province can be noted from the mid1st century. The retired veterans from the army were at first settled in the towns founded along the Amber Road, where they received generous grants of land (Savaria/Szombathely, Scarbantia/Sopron). The limes and the elaborate alliance system provided an adequate protection until the 160s. When the Gothic migration reached the Carpathians in 167 and the foecierati peoples along the empire's frontiers proved unable to check the Goths' advance, this defence system simply collapsed (in part owing also to the fact that a significant portion of the Pannonian army had been sent to fight in the East): the invading tribes marched through Pannónia and plundered the north Italian towns. This incursion grew into a fifteen years long war. As the supreme army commander, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180) moved to Camuntum to direct the army's manoeuvres. He wrote his Meditations in Camuntum, "in the land of the Quads, by the Gran"

. The war was successfully concluded by his son, the Emperor Commodus. In 193, after receiving news that the Emperor Pertinax had been assassinated, the Legio XIV Gemina stationed in Camuntum proclaimed their commander, Septimius Severus, the governor of Upper Pannónia the emperor. The other Pannonian legions rallied to the new emperor's side and together they marched to Rome to have his authority recognised by the senate. Severus (193-211) duly acknowledged his gratitude to the two Pannonian provinces. He elevated the two civilian settlements beside the military towns in Camuntum and Aquincum to the rank of colonia and re-organised the praetorian guard with soldiers drawn from Pannónia. From the mid-3rd century, the imperial throne was often occupied by emperors from the Middle Danube region. The mid-3rd century was overshadowed by the crisis affecting all of the empire's border provinces. After repelling the Alamannic, Marcomannic, Sarmatian and Gothic attacks, the army, the economy and the religious policy of the empire was re-organised. In addition to creating a linear border defence system, a large mobile field army was also organised; imperial authority and power was divided between corulers and the military and civilian administration was completely separated (the Tetrarchy, 282-312). The Emperor Diocleatian's decrees on maximum prices and on currency were aimed at consolidating the economy, while the enforcement of the emperor's cult was designed to ensure the loyalty of the peoples of the empire. The overall reforms, affecting practically every aspect of life, were completed by Constantine the Great (306- 337), who also allowed Christians to freely practice their religion. At the time of the Tetrarchy, Pannónia was divided into four parts and her borders were slightly redrawn: the new border ran south of the Drava. The western Transdanubian province was known as Pannónia Prima; the military commander resided in Camuntum, the civilian governor had his seat in Savaria. Eastern Transdanubia was named Valeria after the daughter of the Emperor Galerius (293311). The dux, the military commander was based in Aquincum, while the civilian governor first resided in Mursa/Eszék and, later, in Sopianae/Pécs. An outer defensive line was created in the Great Hungarian Plain, an area