Maráz Borbála: Marcus Aurelius bronz császárportré a római kori Lugioból. (Pécs, 1997.)

This cult is mentioned by the biographer of Marcus Aurelius when writing about the emperor's death: „...people of every age, sex, degree and rank in life, gave him all honours given to the gods, but also whosoever failed to keep the Emperor's image in his home, if his fortune were such that he could or should have done so, was deemed guilty of sacrilege. Even to-day, in fine, statues of Marcus Antoninus stand in many a home among the household gods. " The bronze portrait of Marcus Aurelius which was brought to Pannónia, a province so far away from Rome, can be connected to the cult of the emperor in the military camps. The portrait is kept by the Janus Pannnonius Museum in Pécs. The fact that this precious relic of antique art came to light at the Danube can easily be understood if we refer to the ancient history of the region. The Pannonian and Celtic tribes of the areas between the Drava and Sava rivers and north from the Drava were conquered by the Romans during Augustus's rule. These areas were annexed to the empire as a new province: Pannónia provincia. The Danube, which is the border of this province, became the border of the Roman Empire: the limes and its defense was organized immediately after the occupation of the area. Military posts, legionary and mostly auxiliary camps were ordered to secure the province. Camps along the limes were fortified with earthworks and wooden constructions in the 1st century AD. The stone walls came somewhat later, they became general during Hadrian's rule (117-138 AD). The most part of the road along the limes was paved before Hadrian's visiting Pannónia in 124 AD. Barbarian tribes penetrated into Pannónia from the East in the middle of the 2nd century and they put many camps and settlements on fire. Marcus Aurelius led many punitive military expeditions against them. The series of wars were closed by the emperor Commodus (180-192). The reinforcement of the limes, the