Florian Matei-Popescu
Senior Researcher at the Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology, trained in Ancient History, Archaeology and Classics at the Faculty of History and Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Bucharest University. PhD in Ancient History and Archaeology at the Bucharest University, summa cum laude, with a thesis on The Roman Army in Moesia Inferior, published in 2010 and awarded with the Vasile Pârvan Prize for Archaeology of the Romanian Academy in 2012. My field of research encompass the Greek and Latin Epigraphy, Roman Army Studies, the Provincial Roman Archaeology, the History and Archaeology of the Lower Danubian provinces of the Roman Empire and the Black Sea area, research on the Roman Frontiers in nowadays Romania. Conducting excavations on the so-called Transalutanus Roman line of defence, in the Jidova Roman fort (Câmpulung) and the Roman military nathhouse from Voinești (Lerești). Associated lecturer at the University of Pitești, Romania, where I teach Introduction in the Greek and Roman History, Roman Dacia, Latin Epigraphy, Methods in the field of Roman Provincial Archaeoloy.
Phone: +40. 722. 67. 20. 18
Address: Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology, Henri Coandă Street no. 11, 1st Sector, Bucharest, Romania, RO-010667
Phone: +40. 722. 67. 20. 18
Address: Vasile Pârvan Institute of Archaeology, Henri Coandă Street no. 11, 1st Sector, Bucharest, Romania, RO-010667
less
InterestsView All (133)
Uploads
Books by Florian Matei-Popescu
Papers by Florian Matei-Popescu
fully accomplished by the first years of the reign of Hadrian when the area beyond the Danube, a military buffer of the province of Moesia Inferior, was given up and the units were instead garrisoned south of the Danube, or along the Olt River, in the newly created province of Dacia Inferior. The archaeological data have been rather scarce and unsatisfactory due to the situation in the field, namely that the older remains of the early Imperial period are beneath the late antique or early Byzantine forts and defensive structures. However, recent remote sensing surveys have provided important new information. Roman temporary camps have been identified (Carcaliu, Istria, Ovidiu and Căscioarele), which allow us to get a better picture of the Roman army deployment in this frontier area. From a rather static view of the army, accommodated within fortresses and forts from the reign of Trajan onwards, it is now possible to see an army on the move, deployed at times in other parts of the province. To these, the discovery of three marching camps, located beyond the Danube in modern Wallachia, but directly connected with the Lower Moesian army (the legion XI Claudia pia fidelis from Durostorum), should be also added (Vâlcele, Mărculești-Gară, Filipești-Cetățuie). This chapter will present the results of recent surveys and will set them into a broader provincial context.
Olt Gorges’ area. We briefly review the most important facts and interpretations we have about the road
and the forts between Boița and Stolniceni - Buridava, on the north-south direction. This analysis
integrates cartographic data regarding the Roman roads along with information about the forts built
along them.
The topic is complementary to recent studies conducted by the same authors on Roman forts built along
the Olt Valley, between Hoghiz and Boița. The Roman Road, popularly called "Trajan's Way" or "Trajan's
Road", started from the Danube at Corabia – Sucidava, reaching Boița - Caput Stenarum, in
Transylvania. After passing through the plain (Reșca, Piatra Olt, Drăgășani, Ionești), as well as near the
meadows of the Olt River in the Romanților Plain (Islaz, Tia Mare, Băbiciu, Slăveni), it reached the area
of Râmnicu Vâlcea. In this place, the Roman Road is mostly overlapped by DN 64 (National Road / 64).
Departing from Sânbotin towards Jiblea, the Roman Road forks. The main road bypassed the Cozia
massif passing through Sălătrucel, Berislăvești, Rădăcinești, Pripoare and Titești, while another route
followed the eastern bank of the Olt River passing by the fortifications of Arutela, Copăceni and Racovița.
With the crossing of this route into the Olt Gorge, the Roman Road could be spotted along the eastern bank of the Olt River, sometimes suspended on wooden beams and sometimes dug into the massive rock. A large part of the Roman Road was submerged during the building of the power plants on the Olt River. It is very likely that the two access roads met at Racovița (Praetorium). Certainly, the road on the eastern bank of the Olt River could be traced north of Racovița to Câineni, although we do not exclude another old access route from Titești to Câineni via the Loviștea depression. From Câineni - Pons Vetus? towards Boița - Caput Stenarum opinions are divided regarding the route of this Roman Road, whether it followed the western or eastern banks of the river.
current paper proposes to have an approach based on the general research directions regarding the role of legions and Roman auxiliary military units in the linguistic romanisation of Moesia Inferior.
fully accomplished by the first years of the reign of Hadrian when the area beyond the Danube, a military buffer of the province of Moesia Inferior, was given up and the units were instead garrisoned south of the Danube, or along the Olt River, in the newly created province of Dacia Inferior. The archaeological data have been rather scarce and unsatisfactory due to the situation in the field, namely that the older remains of the early Imperial period are beneath the late antique or early Byzantine forts and defensive structures. However, recent remote sensing surveys have provided important new information. Roman temporary camps have been identified (Carcaliu, Istria, Ovidiu and Căscioarele), which allow us to get a better picture of the Roman army deployment in this frontier area. From a rather static view of the army, accommodated within fortresses and forts from the reign of Trajan onwards, it is now possible to see an army on the move, deployed at times in other parts of the province. To these, the discovery of three marching camps, located beyond the Danube in modern Wallachia, but directly connected with the Lower Moesian army (the legion XI Claudia pia fidelis from Durostorum), should be also added (Vâlcele, Mărculești-Gară, Filipești-Cetățuie). This chapter will present the results of recent surveys and will set them into a broader provincial context.
Olt Gorges’ area. We briefly review the most important facts and interpretations we have about the road
and the forts between Boița and Stolniceni - Buridava, on the north-south direction. This analysis
integrates cartographic data regarding the Roman roads along with information about the forts built
along them.
The topic is complementary to recent studies conducted by the same authors on Roman forts built along
the Olt Valley, between Hoghiz and Boița. The Roman Road, popularly called "Trajan's Way" or "Trajan's
Road", started from the Danube at Corabia – Sucidava, reaching Boița - Caput Stenarum, in
Transylvania. After passing through the plain (Reșca, Piatra Olt, Drăgășani, Ionești), as well as near the
meadows of the Olt River in the Romanților Plain (Islaz, Tia Mare, Băbiciu, Slăveni), it reached the area
of Râmnicu Vâlcea. In this place, the Roman Road is mostly overlapped by DN 64 (National Road / 64).
Departing from Sânbotin towards Jiblea, the Roman Road forks. The main road bypassed the Cozia
massif passing through Sălătrucel, Berislăvești, Rădăcinești, Pripoare and Titești, while another route
followed the eastern bank of the Olt River passing by the fortifications of Arutela, Copăceni and Racovița.
With the crossing of this route into the Olt Gorge, the Roman Road could be spotted along the eastern bank of the Olt River, sometimes suspended on wooden beams and sometimes dug into the massive rock. A large part of the Roman Road was submerged during the building of the power plants on the Olt River. It is very likely that the two access roads met at Racovița (Praetorium). Certainly, the road on the eastern bank of the Olt River could be traced north of Racovița to Câineni, although we do not exclude another old access route from Titești to Câineni via the Loviștea depression. From Câineni - Pons Vetus? towards Boița - Caput Stenarum opinions are divided regarding the route of this Roman Road, whether it followed the western or eastern banks of the river.
current paper proposes to have an approach based on the general research directions regarding the role of legions and Roman auxiliary military units in the linguistic romanisation of Moesia Inferior.
of the former village of Micoșlaca, nowadays part of the city of Ocna Mureș, can be here published. Although, the fragment has been discovered through metal detecting, the founder fully collaborated with the heritage police officers of the Alba County. The exact location was thus thoroughly investigated, and all the relevant topographical and archaeological context of the discovery has been clarified. The fragment turns out to be another copy of the imperial constitution issued on the 8th of July, 158 for the former auxiliary soldiers of the province of Dacia superior, constitution already known through the almost complete military diploma discovered in 1886 at Cristești (nowadays part of the city of Târgu-Mureș, Mureș County). Taking into account the place of the discovery, it is likely that the copy had been given to a former horseman
of the ala I Batavorum milliaria, accommodated within the large Războieni-
Cetate Roman fort. Keywords: Dacia superior, Roman military diploma, metal detecting, Micoșlaca- Ocna Mureș, Războieni-Cetate.
Ce volume réunit les textes des communications présentées à l’occasion du colloque franco-roumain de Bucarest (28-29 octobre 2013), dédié aux monuments triomphaux romains et particulièrement à la Colonne Trajane, mais aussi d’autres interventions autour de ce thème. La Colonne est un monument d’art et, en même temps, une source unique pour la reconstitution de l’histoire de la guerre de Trajan
contre les Daces (101-106 apr. J.-C.). Laquelle de ces deux modalités d’aborder ce sujet prévaut dans l’interprétation des représentations figurées : réalisation artistique ou véridicité historique ? C’est une question depuis longtemps débattue et toujours d’actualité. Je n’ai pas l’intention de m’impliquer dans un débat qui a déjà entraîné des exégètes renommés. Naturellement, ce monument suscita l’intérêt
particulier des historiens roumains, qui ont accordé à ce problème une attention spéciale et de longue durée. Je veux mentionner en ce sens les noms de Theohari Antonescu, de Constantin Daicoviciu et surtout de Radu Vulpe, dont le livre, Columna lui Traian, monument al etnogenezei românilor (parution posthume, en 1988), tel que le suggère son titre, concevait le déroulement des images sculpturales comme
une source très importante pour l’histoire du peuple roumain.
Je me suis souvent posé la question de savoir s’il n’y avait pas une véritable malédiction, sachant que des moments importants de l’histoire de la Roumanie sont encore éclipsés, notamment par la disparition des sources littéraires qui s’y rapportaient – dont on sait qu’elles ont existé et qu’elles étaient nombreuses et variées.
C’est le cas d’une longue époque, du IIIe jusqu’au Ier siècle av. J.-C., plus de deux siècles qui ont précédé l’époque de Burebistas, avec ses réalisations unificatrices politiques et militaires. Ou encore du soi-disant millénaire obscur, depuis l’abandon de la province romaine de Dacie (271 ap. J.-Chr.) jusqu’aux premières informations concernant les principautés de Valachie (Ţara Românească) et de Moldavie
(XIVe siècle), attestant la persistance de cet îlot de latinité orientale sur le territoire de l’actuelle Roumanie. Le résultat est une dispute sans fin, avec des exagérations, quelquefois passionnées, pour des motifs politiques contemporains, sans valeur scientifique historique.
S’agit-t-il d’une fatalité? Je ne me risquerai pas sur ce terrain-là. Il est
pourtant évident, dans ces circonstances, que la Colonne Trajane devint un monument auquel tant les historiens des documents écrits et les archéologues, que les historiens de l’art se cramponnent désespérément pour en extorquer toute information qui pourrait s’avérer utile.
Évidemment, comme on s’y attendait, des différentes idées ont été exprimées et des hypothèses diverses ont été formulées, tant sur pratiquement chaque image que sur la signification du monument dans son ensemble. Ce qui préoccupe les chercheurs intéressés dans le déchiffrement des reliefs de la Colonne, c’est d’évaluer dans quelle mesure cette information peut être conçue, selon l’expression
de C. Daicoviciu, comme „l’album illustré d’un texte écrit” (il se référait
essentiellement aux commentaires de Trajan, les Dacica, qui sont perdus) – idée presque entièrement partagée par R. Vulpe ; ou bien si la véritable signification des reliefs aurait été subordonnée aux exigences esthétiques, conformément à des modèles „standard”, ce qui aurait dénaturé l’ordre et le sens des événements passés pendant les deux guerres. Il est évident que, si l’on accepte le premier point de vue,
la valeur documentaire du monument prend une importance particulière, du fait notamment de la nécessité de compléter la pénurie de sources littéraires sur le déroulement détaillé des luttes et sur les stratégies des deux camps.
Les recherches sur la Colonne Trajane ont mis en évidence plusieurs points de vue regardant à la véridicité de la succession des images sculpturales, en rapport avec le déroulement des événements consignés dans le supposé texte de
l’Empereur. Ces „mémoires de guerre” auraient été livrées dans un style simple, épuré (militaire), étant cités par Priscianus (VI, 13), le célèbre grammairien latin de l’époque de Justinien, comme un exemple d’oeuvre sobre, sans valeur littéraire. C’est d’ailleurs par l’intermédiaire de Priscianus que nous est parvenu le seul fragment de cette oeuvre conservé jusqu’à nous: inde Berzobim, deinde Aizi processimus.
D’autre part, l’artiste qui a réalisé les reliefs de la Colonne suit sans doute
aussi d’autres idées, hormis celles qui suivaient littéralement le texte. Ainsi, on a remarqué une certaine disposition préméditée quant au placement en plan vertical des événements transformés en images, spécialement pour mettre en évidence les faits de gloire de l’Empereur. Il est même évident que d’autres sources figurées, tel que les images des bannières qui ont participé aux luttes et ultérieurement au triomphe de Rome, ont été utilisées. C’est une preuve de la complexité des opinions des historiens modernes sur le sens des représentations de la Colonne.
J’exprime la conviction que les diverses hypothèses exprimées, ainsi que les nouvelles recherches, ne sont absolument pas en contradiction avec les opinions soutenant la valeur de document historique de la succession d’images. L’implication des données consignées dans le texte perdu de l’ouvrage de Trajan constitue avec certitude le principal repère du facteur de véridicité des représentations artistiques. La valeur de la Colonne en tant que source historique reste essentielle. Si l’on prend en considération que, pour la deuxième campagne de Trajan − qui a nécessité un immense effort militaire et s’est soldée avec la conquête définitive de la Dacie –,
on ne peut compter que sur un bref résumé du livre LXVIII de l’oeuvre de Dion Cassius, et spécialement sur une seule proposition pleine de significations, nous constatons encore une fois combien les images des événements narrés sont indispensables.
ALEXANDRU VULPE
să fie prezentate cele mai noi date obţinute în cadrul Programului Naţional LIMES.
Potrivit planului de acţiune al programului, identificarea monumentelor a fost realizată
prin colectarea datelor pe teren prin periegheze, măsurători topografice și înregistrări prin zboruri cu drona (fotografii ortografice, oblice și filmări), coroborate apoi de informaţiile disponibile în arhive la momentul respectiv. Cercetările s-au concentrat asupra fortificaţiilor și a zonelor adiacente. Studiul efectuat încearcă să arate valorea acestor situri în vederea protejării și valorificării lor durabile prin includerea în Lista
Patrimoniului Mondial UNESCO.
Lucrarea este o versiune a raportului Ovidiu Țentea, Florian Matei-Popescu, Vlad Călina, Frontiera romană din Dacia Inferior. O trecere în revistă și o actualizare. 1., Cercetări Arheologice, Vol. 28.1, pag. 9-90, 2021, doi: https://doi.org/10.46535/ca.28.1.01
This book is dedicated to Professor Ioan Piso, one of the greatest epigraphists and historians of antiquity, on the occasion of his 80th birthday. Professor Piso has been active for almost 60 years, publishing major inscriptional corpora from Roman Dacia as well as important studies on the elite, society, culture, economy and religion of Dacia and the Imperium Romanum. He gained international recognition not only through publications, but also through his participation in international conferences and projects, as well as through prestigious fellowships. He directed the scientific activities of many young scholars who later received international recognition. Professor Piso was actively involved in the civic life and was one of most important fighters for the preservation of cultural heritage in Romania. His moral principles, diligence and human qualities were unanimously appreciated.
The volume comprises almost 40 studies written by scholars from Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The main topics are epigraphy, archaeology, historiography, taking into account new epigraphic and historical documents as well as recent archaeological data. The book includes historiographic debates and new restitutions of medieval and modern documents on antiquity. In other articles, the authors provide new interpretations and original points of view on already known documents.