Argidava
Alternate nameArgidaua, Arcidava, Arcidaua, Argedava, Argedauon, Argedabon, Sargedava, Sargedauon, Zargedava, Zargedauon
Coordinates45.08°N 21.55°E
LocationPoiana Flămânda,[1] Vărădia, Caraș-Severin County, Romania
CulturesAlbocense
ConditionRuined
Designation 2Monument istoric
Designation2 numberCS-I-s-B-10894 [1]
Argidava
Part ofFrontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia
Id1718-002
Year2024
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv

Argidava (Argidaua, Arcidava, Arcidaua, Argedava, Argedauon, Argedabon, Sargedava, Sargedauon, Zargedava, Zargedauon, Ancient Greek: Ἀργίδαυα, Αργεδαυον, Αργεδαβον, Σαργεδαυον) was a Dacian fortress town close to the Danube, inhabited and governed by the Albocense. Located in today's Vărădia, Caraș-Severin County, Romania.

After the Roman conquest of Dacia, it became a military and a civilian center, with a castrum (Roman fort) (see Castra Arcidava) built in the area. The fort was used to monitor the shores of the Danube.[2]

Ancient sources

The oldest found potential reference to Argidava is in the form Argedauon or Argedabon (Ancient Greek: Αργεδαυον, Αργεδαβον), written in stone, in the Decree of Dionysopolis (48 BC).[3][4] However, it is unclear as to whether this refers to Argidava or a distinct town Argedava.

Ptolemy's Geographia

Argidava is mentioned in Ptolemy's Geographia (c. 150 AD) in the form Argidaua (Ancient Greek: Ἀργίδαυα) as an important Dacian town, at latitude 46° 30' N and longitude 45° 15' E (note that he used a different meridian and some of his calculations were off).

Tabula Peutingeriana

Argidava is also depicted in the Tabula Peutingeriana (2nd century AD) in the form Arcidaua, on a Roman road network, between Apo Fl. and Centum Putea. The location corresponds to the one mentioned by Ptolemy and the different form is most likely caused by the G/C graphical confusion commonly found in Latin documents.[5]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "National Archaeological Record (RAN)". ran.cimec.ro. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  2. ^ Grumeza, Ion. Dacia: Land of Transylvania, Cornerstone of Ancient Eastern Europe. Lanham: Hamilton Books, 2009, p. 13, ISBN 978-0-7618-4465-5.
  3. ^ Mihailov 1970.
  4. ^ Daicoviciu 1972, p. 90.
  5. ^ Olteanu.

References