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Obuda & Aquincum, outside Budapest, June 25-27th, 2000:
Mixed in amongst modern urban blight are these remains from an urban people almost two millennia ago.
Still water tight, these arched halls held gladiators and animals before fights in the arena.
Today, watertight is good news for Obuda's homeless, who have made this their refuge. They watched us and kept their distance, letting us explore the ruins by ourselves. They returned only as we seemed to be leaving for good.
Aquincum was the Roman name for this capital. It reminded us of Ostica Antica. Their market district was dominated by this tower, where the official weights and measures were kept under guard.
They had marble sewer drains back then. Those folks in Venice were just copycats.
We'd buy any of this stuff today from Pottery Barn and think we were just so modern in our taste.
And we were amazed at the intricate work required for this organ, reconstructed from rusted parts found in the Roman Firehouse. Why the Firehouse? We don't know. Perhaps they had to have something to do while they waited for all those marble temples to have a fire....
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Back in the 1st century AD,
when Rome was at its greatest, the region around Budapest
was the northeast corner of the province of Pannonia
Inferior. Here the Romans put their provincial capital,
and from it we can see how they lived in the far flung
provinces.
This aqueduct used to take water to
Aquincum. Now it helps keep oncoming cars separated.
One exhibition in the
museum reconstructs the clothing they would have worn
based on the tombstones they left behind which show not
only people wearing their clothes, but the craftsmen
making them.
Opened in 1896, the museum at
Aquincum is made to look like an old Roman Temple. Inside
are the exhibits treasures.
