CONDITOR URBIUM TRAJANS URBANISIERUNGSPOLITIK IN DEN DONAUPROVINZEN ; Conditor urbium. Trajans Urbanisierungspolitik in den Donauprovinzen

Abstract

The victory in the war with Dacians set off a number of major administrative and administrative reforms conducted by Trajan in the Danubian provinces. Some of the vital elements of the reforms included veteran settlement and establishment of numerous towns – coloniae and municipia. As many as eighteen were thus established in the region during Trajan's reign. ; There is no doubt that after Augustus, Trajan should be credited with being the most active in the area of urban development. The territories on the Danube, especially the central and lower reaches of the river as well as its hinterland (province Thracia) represent a case of its own among Trajan's undertakings, which should be associated with the Dacian wars (101-106). The latter brought about tremendous changes in the social-economic and administrative arrangements in the region, Settle­ment policy and the urbanization schemes it necessarily entailed played the foremost role in that respect. As many as eighteen towns were established on Trajan's initiative; these included coloniae which developed in the former locations of legionary camps (Poetovio, Ratiaria, Oescus, Sarmizegetusa), municipia (Ulpianum, Tropaeum Traiani), poleis built from scratch (Nicopolis ad Istrum, Marcianopolis, Nikopolis ad Nestum), or earlier Thracian settlements elevated to municipal status (Augusta Traiana, Ulpia Serdica, Plotinopolis, Traianopolis, Ulpia Pautalia, Ulpia Topeiros, Ulpia Bizye). Indisputably, "under Trajan's rule, the lands on the Danube (including the interior) became the focus of comprehensive and consistent Roman urbanization policy, to an extent unknown since the times of Augustus" (K. Christ). To all intents and purposes, Trajan pursued a clearly formulated, cohesive plan aimed at creating an efficient system of administration in the Central and Lower Danube region. Apart from the institutions of Roman rule, it was to rely on municipal self-governments. Another objective was to develop an efficacious infrastructural hinterland for the troops stationed in the Danubian provinces along the line of the river and to the north of it (Dacia), thus ensuring a base for Roman activities on the western and northern coast of the Black Sea. ; The victory in the war with Dacians set off a number of major administrative and administrative reforms conducted by Trajan in the Danubian provinces. Some of the vital elements of the reforms included veteran settlement and establishment of numerous towns – coloniae and municipia. As many as eighteen were thus established in the region during Trajan's reign.