Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov CIBv 2015 • Vol. 8 (57) Special Issue No. 1 - 2015 ROMAN BRIDGES ON THE LOWER PART OF THE DANUBE A. BARA1 S. KAISER 2 Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to present the Roman bridges built across the Romanian natural border, the Danube, during the Roman Empire expansion. Some of these are less known than the famous Trajan's Bridge in Drobeta-Turnu Severin. The construction of bridges on the lower part of the Danube showed the importance of conquering and administrating the ancient province of Dacia. The remaining evidences prove the technical solutions used by the Roman architects at a time when public works had developed. Key words: Danube, bridge, pontoon bridge. 1. Introduction explored the river from the delta upstream but knew only the lower course, known as The Danube River flows through our Istros or Istria. The name Danubius can be country on around 1075 km, of which 225 found in the work of Aristotel, Ovid, km on Romanian territory exclusively. Strabo, Plinius the Second. “Istros” is Among the riparian countries, Romania mentioned by Herodot and Virgil. Other has the longest access to the river, nations migrating along the stream called including the Danube Delta. Romania also the river Donau, Dunaj, Duna, Dunav, put into operation since 1986 the Danube – Dunarea, the name being transformed and Black Sea Channel (Cernavoda – modified according to the language of the Constanta). The Danube with the Main – country. Rhine channel forms Europe’s blue During the Roman Empire public works diagonal for river transports. Few are the had known a great development. Temples, permanent crossings built on the lower arches, basilicas, baths, aqueducts are well Danube (Figure 1). known even in our days. As a first priority To investigate the origin of the roads were constructed (“via vita”). A “DANUBE” name we have to go back to network of roads covered the entire surface the Celtic tribes who lived in the upper of the Roman Empire. 40000 km of Danube basin. The word “Danu” is of Celtic principals roads covered had been built. The origins and signifies “swift, rapid, violent, construction of roads and bridges reached a undisciplined”. Emperor Cesar in his work very high level during the period of the “De Bello Gallico” had named the stream roman emperor TRAIAN (98 – 117 A.D.) Danubius. Phoenicians and Greeks had A main road starting from the north of Italy 1 Faculty of Civil Engineering , Polytechnic University of Timisoara. 2 Faculty of Civil Engineering , Polytechnic University of Timisoara. 194 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov • Vol. 8 (57) Special Issue No.1 - 2015 Fig. 1. Roman Bridges on the lower Danube During the Traian‘s rule the road reached Among these, there are five bridges that the zone of Turnu – Severin, the border of are related to the need of movement for the Roman Empire. On the other side of the military purposes during the wars between Danube was Dacia. the Romans and the Dacians (the In 101, Emperor Traian started the first inhabitants of the territory of today’s war for conquering Dacia. The Roman army Romania) at the time of emperors crossed the Danube near Drobeta on a Dominitian and Traian. pontoon bridge. A series of wooden and The following part describes four of these stone bridges were built to provide access to bridges whose archeological evidences the ancient province of Dacia on the other survived until today. Due to their previous side of the great river Danube. Some of significance, these have been analyzed in them had a long exploitation, whereas the the last time, in the hope of discovering the others served only temporarily for military enigma of their technical solutions. purposes [3]. The majority of the bridges were built on 2. Cornelius Fuscus’ Pontoon Bridge the lower part of the Danube from the Iron from Vadin-Orlea Gates to the Black Sea (Figure 1).The most important of these are the following: The ruins of this bridge were mentioned - Cornelius Fuscus’ Pontoon Bridge from for the first time by the Italian-born scholar Vadin (86-87 A.D.); and eminent natural scientist Luigi F. - Traian’s pontoon Bridges in Lederata and Marsigli in his paperwork “The Description Dierna (101 A.D.); of the Danube”. He visited during his - Traian’s Bridge in Drobeta-Turnu Severin research on the Danube river banks the (103 – 105 A.D.); Roman fortress from Vadin (today - Constantine the Great’s bridge from Celei, Bulgarian location).He made a detailed the ancient Oescus-Sucidava (328 A.D.); description of the bridge built by the - The pontoon Bridges of Emperor Valens Dacians (and Thracians), providing a in Daphne (367 A.D.) and Noviodunum sketching of the position of the stone pillars (365 A.D.). and wooden piers (Figure 2). A. BARA, S. KAISER.: Roman bridges on the lower part of the Danube 195 Fig. 2. The ruins of the roman bridge in Vidin-Orlea (after Marsigli 1691) The ruins of the bridge can be seen even in would be necessary for finding more the present. Strong pillars were battered down answers concerning the historical and vertically in two rows across the river. technical nature of the pontoon bridge [1]. Perhaps it was used the same practical technique as the one that helped Cesar’s 3. Traian’s Pontoon Bridges from the legions to cross the Rhine. At Vidin-Orlea the Year 101 A.D. bridge stretches over a length of 1000-1100 m someplace where the water reaches 6-7 In the field of bridge constructions across meters depth. The pillars were probably the Danube, the conqueror of Dacia the introduced into the riverbed during summer Roman emperor Traian (98-117 A.D.) is with the help of a battering ram fixed on the well-known for the bridge of Apollodor of ships [3]. Damascus, one of the most important The crossing was made then on the ships construction work achieved by Romans. thus linked together. It is more than certain The interpretation of Traian’s Column in that it did not possessed vaults of wood or any Rome gave many answers to different kind of deck. At the same time the navigation questions. was obstructed. Compared to the bridge In the spring of the year 101 A.D. across the Rhine, the pillars stood vertically emperor Traian started the first war for and were not inclined as in the solution of conquering Dacia and the Roman army permanent wooden bridges. crossed the Danube near Drobeta Turnu The pillars served for anchoring the ships Severin town on two pontoon bridges. This only. As it was only a short-term exploited is an archeological and logical fact military construction the bridge was, of confirmed by the scenes IV-V represented course, immediately dismantled, as to avoid a on the memorial Column (Figure 3). possible invasion. The fourth scene from the Column, Historical sources tell that, the year of the shows a military procession passing on the construction is the same with Cornelius bridge made of the six ships of the same Fuscus’ failed expedition in Dacia in 87 A.D. Further research of the underwater ruins 196 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov • Vol. 8 (57) Special Issue No.1 - 2015 of this bridge, between 103-105 A.D. Fig. 4. Traian’s bridge over the Danube in Drobeta-Turnu Severin Fig. 3. Scenes from Traian Column, Having a lengths of over 1200 m, showing legionaries crossing the Danube Traian’s bridge, astonished modern river on a pontoon bridge with timber researchers for the enigma of technical walkways building solution. The bridge was considered superior to all other bridges size and length bound together by wooden built by the Romans. Some hypothesis beams. An interesting outstanding about the bridge construction and its constructive element, is the arch of service life can be presented. masonry on the left of the scene,which Unfortunately, the monograph of the could only be the portal of the bridge bridge, written by Apollodor from situated on the right bank of the Danube. Damascus who was the architect and The stone blocks are sustained by two builder of the bridge, had been lost. The pillars with capitals. documents elaborated by the researchers of While the location of the first bridge is the bridge indicate that the more plausible known to be the ancient Lederata (in assumption regarding the bridge site present Ram) on the Serbian river side, the selection is the possibility of temporary second one is thought to be difficult to deviation of a part of the Danube; therefore appreciate. However these two locations some of the piers could be built on land. In were definitely chosen far one from the 1853, a great lowering of the Danube other, to avoid the unfavorable conditions offered to a team of Austrian specialists encountered at the narrow passage of the and to a Romanian engineer, the possibility Danube at “Cazane” near the Iron Gates. to make an inspection on site. The investigations performed in 1858 4. Traian’s Bridge Over the Danube at showed that the lower part of the bridge Drobeta-Turnu Severin piers, differently damaged in time, were made of broken stone masonry with mortar After defeating Decebal’s army and binder. The whole structure being peace conclusion, Traian realized that surrounded by a strong walls made by domination over Dacia province could not blocks of crushed stone. The ruined piers be achieved without building a fixed length varied from 21.50m to 22.75m and bridge across the Danube.