408 / 530
407
gravity of the Roman State moved from southern central Europe to south-eastern
part of the continent and as a consequence government attention aimed at securing
the area surrounding Galerius imperial seat at Sirmium. Banat ancient territory
entered due to its geographical position and multiple mineral resources under this
attention. On these territories, the Empire will seek to extend a strong military
controll. Anyhow, at the end of the 3
rd
century and the beginning of the following
one, no barbarian actions were registered by documentary sources in the territory
of former Dacia. It was Constantinus who came with the ideea of reconquering
Dacia, and after removing his rival Licinius in 324, we believe that initiated a real-
program in this respect. Observations taken over numismatic material found in the
Roman fortifications on the north bank of the Danube argue that finding, by the
discovery of coins dating back to the beginning of living in
quadriburgia
, towards
the end of Constantius I reign (respectively between 325–337).
This set the stage to great fort rebuilding as those from Mehadia, Teregova,
Tibiscum
on the main access route of access Timiş–Cerna that continued through
the interior of the Carpathic chain. We fiind the same situation in the case of new
fort buildings as those situated on Olt Valley and in south eastern Transylvania, as
the ones from Comalău that had to ensure control over the entire south Carpathic
area. The following stage in this process of reconquering Dacia was to build a
bridge over Danube from
Oescus
–
Sucidava
finished in 328, but whose construction
must have been started 1–2 years before, made of stone and having an impressive
length. This construction marks in fact, the end of the effectively reconquering
process of the former province territory. Repairing the imperial road on the Olt
line, was seen also as a complementary action. All these archaeologic, literary,
even epigraphic information, lead to the idea that in the period of 324/325–328 and
following years, the actual institution of direct control over the former province
territory up to its northern limit from Porolissum was done. No matter how hard is
to understand this, there will always be elements to sustain the hipothesis.
Constantius II (337–361) will continue his fathers politics, thus during his
reign the Roman presence is the most dense and deep north of the Danube,
situation that favored Banat the main access gate to
Transylvania
either on the
Danube or Mureş, or inland terrestrial routes. Maybe with some difficulties there is
a period of stability in the coming decades until the time of Theodosius I, largely
because the late Roman fortifications north of the Danube ceased to operate at the
end of the 4
th
century and the first decade thereafter.
Almost uninterrupted wars from the Empire started for raising dynasts to the
throne followed by military conflicts fought in this area with barbarian nations in
their attempt to get subsidies or the establishment inside the Empire made the
fourth century an era in which, military or political events marked a decay of the
economic life. The legislation introduced with the rise to the throne of Constantius
I, and later Valens will require extreme measures in an attempt to stop the process
of ruining the economy (binding settlers to the land in agriculture, banning miners
to leave their jobs, craftsmen obligation to stay in their home cities, family
proffesion passover etc.).