Constanta
|
 |
Archeological
evidences have established that the Greek arrival and setting in
the peninsular area of Constantza took place sometimes in the 6th
century B.C., the city of Tomis being at the beginning an
emporium (a commercial factoria preceding the actual
constitution of the colony). It was only in the Hellenic epoch
(IV – I century B.C.) when the citadel gained the character of a
polis. |
During
this period of time the importance of the city was growing, rich
possessions being accumulated that offered the citizens the possibility
to build elegant public and private edifices of stone and marble, also
aqueducts of which a small number can be seen nowadays: columns,
framings, friezes, capital fragments etc. Also in this period of time a
defense wall has been built similar to the West Pontic fortresses
Histria and Callatis. The citizens organized their social and political
lives in resemblance to the Ionian model.
|
Starting with
the 1st century B.C. the geographical situation of
the entire West Pontic area suffers modifications because of the
Roman conquest from 72 – 71, when the Romans take over
authority. In 55 B.C. king Burebista becomes the ruler of this
region until his death in 44 B.C.
|
 |
In
the first years of Roman ruling the Greek cities assemble to an union,
at first five fortress – Histria, Tomis, Callatis, Dyonysopolis (Balcic)
and Odessos (Varna) – and later six fortresses - Mesembria (Nesebar).
The headquarters if this union was at the beginning in Odessos and later
Tomis took over leadership. The military commander of the West Coast of
Pontus Euxinus had his headquarters also in Tomis. Reports and hints
regarding life in Tomis at the beginning of the 1st century
A.D. are to be found in the literary work of Ovid, the Roman poet that
was exiled here from 9 – 17 A.D. by the Emperor Octavian Augustus. Tomis
became a second home to the miserable from Sulmo who died here in 17
A.D. and was buried according to late literary testimony at the fortress
gate – ante oppidi portam. A long series of administrative rules follows
culminating in the formation of the Moesia Minor province (this province
coincides on the whole with today’s Dobruja) in 86 A.D. during the reign
of Emperor Domitian. Tomis becomes the province residence in the 2nd
century A.D. and will grow and urbanistically expand as no other citadel
from the Left Pontus had expanded during the Roman reign. Beginning with
3rd century A.D. the pax romana is constantly disturbed by
the invasion of the Carpo – Goths thus considerably prejudicing the life
of the citadel Tomis that was referred to in the testimonies of the time
as “the brilliant metropolis and capital of the Left Pontus”. At the end
of the 3rd century A.D. and in the centuries to follow until
the reign of emperor Justinisn (527 – 525) great efforts were made in
order to rebuilt the site wall. The Diocletian reforms established a new
structure in the administrative, military and financial system of the
empire. From that point Dobruja was given the name of Scythia Minor, the
capital being at Tomis. During this historical situation the city of
Tomis gained new impulses. New public and private edifices improved the
beauty of the city, the harbor activity intensifies due to the fact that
from the 4th century A.D. Tomis bordered upon the new capital
of Constantinople. How important was the brilliant metropolis has been
from 4th – 7th century A.D. is proved by the Roman
mosaic Edifice, the thermae and numerous other discoveries – coins,
ceramics, inscriptions, architectural and sculptural fragments.
The spiritual importance
of Tomis has been developing when the Christian religion became official
in the empire during the reign of the Emperor Constantine the Great (306
– 337). Historical sources mention many bishops – Gerontios, Theotimos,
Timotei, Ioan etc. while archeological sources refer to numerous
sumptuous ornamented basilica, with fretwork windows, columns and
capitals with cross and rosette ornaments.
From a political and
military point of view the period from the 5th – 7th
century A.D. has had serious implications upon the life of Tomis as well
as upon the whole region. The invasions of the migratory people had
started: the Huns, the Slavs, and the Protobulgarians. These invasions
have determined a backing off of the Byzantine administration from the
region for a longer period of time. The city of Tomis has been destroyed
and in such a situation life became rural in the former citadel. The
Byzantine reign in Dobruja has been reinforced only in 971 when the
powerful Emperor Ioan Tzimiskes (969-976) had abolished the Bulgarian
czarist reign and the region between the Danube and the Black Sea had
been organized as a therma (a Byzantine administrative and political
division) named Paristrion with the capital at Durostorom (Silistra).
During the Byzantine
period (8th-12th century) Tomis has been known as
Constantiana or Constantis, named supposedly after a district of Tomis.
This district got its name after some members of the imperial family in
the 4th century A.D. The present name of Constanta derives
from Constantiana or Constantia as Byzantine and medieval Italian
records state. Also the not interrupted usage of this name certifies the
continuous existence of the local population that was romanized on the
territory of the old citadel and surroundings.
We now present the most
important sightseeing edifices of the old Tomis from north to south as
follows: the Inner Wall of Tomis situated along the Ferdinand Boulevard,
the Roman Mosaic Edifice situated in the Ovid’s Square, the Thermae
situated on the western cliff near the first harbor entrance, the
Ancient District in the Cathedral’s Park with 12 archeological levels
that cover a period of almost a millennium in the history of the Tomis
citadel thus proving an material existence of Tomis in the 6th
century B.C.
Numerous archeological
evidence of ancient Tomis are exhibited at the National Museum of
History and Archeology in Constanta, 12 Ovid’s Square.
THE
ROMAN MOSAIC EDIFICE
This edifice is located
on the south – western side of the Constanta peninsula where the Roman –
Greek city of Tomis has developed, near the National Museum of History
and Archeology. It has been discovered in 1959 during municipal works.
The Roman Mosaic Edifice is one of the greatest architectonic assemblies
from the Roman epoch known in Dobruja. The construction lies on three of
the four terraces where the harbor cliff has been in ancient times. The
first terrace is located on the present level of Ovid’s Square offering
a connection to one of the public markets of the ancient citadel. The
other two terraces correspond to the main part of the edifice shaped as
a long trapezium on two levels. The superior level represents the
mosaic-paved hall, while the inferior level consists of 11 archer rooms
that have been used as merchandise storage rooms. The last terrace has
been located at a superior level of the ancient harbor quays consisting
of another series of archer storage rooms, which are today covered by
the modern promenade.
The mosaic covering a
2000 square meters area, one of the greatest from the whole Empire, is
made of little colored stone (tesserae): white, red, black, greenish –
blue, yellow – beige. It consists of two distinct parts: the hall
surrounding frame that is shaped out of geometrical and vegetal strings,
ivy leafs, simple or triple rope (David’s knot), stylized waves and the
central part that is built of circles within squares, splendidly with
stylized kantharos pots, weapons (double axes, shields) geometrical
forms (rectangles and lozenges).
This stately hall has
been used as a reunion room by citadel officials or by merchants who
made their commercial deals. The whole edifice has had a strong
connection to the harbor activity. This fact has been proved by eloquent
materials that were collected from the arched storage rooms beneath the
mosaic hall, materials that were in fact maritime merchandise products.
These were manly amphorae with different contents (especially vegetal
resins such as colophony, mastix, turpentine, storax, pine resin that
were used in a great number of activities), iron objects (anchors,
nails, spikes) rush light moulds, scales weight etc.
This impressive edifice
has been built probably in the 4th century and has suffered destruction
many times during the following centuries. The most important destroying
occurred during the earthquake (probably the 5th or 6th
century) that permanently demolished the pavement and the arches.
The
visiting itinerary includes first of all the main hall with the mosaic
carpet, where a series of recuperated archeological materials are
exhibited (amphorae, anchors, sculptural and architectonic pieces,
marble plate etc.). The 11 archer rooms can especially Greek and Latin
inscriptions from Tomis and other Dobruja citadels.
