The Mystery of Viminacium, Serbia

July 2010
I have been fortunate to visit amazing Roman ruins:  the forum of Rome;  Pompeii, Italy;  Ephesus, Turkey; Bath, England; Baalbek, Lebanon (in my teens);  but I had never heard of Viminacium, Serbia before this trip.  We made port on the Danube near  a small Serbian town called Kostolac with its mix of well-kept homes and gypsy shanties, and then drove through corn fields, past the  power plants and open-pit strip mining to an expansive field with three large, tented areas.   It hardly looked like a favorite vacation retreat of Roman emperors or one of the most important Roman  cities and military camps in the 1st-4th centuries AD.

But Viminacium didn't disappoint me.  As I looked over the corn fields, I was reminded of Saint-Exupery's story, The Little Prince, when he landed in the Sahara desert and met the (imaginary) boy prince from another planet.   The Little Prince taught him that what is important is often invisible to the eye, such as water hidden somewhere in the desert, and that one must learn to  see with one's heart, not just rely on what is seen by the eyes.

I was pleased by what I saw at Viminacium, but when I closed my eyes and listened for the bustle of 30,000-40,000 residents, the clamor from an amphitheater filled with 12,000 people, the trumpets and cheers when the emperor approached, I sensed the magnificence of what might lie beneath my feet and was fascinated by what I could not see.  Unlike many Roman ruins, the area was abandoned after Atilla the Hun and other "barbarians" destroyed it in the 5-6th centuries.   It was covered over the centuries with dirt and rubble, not new cities.

Viminacium became an important outpost at the northern border of the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD.  Emperor Trajan used it as his headquarter in the Dacian Wars;  Emperor Septimius Severs named his son Carcalla his successor there in 211 AD.  And the little known Emperor Hostilian died and was buried there in 251 AD under suspicious circumstances.

They had baths, a temple to Minerva, a circus, amphitheater, villas, and tombs decorated with beautiful tomb frescoes.  They call one woman their "Mona Lisa," and she is exceptionally beautiful and life-like after all these centuries.  Coins, gold and silver jewelry, glass tableware, and early Christian symbols (photo) are among its other treasures. But only a small portion of Viminacium has been uncovered and is  available to be seen by the public: part of the baths, a main gate area, and a few of the extensive tombs.

However, I would nominate Viminacium for an award for trying so hard to show off what they have.  We were welcomed  by a wealthy "Roman family" who took us to the tombs where we were greeted and escorted by the silent guide of the underworld, seeking coins (in the Roman tradition)  to take us safely through.  In the dark (but safe) tunnel, we were led to the frescoes and then returned to the world of the living.

We were offered refreshment of Roman wine (or water) in Roman style cups and "played" for our fortunes, each being given a turn to pick up a pottery shard with our fortune on it.  My pottery advised me :  "Never give up." (so I'm still writing this blog) Working archaeologists told us about the sites.  In their small gift shop, they sold a clever board game which I brought home, Mystery of the Emperor's Death, as well as pieces  from the site not considered important enough to keep. (I wish I had bought more of those.)  Unfortunately, their only books about their finds were too large and heavy for today's luggage weight limits.  A small booklet of their major finds would have been appreciated.

So the real mystery of Viminacium is not who killed the Emperor Hostilian, but what lies under our feet and whether we will ever know.  An unusual family tomb was found on the power plant land, but is not accessible to the public because of safety.  Strip mining is disturbing the ground.  Some farmers do not want to sell the fertile fields that their families have planted for years.  How should a country balance between food, electricity, and irreplaceable historic ruins?  I tried to capture the dilemma in this photo.  As we left, my heart wanted to shout "Viva, Viminacium Lumen!"  So, yes, go there, encourage those hard-working archaeologists in their struggle to preserve the site.  And if you look with your heart, you will discover  a fascinating segment of the grand portrait of the Roman Empire.

Click link below for slideshow:
Roman, Viminacium
Music:  Rozsa, Ben Hur: Parade of the Charioteers, Music Inspired by the Romans (English Heritage)


 I will take a brief break from my Danube travels to post my first trip last November to New Orleans.  Then, in a few weeks, I will sail on the Danube through the Iron Gates between the Carpathian and Balkan mountains.
More Information:www.viminacium.org.rs/Research/ExcavationSite/?language
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viminacium