Oescus

Welcome, students of history, to the sprawling ruins of Ulpia Oescus. Situated near the modern village of Gigen in the Pleven region, you are standing on what was once one of the most glamorous, richest, and strategically vital…

Our first stop is the foundation of the public baths, specifically the room known as the Tepidarium. In Roman urban planning, the thermae (baths) were not merely places for washing; they were the absolute epicenter of social,…

We now step into the very heart of civic life: the Forum. This central square was the political, economic, and religious nucleus of Ulpia Oescus. …

Adjacent to the Forum, we find the foundations of what was once an absolutely staggering piece of civil architecture: the Great Basilica. Emperor Hadrian, who served as the legate (commander) of the 5th Macedonian legion and…

We now stand at a major intersection of the city's street grid, likely where the Cardo Maximus (the main north-south street) crossed the Decumanus Maximus (the main east-west street). As is customary in orthodox Roman urban…

Moving slightly away from the central Forum, we arrive at the ruins of the Temple of Fortuna. Dedicated to the goddess of luck, fate, and hope, this temple was constructed in 192 AD during the reign of Emperor Commodus. …

Our final station takes us to the absolute pinnacle of this city's historical importance, looking northward toward the modern banks of the Danube. It was exactly here, 1,697 years ago, on July 5, 328 AD, that Emperor Constantine…

As we conclude our archaeological survey of Ulpia Oescus, a profound sense of melancholy is inevitable. We have resurrected a glamorous metropolis, but we must now acknowledge its violent demise. …