Histria Museum Complex

Histria was founded by Greek colonists from Miletus in the 7th century BC.
The location of the colony on an easily defended promontory, with a
sheltered anchorage, surrounded by rich countryside, and the proximity
to one of the old inlets of the Danube led to an economic development
social and cultural development. In the early Roman period, before
the rise of Tomis, a Milesian colony to the south of it, Histria was
main Greek colony on the Black Sea coast of Dobrogea. In the
6th century BC, when it was gradually abandoned by its inhabitants, it had already numbered almost 14
centuries of uninterrupted history. It ceased to exist on the historical map of the region
for more than 12 centuries, only to come back to the world’s attention
identified by Ernest Desjardins and brought to light by the first
archaeological research by Vasile Pârvan in 1914.
Several opinions have been expressed about the founding dates of the colony. Initially,
written sources did not seem to agree on the same date. Pseudo-Skymnos
writes about the contemporaneity of the founding act with the expulsion of the Cimmerians
by the Scythians, which is believed to have occurred in the late 7th century BC. Other
opinions place the event earlier, in the middle of the 7th century BC, a date
which would correspond with that given by Eusebius of Czesarea, 657. Although
the date has not yet been archaeologically confirmed, the earliest evidence
of this kind dating to approximately 630-620 BC, it appears to be correct. Although
only small parts of archaic Histria have been brought to light, the soil with which it was

levelled to build it contains early ceramic fragments and seems to
come from an inhabited area settled nearby before 630-620 BC.
In the first six centuries of its existence Histria developed as a Milesian colony
colony. It defined a pantheon, at the centre of which was Apollo Ietros as the god
patron god, but also Aphrodite and Zeus. These were honoured in temples
built on acropolises, protected by an enclosure different from the one fortifying the area
civil habitation on the western plateau. The double enclosure system was also used
in Classical and Hellenistic times. The administrative organisation was typical
for a Milesian colony. Histria had a well-defined chora, with villages, farms,
sanctuaries and a territory of influence necessary to control the resource areas
neighbouring natural resources. This area of influence later became the Regio
Histriae. The main economic activities were agriculture, trade, production
of small artefacts that were not the subject of maritime trade, but of the demand
local demand for more affordable goods for the less well-off. The first Histrian coins
were minted in 475 B.C. The main political events in which
Histria during the Greek period are related to: the expedition of Darius (514-513
B.C.), the Delian League, the conflict between Philip II and Ataias the Scythian king,
the introduction of a democratic regime that replaced the Histrian oligarchy, the revolt
of the West Pontic cities in 313 B.C. During the Mithridatic Wars, Rome
first showed interest in the territory between Istros and Pontus Euxin,
especially the harbour cities.
In the 1st century BC, Histria was still under strong Hellenistic influence,
visible in the cultural and religious tradition, in urban design, especially
the continued use of the Hellenistic enclosure and street layout. Although in
the reign of the Emperor Hadrian, a new enclosure was built to
to protect the inhabited area extended to the west, the eastern part of the city preserved
Hellenistic features. During the early Roman period
(1st – 3rd centuries p.C.) Histria presents itself as a flourishing harbour city, with a network
articulated street network and impressive buildings. Although we do not have
sufficient archaeological data for this period, epigraphic material covers
lack of information. In a few inscriptions dated to the second decade of the 3rd century
BC Histria bears the epithet λαμμπροτάτη πόλις. Only an important city, having reached
a certain degree of economic, social, cultural and political development would have been
entitled to bear this appellation.
The Romano-Byzantine period was a rather turbulent one for the newly founded
province of Scythia Minor. Moments of peace and prosperity alternated with those

marked by military conflict, caused by barbarians on the empire’s borders.
Temporary solutions like the victory of Naissus, the restitutio imperii that followed,
Diocletian’s reforms, etc., were too ephemeral to ensure peace and
balance necessary for the continued development of cities in the provinces
on the limes. All these events influenced the historical trajectory of Histria.
Its fortified territory decreased to almost a third of its Roman
Roman. What was once one of the most important cities of Moesia
Lower Moesia is described in this period as “once a very powerful
fortification” (Ammianus Marcelinus, Rerum gestarum libri XXXI, XXII, 8, 43).
Although spread over a much smaller area than that occupied by the early city,
Histria benefited from a well-organised urban space, with a street network slightly
different from the early one, modified to correspond to the new precincts and market gates, with
residential neighbourhoods, with imposing villae, monumental public buildings, tabernae
for the sale of luxury goods, an economic neighbourhood, an administrative neighbourhood, etc.
One of the most important features of late Histria is the establishment here
of a bishopric during the reign of Emperor Anastasius. The episcopal basilica
was built in the time of Emperor Justinian, in the centre of the late fortification.
Over time, the sea level rose and flooded the plain to the north-west of Histria,
covering some of the tumuli, as well as the roads heading north
province. At the beginning of the 7th century BC, Histria ceased to exist as
urban centre. Scattered evidence of life among the ruins of the former city shows that
it was gradually abandoned. The last traces of habitation (three in number) date from
11th and 13th-14th centuries.
The Roman-Byzantine fortifications erected their urban structures on top of those of the town
along the early main streets, which have continued
function, with minor modifications and improvements. And some Roman buildings
were preserved within the late fortification, without being dismantled, and
which were later repaired and improved. For example, the bath complex
generically called Thermae I, located in the SW part of the city, built in the 1st cent. I
BC, continued to function, with some restoration works and even with a
changed functionality.
The main entrance to the late fortification is through the Great Gate, which
opening onto the Great Square (25×14.50 metres). There visitors can admire a basilica
basilica, built in the 3rd century B.C., considered to be part of the
administrative buildings of the city, together with two others on the western side
of the street that leads to Thermae I. To the east you can visit a palaeo-

Christian palaeo-Christian basilica (5th-6th century BC). The official neighbourhood of the city, located south of the Gate
Great Gate includes a rectangular basilica, dating from the second half of the 3rd century
BC (rebuilt in the 4th century BC), a commercial building (tabernae), where
luxury imported goods were sold (4th century BC), a
square with a portico (4th century BC), etc. All these buildings, many of them
built in the 4th century BC, were superimposed by later constructions. Unfortunately
not much can be said about them, as they were dismantled during
old research between 1921-1942.
The most important and imposing building of late Roman Histria is the Basilica
Episcopal Basilica, located in the heart of the city (6th century BC).
Entering the late city through the Small Gate, located on the south side of the western side
of the fostification, the visitor has to his right the economic neighbourhood, and to the left
Thermae I. At the end of the street entering through the Small Gate is another bailiwick
and a residential area. Another residential area lies to the east of the
Episcopal Basilica. Here four large domus villae have been discovered.
The first archaeological research was initiated by the Romanian archaeologist Vasile
Pârvan in 1914. The wall of the late fortification was the first monument excavated
to light. Since then several generations of archaeologists have worked to uncover
large areas of the late town, as well as the entire route of the late enclosure
(where it is still preserved), which protected the city between the 3rd and 7th centuries
p.Chr. It enclosed an inhabited area of about 7 ha, three times larger
than the area protected by the early Roman enclosure. Its first phase (phase A
– second half of the 2nd cent. III – late sec. III p.Chr) overlaps segments of the
of the Hellenistic enclosure wall, utilising its foundation for better
stability. Another interesting peculiarity of these structures in its first phase
existence is the use of a series of column spindles to obtain a
a durable foundation (recumbent spindles, perpendicular to the course of the enclosure wall,
the use of dismantlings of previous disused structures). It was provided with
with three entrance gates and 3 or even 5 defence towers. It was destroyed
during the Gothic invasions at the end of the 3rd century B.C. During the reigns
Diocletian and Constantine the Great, phase B of the enclosure was built, slightly
extended to the north and south. The new enclosure had a more complex defence system,
with seven defence towers on the west side and three defence towers
The eastern side, not fully preserved, was not equipped with
defence towers. Through the Great Gate, 3.30 metres wide, and the western gate, 2.40
metres, the fortress could also be entered. The last stages of the late enclosure are characterised by

several restoration works (at the end of the cent. IV p.C.; during the
emperor Anastasius and the end of the 6th century BC), and in the last decades
of Histria’s existence only the western side of the enclosure was still functional. Gate
The Great Gate, defended by four rectangular towers, was functional throughout the entire
five phases.
Histria also benefited from a sheltered anchorage in the period
early period of its existence. Although there were no harbour facilities proper,
the massive imports from the Greek world demonstrate the discovery at Histria that
the natural bay was safe enough to support intense maritime trade.
The existence of the Histrian harbour is certain, as the artefacts
artefacts, coins, epigraphic material and literary sources. Although installations
facilities have not yet been discovered, there are two possible locations of the
Histrian harbour. It could have been in the northern part of the city, in the area where
flooded since ancient times. Against these hypotheses
the general morphological aspect of the west coast of the Black Sea and the aspects
climatic aspects which, according to Vitruvius’ recommendations, would not have allowed
an open harbour to the north. It’s true that this was the general rule
applied in the western Pontic cities, but there were exceptions. For example,
Mesembria had two harbours in the Romano-Byzantine period, and one of them
was located in the northern bay of the Mesembrian peninsula.
The second possible location of the Histrian harbour would be the southern part of the fortification,
where there used to be a bay, now filled in. The hypothetical status of this location
is gaining a certain degree of certainty with new research in this
part of the fortress. These have provided the important reason in support of the location
harbour here (or at least an anchorage). Recently discovered
several stone platforms (2010, 2011), interpreted as evidence of the existence
harbour facilities in the last stages of Histria’s existence.
The harbour was probably equipped with a lighthouse, as suggested by the representations on the
coins.
Histria today is a large archaeological reserve, whose territory, together with the
its necropolises, totals about 75 ha. The most important site
archaeological site located on the Romanian Black Sea coast, Histria, is a history of
over 100 years of assiduous archaeological research. Histria has thus become one of
of the first archaeological schools for many of the generations of students in many
traditional Romanian universities (University of Bucharest, University of Bucharest

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași, Babeș Bolyai University of Cluj, etc.). For this reason, in addition to the site, Histria also has an archaeological base where students and archaeologists working there can stay, as well as storage facilities for the conservation of finds. Since Histria is a tourist attraction for Romanians, but especially for foreigners, a new site museum was built here in the 1980s. Therefore, modern-day Histria consists of an open-air museum (the actual site), a museum, an archaeological base, storehouses, a restaurant and a parking.