Lexi Webster
The area of present-day Austria has been inhabited since the Paleolithic period, with the Celts settling there around 400 BC. In the late 1st century BC, the Romans annexed the lands south of the Danube, and by 15 BC, they dominated the entire area. The most significant Roman settlement in Austria was Carnuntum, which became the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia and the centre of Roman fortifications along the Danube.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Roman invasion | 200 BC |
| Date of Roman domination | 15 BC |
| Most important Roman settlement in Austria | Carnuntum |
| Roman province of which Carnuntum was the capital | Pannonia |
| Modern-day location of Carnuntum | Lower Austria |
| Number of people who lived in Carnuntum | 50,000 |
| Length of time Carnuntum was inhabited | Nearly 400 years |
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What You'll Learn
- The Romans arrived in 200 BC and dominated the area by 15 BC
- Roman settlement Carnuntum was home to 50,000 people for nearly 400 years
- The lands south of the Danube became part of the Roman Empire
- By the mid-second century AD, German tribes were invading Roman territories
- By the mid-500s, the Bavarians controlled the territory between the eastern Alps and Wienerwald
The Romans arrived in 200 BC and dominated the area by 15 BC
The Romans first arrived in the region of present-day Austria around 200 BC. At the time, the area was inhabited by people of the Hallstatt Celtic culture, who had organised themselves into a kingdom known as Noricum. The Romans began their annexation of the region in the late 1st century BC, with the lands south of the Danube becoming part of the Roman Empire.
The Roman settlement of Carnuntum, in present-day eastern Austria, became the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia and was home to 50,000 people for nearly 400 years. Carnuntum was the most important Roman settlement in Austria and served as the centre of Roman fortifications along the Danube.
By 15 BC, the Romans dominated the entire area. However, their rule did not last, and by the later half of the second century AD, various German tribes were extending their territory, making inroads into Roman territories. By the mid-500s, the Bavarians controlled the territory between the eastern Alps and the Wienerwald region.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire, the region of Austria was invaded by the Germanic Rugii, who made it part of their "Rugiland". In 487, most of modern Austria was conquered by Odoacer, a barbarian soldier and statesman from the Middle Danube, who incorporated it into his Kingdom of Italy.
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Roman settlement Carnuntum was home to 50,000 people for nearly 400 years
The Roman settlement Carnuntum, now located in Austria, was a thriving city of around 50,000 people for almost 400 years, from 6 AD to c. 400 AD. It was a significant Roman city, strategically positioned on the northern border of the Roman Empire, marked by the Danube River. Carnuntum served as a vital frontier fortification and a bustling trading centre, particularly for amber, which was brought from the north and traded in Italy. The city's importance is underscored by the fact that Emperor Tiberius established a winter camp in the area, and Emperor Marcus Aurelius resided there for three years during the war against the Marcomanni.
Carnuntum's history as a trading centre dates back to the late Iron Age when it was occupied by the Hallstatt Celtic culture, known as Noricum by the Romans. At the end of the 1st century BC, the lands south of the Danube became part of the Roman Empire, and Carnuntum became a vital military and trading outpost. The settlement's growth was gradual, with the legionary fortress and the surrounding military city forming the initial nucleus.
Over time, a flourishing civilian city, known as a municipium, developed outside the military zone. This civilian city, located in what is now the village of Petronell-Carnuntum, featured a Roman city quarter, palace ruins, an amphitheatre, and the Heidentor. The amphitheatre, located outside the city, could accommodate approximately 15,000 spectators and was the fourth largest in the entire Roman Empire. Carnuntum's economic prosperity peaked during the Severan dynasty (193-235), when the canabae reached their maximum size.
The Roman influence in Carnuntum ended around 400 AD with the fall of the Roman Empire. The city, being on the front line, could not withstand the collapse. Today, Carnuntum is an archaeological site with Roman ruins, including the Military Amphitheatre, the Roman City Quarter, and the House of Lucius, which has been reconstructed using traditional techniques.
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The lands south of the Danube became part of the Roman Empire
The Romans first arrived in what is now Austria around 200 BC. By 15 BC, they had gained dominance over the entire area. The lands south of the Danube became part of the Roman Empire in the late 1st century BC. The most important Roman settlement in Austria was Carnuntum, which was the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia in what is now Lower Austria. Carnuntum was home to 50,000 people for nearly 400 years and served as the centre of Roman fortifications along the Danube.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was invaded by the Germanic Rugii, who made it part of their "Rugiland". In 487, most of modern Austria was conquered by Odoacer, a barbarian soldier and statesman from the Middle Danube, who incorporated it into his Kingdom of Italy. By 493, it had been conquered by the Germanic Ostrogoths, who established the Ostrogothic Kingdom.
The area that is now Austria was then invaded by the Alemanni, Baiuvarii, Slavs, and Avars. In 788, Charlemagne, King of the Franks, conquered the area, encouraged colonisation, and introduced Christianity. As part of Eastern Francia, the core areas that now make up Austria were bequeathed to the House of Babenberg.
In the late Iron Age, Austria was occupied by people of the Hallstatt Celtic culture (c. 800 BC). The Celts organised the area as a Celtic kingdom, which was referred to by the Romans as Noricum, dating from c. 800 to 400 BC.
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By the mid-second century AD, German tribes were invading Roman territories
The history of Austria dates back to the late Iron Age when it was occupied by the Hallstatt Celtic culture, known as Noricum to the Romans. At the end of the 1st century BC, the lands south of the Danube became part of the Roman Empire.
In the Migration Period, which began in 375 CE, Germanic tribes invaded Roman territories. The first wave of invasions, between 300 and 500 CE, put Germanic peoples in control of most areas of the Western Roman Empire. The Visigoths, a group derived from the Tervingi or a fusion of Gothic tribes, invaded Italy and sacked Rome in 410 CE before settling in Gaul. The Visigothic Kingdom in Iberia was founded around 460 CE. The Ostrogoths, led by Theodoric the Great, settled in Italy.
By the mid-second century AD, the Alemanni were pushing up the Main River, establishing themselves in the Agri Decumates by 260 CE. The Goths had also penetrated the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor as far as Cyprus by this time, but their advance was checked by Claudius II at Niš in 269 CE. The Roman army relied increasingly on troops of Barbarian origin, often recruited from Germanic peoples, and some functioned as senior commanders in the Roman army.
In the 6th century, the Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied the former Roman territories in what is now Austria until it fell to the Frankish Empire in the 9th century.
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By the mid-500s, the Bavarians controlled the territory between the eastern Alps and Wienerwald
The history of Austria is a rich and varied one. The country was founded by the Romans in the 1st century, who established a military camp called Vindobona in the centre of what is now Vienna. The Romans remained in the area until the end of the first century BC, when various German tribes began making inroads into Roman territories. The Romans left the area by the 5th century, and by the mid-500s, the Bavarians—a Germanic tribe—controlled the territory between the eastern Alps and Wienerwald.
The Bavarians were a powerful force, coming under the dominion of the Franks in the 6th century. The Franks considered this border area as a buffer zone against eastern peoples like the Avars and Slavs. Sometime around 550 AD, the Bavarians were placed under the rule of a duke, who acted as a regional governor for the Frankish king. This was the beginning of a series of Agilolfing dukes that lasted until 788 AD.
In the late 8th century, Charlemagne, the Frankish king and eventual Holy Roman Emperor, established a territory in the Danube valley known as the Ostmark (Eastern March). This was done to prevent invading armies from entering the region. Charlemagne was a skilled military strategist, and he spent much of his reign uniting Germanic peoples into one kingdom and converting them to Christianity.
The Bavarians and the Franks had a complex relationship, with the former achieving independence from the latter in the 8th century. However, under rulers like Charles Martel and his son Pepin the Short, the Franks reasserted their authority over the Bavarians.
The territory of the Bavarians, which included the area between the eastern Alps and Wienerwald, would go on to form part of the basis of the future country of Austria.
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Frequently asked questions
The Romans first invaded the area now known as Austria around 200 BC and dominated the entire area by 15 BC.
Carnuntum, in present-day Petronell-Carnuntum, was the most important Roman settlement in Austria. It was home to 50,000 people for nearly 400 years and served as the capital of the Roman province of Pannonia.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was invaded by the Germanic Rugii, who made it part of their "Rugiland".
Austria emerged as a unified state at the end of the first millennium, first as a frontier march of the Holy Roman Empire.
In the late Iron Age, the area was occupied by people of the Hallstatt Celtic culture, who organised as a Celtic kingdom referred to by the Romans as Noricum, dating from around 800 to 400 BC.
