Today we will learn a lot of interesting information about our city during the Roman period. Our museum has in its collection a votive inscription attesting the rank of minicipium for Napoca during the time of Emperor Hadrian, this artifact being considered a kind of birth certificate of the Roman city. But what did municipium mean, what was the Roman name of the city, what were its territorial limits, who defended it, why was it founded here and what was the importance of this city? For all these questions, receive edifying answers from our colleagues, specialists in the Roman period, Dr. Viorica Rusu Bolindeț and Dr. George Cupcea. Dr. Radu Ardevan tells us about the fate of the city after the withdrawal of the Romanian administration.
Votive altar, Napoca (Cluj-Napoca, Cluj county)
[I(ovi) O(ptimo) M(aximo)] / Con(ervators) mu/nic(ipium) Aeli(um) / Hadr(ianum) Napoc(ensium) / cure IIvir(orum) q(uin)q( uennalium) / C(ai) Numer(s) Deci/ani et Iuli(i) Ingenui / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito).To Iuppiter Optimus Maximus Conservator, the municipality Aelium Hadrianum of the Napocens, through the care of the duumviri quinquennales Caius Numerius Decianus and Iulius Ingenuus, fulfilled the covenant, with pleasure and merit.
The inscription attests to the fact that Napoca had the rank of a municipium.
Votive altar, Napoca (Cluj-Napoca, Cluj county)
Libero Pa/tri deo / P(ublius) Ael(ius) Mar/cianus dec(urio) / col(oniae) Napoc(ensium) / pro sua et / suorum / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m (erito).
To God Liber Pater, Publius Aelius Marcianus, decurion of the Napocensi colony, fulfilled the covenant with pleasure and merit, for his health and that of his people.
This altar was dedicated to Liber Pater, the Greek Dionysus, the god of wine by a decurion (member of the local senate, ordo decurionum) of the Napoca colony, Publius Aelius Marcianus, and attests to the status of the colony of Napoca.
