The Romans reached the Balkan Peninsula after they defeated the ancient Macedonian kingdom in the 2nd century BC. The first Roman colonies in the Balkans were also created then. And after the victories in Asia Minor in 133 BC, the Aegean region became the principal communication for the conquests in eastern direction. The last two centuries BC were marked by numerous clashes between the mainland Thracian tribes and the Roman governors of the Macedonia province, who were charged with the protection of the important artery.


On the whole, that was an era of affluence, cultural and economic upsurge. Dozens of new cities were built, which emerged around the military camps of different troops. Special importance was attached to the Danube River along which the Balkan border of the empire passed. The old mainland centers like Philippopolis and Serdica ( Sofia ) developed and flourished. The same can also be said of the prosperous Greek cities along the Black Sea coast. Following the Roman traditions, enormous public baths, theatres and representative buildings were erected. Aqueducts and a developed road network were built, linking the Balkan Peninsula with every point in the vast state. Numerous imperial domains and residences of the villa rustica type were created outside the cities. They were usually decorated with marble and mosaics, as in the case of the famous villa Armira near the present-day town of Ivaylovgrad. It seemed as if that prosperity was to last millennia, when disaster struck.

Similar Topics from Ancient Bulgaria Archive

» Thrace under the reign of Roman Empire
» The ancient town Kabile
» Statue of Venus was found at the Roman castel Trimamium
» Bulgaria Under the rule of Tsar Simeon the Great (893-927)
» The Roman Thermae in Varna