Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 18, 2026

Apulum (castra)

Apulum was a legionary fortress in the Roman province of Dacia from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD, located in today's Alba Iulia, Romania.

Last revised
Jul 18, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Apulum
Porta Principalis Dextra
Location within Romania
Alternative name(s)Apula,1 Apulon1
Known also asCastra of Alba Iulia
Founded during the reign ofTrajan
Founded107 – 1082
Abandoned4th century AD
Attested byTabula Peutingeriana
Place in the Roman world
ProvinceDacia
Administrative unitDacia Apulensis
Administrative unitDacia Superior
Directly connected to
Structure
— Stone structure —
Size and area440 m × 430 m (18.92 ha)
Stationed military units
— Legions —
XIII Gemina,3 I Adiutrix45
Location
Coordinates46°02′50″N 23°34′0″E / 46.04722°N 23.56667°E / 46.04722; 23.56667
Altitude245 m
TownAlba Iulia
CountyAlba
Country Romania
Reference
RO-LMIAB-I-m-A-00001.013
RO-RAN1026.016
UNESCO
Part ofFrontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia
CriteriaCultural: ii, iii, iv
Reference1718-023
Inscription2024 (46th Session)
Site notes
Recognition UNESCO World Heritage Site
National Historical Monument
ConditionRuined

Apulum was a legionary fortress in the Roman province of Dacia from the 2nd to 4th centuries AD, located in today's Alba Iulia, Romania.6

Western Dacia map source ↗

It is the largest castrum in Romania, occupying 37.5 hectares (93 acres) (750 x 500 m). It was the base of the legion Legio XIII Gemina transferred there by Trajan to the newly conquered province of Dacia at the end of the war in 106. In the era of Hadrian (117-138 AD) and of Antoninus Pius (138-161 AD) it was rebuilt in stone.

The city of Apulum grew up around the fortress, eventually becoming the capital of Roman Dacia.

The legion was relocated in 271 to Dacia Aureliana when the northern Dacia province was evacuated

Apulum source ↗

The types of coins discovered

Issuer Issue Date Type
Antoninus Pius 139 sestertius7
Julia Maesa 218–224 denarius7
Elagabalus 222 denarius7
Severus Alexander 223–225 denarius7
Sallustia Orbiana 225–227 denarius7
Gordian III 241–243 denarius7
Philip the Arab 244–247 antoninianus7
Cornelia Salonina 257–258 antoninianus7
See also

See also

Notes

Notes

  1. Schütte, Gudmund (1917). "Ptolemy's maps of northern Europe, a reconstruction of the prototypes". The Royal Danish Geographical Society. Retrieved 2013-05-04.
  2. Domșa, Ovidiu (2009). "Virtual reconstruction of Roman military Apulum camp" (PDF). p. 6. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
  3. "Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010 ("2010 List of Historic Monuments")" (PDF). Monitorul Oficial al României, Partea I, Nr. 670 ("Romania's Official Journal, Part I, Nr. 670"), page 3. Ministerul Culturii şi Patrimoniului Naţional. 1 October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  4. Constantin C. Petolescu: Dacia – Un mileniu de istorie, Ed. Academiei Române, 2010, ISBN 978-973-27-1999-2
  5. Academia Română: Istoria Românilor, Vol. 2, Daco-romani, romanici, alogeni, 2nd. Ed., București 2010, ISBN 978-973-45-0610-1
  6. "1026.01". National Archaeological Record of Romania (RAN). ran.cimec.ro. 2010-10-22. Archived from the original on 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  7. "Apulum Archaeology". Retrieved 2013-05-02.
External links