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The Imperial Residence of Constantine the Great Uncovered at Ulpia Oescus

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очаквайте новини миналото разкриха императорската резиденция ескус

As one of Rome’s most strategic and important colonies on the Danube, Ulpia Oescus could hardly have been without an imperial residence. This residence has now been fully uncovered, revealing traces of both dramatic upheavals and moments of splendour.

It may sound grandiose, yet it is entirely true: here in Oescus, in the modern-day village of Gigen — not in the majestic Constantinople — Emperor Constantine began to lay out the ambitious plan that would secure his place in history as the Great.

For nearly two millennia, Ulpia Oescus has managed to preserve much of its magnificent temples and public buildings. The fate of the imperial residence, however, was more complicated, marked by successive episodes of destruction. Still, the surviving fragments are enough to tell the story of its former grandeur.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva, Head of the Archaeological Excavations:
“We are standing in the great reception hall of Oescus.”

Maria Cherneva:
“But this isn’t actually a hall, is it?”

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva:
“This is the hypocaust, the underfloor heating system, which has been preserved archaeologically. In this part, large sections of the mortar bed and marble flooring — which in some places remains in situ — have collapsed. Time has preserved them, and in some areas we can still see the original height of the hypocaust. The system was powered by furnaces outside the main building, below ground level in antiquity. Here is one surviving pillar, entirely preserved on site, and a second one… Warm air circulated between these pillars, channelled from external furnaces into the underground chambers, heating the entire hall so that it could be used even in winter.”

The reception hall was lined with colourful marbles brought from all corners of the Roman Empire. No effort or expense was spared – from the very first steps of the guests, any trace of doubt about the Empire’s power and grandeur was meant to vanish.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva, head of the archaeological excavations:
“The entire floor was decorated with inlaid ornaments and motifs – coloured marbles combined with white. On site, green-and-white marble has been preserved, featuring very beautiful formations – white spots, black patches, and darker green tones. Its origin is continental Greece, and much of the floor mosaics (opus sectile) as well as the wall cladding were made from it. It was a symbol of luxury, but what was considered even more luxurious came from Asia Minor, Egypt, and North Africa. In this case, we also have another type of marble: alabaster, brought from Egypt to adorn the walls of these buildings in the Escus residence.”

Similar halls exist in most imperial residences. Yet one type of marble, pale pink in colour, remained a mystery to researchers everywhere for a long time. Only a few years ago did scholars finally establish its origin.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva, head of the archaeological excavations:
“Its source is Berkovitsa – a marble that was exported from the ancient Thracian lands and used to decorate grand residences and imperial palaces. To date, we have identified more than 25 different colours and varieties of marble from across the Empire.”

Maria Cherneva: “Does that mean there are figures?”

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva:
“Certainly – but these figures are geometric: inscribed circles within squares, rhombuses, pelta motifs, and so on. We find all these elements in small fragments, but the decoration extended all the way up to the ceiling of this hall. The unexcavated section beneath carries the same information. Here, for example, you can see the marbles appearing in profile – this one is purple and white marble, which was also extremely valuable and reserved for imperial residences. And among all these fragments of stone and brick, we discovered this magnificent alabaster, which was used for wall columns in the cladding from the time of Constantine.”

The hall rose to a height of about 20 metres, illuminated by sunlight streaming through upper windows – glazed and fitted with thinly cut translucent marbles. Yet by the late 2nd to early 3rd century, this magnificent hall had been destroyed. Archaeologists have recorded traces of fire.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva, head of the archaeological excavations:
“These red traces here are evidence. They come from kilns and burnt adobe buildings. Between the first and the second construction phases – that is, between the original erection of the building and Constantine’s residence – we see signs of some cataclysm or a major fire that led to the destruction of Escus and of the hall itself. This period spans around 20 to 25 years.”

It is unclear what disaster befell Escus. But it was a turbulent period for the Empire, torn apart by civil wars and incursions from various Gothic and Sarmatian tribes, who took advantage of the turmoil and attempted to penetrate the Roman provinces along the Lower Danube. The devastation here may well have been their doing. The threshold of the hall, however, remained intact.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva, head of the archaeological excavations:
“This is where official delegations were received, where the emperor welcomed various petitioners during his stays in Escus. The threshold itself is 4.5 metres wide and was fitted with two large gates, which were naturally closed each evening, barring access. The most characteristic feature of such an imperial reception hall is the exedra – the semi-circular recess at the northern end of the hall, designed for receiving guests.”

Maria Cherneva: “So that is where he sat…?”

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva:
“Yes. And we can imagine, knowing that Emperor Constantine the Great visited Escus for the inauguration of the stone bridge across the Danube on 5 July 328 – a fact recorded in the sources – that he most likely sat on a throne in this exedra and delivered his famous speech. In it, he set out the foundations of his imperial policy and philosophy, declaring that with the barbarians we should trade, not wage war.”

The stone bridge over the Danube stands at the beginning of all Constantine’s great constructions. It was also his triumphal arch, commemorating his victory in the duel with Emperor Licinius. As a frontier city, Escus was under constant attack from various tribes, yet Constantine’s policy, embodied in the bridge, secured decades of peace in the region. In front of the reception hall, archaeologists unsurprisingly discovered a triclinium – in this case, a summer garden with a reflecting pool for cooling. This was yet another clear sign of Constantine the Great’s significant presence here.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva, head of the archaeological excavations:
“The largest pool is cruciform in shape. Each arm of the cross was lined with marble, and in the centre we found the stone through which the fountain was supplied. Of course, these remains are among the most damaged. Everyone assumed something was hidden here, and so they dug and dug. It was very difficult for me personally to recognise this cruciform pool at the very start of the excavations, buried under three metres of soil. But this shows that the visit took place in summer. And why cruciform? Emperor Constantine the Great officially adopted the Christian faith in 326. He arrived in Escus in 328. In other words, when this construction was planned, he was already a Christian, and the architects who drew up the plan wanted to emphasise his Christian identity.”

The cruciform pool was built on the remains of the original triclinium. Its destruction, however, marks another crisis lasting nearly a decade, during the conflict between the co-emperors Constantine and Licinius.

Assoc. Prof. Dr Gergana Kabakchieva:
“But while they were in conflict, there was an interim period with a semi-Romanised population, who built mudbrick houses here. Here are the traces of a burnt mudbrick dwelling. This suggests that after living here briefly, either they themselves set fire to it before moving elsewhere, or there was a battle – it is still difficult to say.”

Much, however, remains untold and undiscovered in the history that Ulpia Escus has yet to reveal – Trajan’s city on the Iskar, with centuries of glory and of complete ruin.


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