

The oblique camp border along today's street Salzgries was probably caused by a tremendous flood of the River Danube that occurred during the 3rd century and eroded a considerable part of the camp. The asymmetrical layout of the military camp, which was unusual for the otherwise standardised Roman encampments, is still recognisable in Vienna's street plan: Graben, Naglergasse, Tiefer Graben, Salzgries, Rabensteig, Rotenturmstraße. It has also been proven that a Germanic settlement with a large marketplace existed on the far side of the Danube from the second century onwards. Civic communities developed outside the fortifications ( canabae legionis), as well another community that was independent of the military authorities in today's third district. Vindobona was provisioned by the surrounding Roman country estates ( Villae rusticae).Ī centre of trade with a developed infrastructure as well as agriculture and forestry developed around Vindobona. By the time of Emperor Commodus, four legions ( X Gemina, XIV Gemina Martia Victrix, I Adiutrix and II Adiutrix) were stationed in Pannonia. The Danube marked the border of the Roman Empire, and Vindobona was part of a defensive network including the camps of Carnuntum, Brigetio and Aquincum. The military complex covered an area of some 20 hectares, housing about 6000 men where Vienna's first district now stands. Vindobona was a military camp with an attached civilian city ( Canabae).

Vindobona was part of the Roman province Pannonia, of which the regional administrative centre was Carnuntum. It is possible that Vindobona as a legionary fortress was built around the year of 100, because from the archeological records there are no building inscriptions dating earlier than the year of 103.


Today, there is a Marc-Aurelstraße (English: Marcus Aurelius street) near the Hoher Markt in Vienna. Silver plate, part of a larger find found around Kärntner Straße in 1945Įarly references to Vindobona are made by the geographer Ptolemy in his Geographica and the historian Aurelius Victor, who recounts that emperor Marcus Aurelius died in Vindobona on 17 March 180 from an unknown illness while on a military campaign against invading Germanic tribes.
