In the footsteps of the Romans

From the Celtic kingdom to the Roman province of Noricum and a tombstone as a testimony to the Celts’ subjugation

The branches of the trees on the shores of Traunsee tremble in the marching rhythm of foot soldiers. Against the backdrop of lush greenery, the red cloaks of the warriors are a reminder of the traces of blood they leave wherever they appear. And of the iron fist of the Empire, which, just to conquer Gaul, has killed almost a million people. "Pacificare", pacifying, is what Gaius Julius Caesar called it. 50 years later, Roman soldiers are occupying the Celtic kingdom of Noricum.

Trade relations, which have existed for a long time between Romans and Celts, see a huge upswing from 15 BC. The Romans take over profitable businesses and the Celtic dominion is turned into the Roman province of Noricum. Salt, gold and iron are coveted and necessary raw materials for Rome’s military expansion.

The traces of the Romans are still visible in Altmünster 2000 years later. A Roman tombstone is now in the sacristy of the Parish Church of Altmünster. It dates from around 200 AD and is a testimony to the subjugation of the Celtic population.

The inscription of the roman tombstone:

DIIS MANIBUS
LUPUS VILICUS FECIT
PROBINO ACTORI
SOCERIONI ET
PROBA SOROR
FRATRI OBITO ANNORUM QUADRAGINTA (XL)
ET URSAE CONJUGI VIVAE
FACERUNT

Translation by Dr. Gerhard Winkler:

To the ancestral spirits
The steward Lupus has (the tomb)
erected for the accountant Probinus
his brother-in-law, and the sister Proba
for her brother who died at the age of 40
and (both) have erected (it)
for his still living wife Ursa

In addition to the Roman tombstone, there is also a find from Roman times in Altmünster: the foundations of a villa rustica are being excavated, but the remains are very sparse and not presentable.

The villa rustica in Weyregg / Attersee is one of many estates that existed in Noricum during the Roman period, has been more successfully documented. The first finds were recorded as early as 1767, under Count Khevenhüller. It is the most important Roman structure on Attersee and was probably the villa of a Roman landowner, whose wealth and prosperity were built on the work of many slaves.