PANNONIA, in ancient geography, is the country bounded N. and E. by the Danube from a point 9 or 10 miles north of Vindobona (Vienna) to Singidunum (Belgrade) in Moesia, and conterminous westward with Noricum and Italy and southward with Dalmatia and Moesia Superior. It thus corresponds to the south-west of Hungary with portions of Lower Austria, Styria, Carniola, and Croatia and Slavonia. Partially conquered in 35 b.c. (when the town of Siscia was taken), Pannonia (but probably only what was afterwards known as Lower Pannonia) was made a Roman province by Tiberius in 8 a.d. The three legions stationed in the country at the death of Augustus (14 A.D.) rose in rebellion and were quelled by Drusus. Somewhere between 102 and 107 Trajan divided the province into Pannonia Superior and Pannonia Inferior. These, according to Ptolemy, were separated by a line from Arrabona (Raab) in the north to Servitium (Gradisca) in the south, but at a later date the boundary lay farther east, to the diminution of Pannonia Inferior. The erection of two new provinces, Valeria and Savia, in the time of Diocletian gave rise to a fourfold division; and Constantine placed Pannonia Prima, Valeria, and Savia under the praetorian prefect of Italy, and Pannonia Secunda under the praetorian prefect of Illyricum. Pannonia Prima was the north part of the old Pannonia Superior and Savia the south part; Pannonia Secunda lay round about Sirmium, at the meeting of the valleys of the Save, the Drave, and the Danube; and Valeria (so called by Galerius after Valeria his wife and Diocletian’s daughter) extended along the Danube from Altinum (Mohacs) to Brigetio (ό-Szöny). Theodosius 11, had to cede Pannonia to the Huns, and they were followed in turn by the Ostrogoths, the Longobards, and the Avars....
During the four hundred years of Roman occupation Pannonia reached a considerable pitch of civilization, and a number of the native tribes were largely Latinized. Upper Pannonia contained Vindobona (Vienna), a municipium; Carnuntum (Petronell), which became probably about 70 a. d. the winter quarters of the Pannonian legions, was made a municipium by Hadrian or Antoninus Pius, appears in the 3d century as a colonia, and has left important epigraphic remains; Arrabona (Raab or Györ), a considerable military station; Brigetio (O-Szöny), founded probably in the 2d century as the seat of Legio Prima Adjutrix, and afterwards designated municipium and colonia; Scarabantia or Scarbantia (Oedenburg or Soprony), a municipium of Julian origin according to Pliny, but of Aelian according to the inscriptions; Savaria or Sabaria (Stein am Anger or Szombathely), a purely civil municipium founded by Claudius, and a frequent residence of the later emperors; Poetovio (Potobium of Ptolemy, Patavio of ltin. Anton.·, modern Pettau), first mentioned by Tacitus (69 a.d.) as the seat of Legio XIII. Gemina, and made a colonia by Trajan; Siscia (Sziszek), formerly known as Segesteca or Segeste, a place of great importance down to the close of the empire, made a colonia probably by Vespasian, and restored by Severus (colonia Flavia Septimia); Neviodunum (Dernovo), designated municipium Flavium; municipium Latobicorum (Treffen); Emona or Hemona, 'Hμ0>va (Laibach); and Nauportus (Ober-Laibach). Lower Pannonia contained Sirmium (Mitrovic), first mentioned in 6 a.d., made a colonia by Vespasian or his successor, and a frequent residence of the later emperors; Bassianae (near Petrovce), Cusum (Peterwardein), Malata or Bononia (Banostor), Cibalae (Vinkovce), a municipium; Mursa (Eszek), made a colonia by Hadrian 133 A.n.; Sopianae (Fiinfkirchen or Pecs), seat of the praeses of Valeria, and an important place at the meeting of five roads; Aquincum (Alt-Ofen), made a colonia by Hadrian, and the seat of Legio II. Adjutrix; and Cirpi (near Bogdâny). See Corp. Inscr. Lat., vol. iii. 1.
[627 words — estimated reading time: 4 minutes]