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Rivers and river deities in Roman period in the Croatian part of Pannonia

The purpose of this contribution is to point out several remarks on river navigation, as well as on worship of river deities, in the Croatian part of the Roman province of Pannonia. The rivers were at the Roman period the most important were the largest European rivers, such as the Rhine and the Danube, both connecting the northern with the southern and the western with the eastern regions of the continent. Besides the Danube (Danuvius, Danubius), the border river of the Empire, the most important rivers for traffic, economy, trade, and often also for strategic and military matters of Croatian part of Pannonia were the Drava (Dravus) and the Sava (Savus), together with, due to specific circumstances, the Kupa (Colapis), as well as the Bosut (Bathinus) and some others. This is recognized in literary sources and in a vast number of archaeological finds. On their banks were built important urban centres, together with accompanying infrastructure, harbours, bridges, etc. In this context, an inscription on a brick from Siscia is suggestive, testifying the fact that there were two harbours in Siscia, on both banks of the Kupa river. The most important urban centres were the colonies of Siscia (Sisak), Mursa (Osijek) and Cibalae (Vinkovci). At the same time, Siscia was connected with Sirmium (Srijemska Mitrovica) by the Sava river, and the Pannonian fleet (Classis Pannonica) patrolled upon it (it received the honorary title Flavia during Vespasian’s reign).

river navigation; Croatian part of the Roman province of Pannonia; Danube; Drava; Sava; Kupa; Bosut; deities

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