Apulum (conurbation)

Apulum
castrum Apulum
Location within Romania
Alternative name(s)	colonia Aurelia Apulensis, municipium Aurelium Apulense, Chrysopolis, Municipium Septimium Apulense, Apulum I, Apulum II
Known also as	Alba Iulia; Gyulafehérvár; Karlsburg
Founded during the reign of	Trajan
Founded	107 – 108[1]
Abandoned	4th century AD
Attested by	Tabula Peutingeriana
Place in the Roman world
Province	Dacia
Administrative unit	Dacia Apulensis
Administrative unit	Dacia Superior
Directly connected to	Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, Cluj-Napoca
Structure
— Stone structure —
Size and area	440 m × 430 m (18.9[1] ha)
Stationed military units
— Legions —
XIII Gemina[2]
Location
Coordinates	46°04′04″N 23°34′22″E / 46.0679°N 23.5727°E / 46.0679; 23.5727
Altitude	245 m
Town	Alba Iulia
Country	Romania
Reference
RO-LMI	AB-I-s-A-00002; AB-I-m-A-00001.02[2]
RO-RAN	1026.02; 1026.04[2]
Site notes
Recognition	National Historical Monument
Archaeologists	B. Csérni

The twin towns of Apulum were a major urban centre of Roman Dacia, nowadays completely covered by the city of Alba Iulia. They developed in the vicinity of the legionary fortress of Legio XIII Gemina: Colonia Aurelia Apulensis and Colonia Nova Apulensis.

The conurbation extended over 140 ha in the 3rd century with an estimated population between 15,000 and 20,000. The two towns and the castrum, commonly referred together as Apulum, had numerous temples including a Mithraeum and hosted the residence of the governor in charge of the Legio XIII Gemina and Legio V Macedonica, making it a de facto capital of the province of Dacia Apulensis and all of Roman Dacia^[3] after the residence had been moved from Sarmizegetusa.